The next ZZ Top studio album still doesn't have a firm title or release date, but Billy Gibbons tells Rolling Stone that progress has been steady.  Speaking with David Fricke, the guitarist says the trio's new effort benefits from having a producer that has allowed the album to develop at an unhurried pace.  He says Rick Ruben has allowed the group to reconsider and revise some of the songs they had completed in earlier sessions. Even though Gibbons characterizes the album as '...pretty streamlined and straight forward', he says the Ruben approach led to some 'accidents' he feels took some songs in unexpected but good directions.  As for when fans will be able to get their ears on the release, Gibbons says it should be out before the summer.
RollingStone.com

MORE ZZ TOP ROCK INSIGHTS

The pace of band apps has picked up with the recent release of mini-mobile programs dedicated to Pink Floyd (story), Jimi Hendrix (story) and David Bowie (story). Now comes word that Rolling Stone magazine is entering the arena with an iPad app drawing its content from The Beatles: The Ultimate Album-By-Album book RS published over the summer.  The iPad only app reportedly offers little more than an electronic repro of the print version, but does include song clips (linked to iTunes for purchase of the full song or album, of course).  Unless there's a lot more to it than that, $9.99 seems like a hefty price compared to what the Hendrix and Floyd apps offer.
TabTimes.com

MORE BEATLES ROCK INSIGHTS

Some AC/DC fans are short circuiting over the Aussie hard rockin' band's decision to let Wal-Mart use a riff from Back In Black in a commercial.  The segment from the song airing in TV commercials for the retail giant struck a sour chord with some fans who went online to share their disappointment over the group letting the retail giant co-opt the famous riff to push holiday sales.  Comments on commercialshate.com take the retailer and the band to task for usurping the song to push holiday bargains, prompting one associate of the mega-chain to say '...I'm ashamed to work for this company'.
UltimateClassicRock.com

MORE AC/DC ROCK INSIGHTS

Album covers featuring larger-than-life images demanded far more time and money before Photoshop came along, allowing even novices to superimpose all sorts of things into spaces they never actually occupied.  Pink Floyd spared no expense in shooting the cover for the Animals album.  Having an enormous custom made inflated pig hove over a London area power station for the cover shot was complicated and expensive enough before it proved as unruly as a wild hog, breaking away and raising calls of alarm from commercial pilots flying in and out of Heathrow airport before landing in a farmer's field and triggering a stampede in his herd.

The recreation of the cover shot for the anniversary of the album's release could very easily have been staged without the drama - but a techno smoke and mirrors approach would not have elicited the kind of reaction that made using a real inflatable worth every penny.
Telegraph.co.uk

MORE PINK FLOYD INSIGHTS

Bruce Dickinson and Jimmy Buffett may not have anything in common musically, but the two share a passion for flying.  The Iron Maiden veteran holds a commercial grade license to fly and logged a lot of hours aloft piloting planes for the British airline Astraeus until the carrier recently ceased operations.  Dickinson hopes to return to he flight deck in his own airline, either reviving the Astraeus badge or under a new name.  Maiden Voyage has a good ring to it, we think. Dickinson calls it '...a serious plan involving people who are very good at their jobs.'  He also wants to create another company for training commercial pilots.
Blabbermouth.net  Gibson.com

Chimes Of Freedom, a four CD set celebrating the music of Bob Dylan and the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International is slated for a January 24th release.  The 72 song collection includes a slew of diverse artists and a version of Corina, Corina that features both Pete Townshend and Eddie Vedder.  Also among the 80 musicians recruited for the project are Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, Mark Knopfler, Lenny Kravitz, Kris Kristofferson, Ziggy Marley, Tom Morello, Aerosmith's Joe Perry, Jeff Beck, Sting, Patti Smith, Paul Rogers, Nils Lofgren, and Dave Matthews.  All of the songs on the tribute were recorded specifically for the project except the title track, which is the original 1964 recording by the man being honored.
AmnestyUSA.org

The North American tour dates for Guns N' Roses had gone much more smoothly than the debacle last year's overseas tour became (story).  The trouble free run on these shores came to an end on Tuesday (11/22) when the the scheduled concert for the following night at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY was abruptly canceled for what the official release said were 'production problems'.  The fact the announcement also advised ticket holders to seek refunds pretty much blows out the possibility the date will ever be made up. The real 'production problem' in situations like this sometimes turns out to be that the act did not produce enough ticket sales for the show to make sense for the band or the promoter.  Not sayin' that's the case here, but the band's reputation for going on late, not going on at all and doing less that solid shows sometimes when they do play has probably made lot of the fans the group has managed to hold onto reluctant to invest ahead of time in tickets.  A lot of the upstate New York ones that did buy tickets may be joining their ranks now.

Albums released after the death of Jim Morrison still bore the name of the band, but rehashed material with and without the charismatic Doors lead singer hardly measured up to the kind of force the band was with with the Lizard King out front.  L.A. Woman, the last of the real Doors albums, is getting a 40th anniversary reissue on January 24, together with a DVD documenting the making of the 1971 release. The double CD will include a song from the sessions titled She Smells So Nice never previously released.  Eight different versions of the songs that did make it onto the original album will also be included.
The DVD features interviews with Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, John Densmore, manager Bill Siddons and producer Bruce Botnick with their perspectives on the creative process behind the album that came out just a few months before Morrison died in Paris.  Some rare studio performance video is also included.
Eagle Rock Entertainment

Without Duane Allman and Berry Oakley around to participate, the Allman Brothers Band won't be able to fully capture the magic that made At The Fillmore East one of the great live albums in Rock history, but fans attending the Friday (11/25) concert at Philadelphia's Tower Theatre will get the next best thing when the Southern institution's current lineup takes on the 1971 album in its entirety.  Boston fans will get a double dose, with the ABB doing the '71 album on Tuesday at the Orpheum Theater on Tuesday (11/29), followed the next night by Eat A Peach, the double album the Allmans released in '72.
JamBands.com

MORE ALLMAN BROTHERS ROCK INSIGHTS

Sammy Hagar is mouthing off about Van Halen again.  Speaking with Rolling Stone, the former VH member speculated that the material Van Halen is supposedly about to put out is '...all old stuff', and adds, '...I don't think it's ever going to happen.  That said, the Chickenfoot member admits he's pulling for them to come through with a great album for the sake of the fans, who he calls among the most loyal fans of all, and contends they have gotten nothing but bad treatment from the band over the last two decades.  The Red Rocker also goes off on the group again over the decision to replace his Chickenfoot band mate Michael Anthony in VH with Eddie Van Halen's son, Wolfgang.

MORE VAN HALEN ROCK INSIGHTS

As talk of a possible Rolling Stones album and tour next year continues to heat up (story), we can also report that the lineup has the potential to include former members Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor.  Speaking with Spinner.com about the upcoming December jam sessions he, Ron Wood and Charlie Watts have planned, Keith Richards said, 'I was going to ask Billy Wyman to come by too. And Mick Taylor. The whole lot. They're all Stones, you know.  Why not.'
 Wyman parted ways with the band at the end of 1992. Taylor replaced Brian Jones in the spring of 1969 and was replaced by Faces guitarist Ron Wood at the end of 1974.
 
 MORE ROLLING STONES ROCK INSIGHTS

Pink Floyd's Roger Waters has been married three times previously and plans to make it a 4th in 2012.  The bass player, who is the one Floyd member mining the Pink Floyd legacy on the road these days, says the ceremony will be nothing in common with the spectacular effects involved in his current tour Wall tour featuring music from the band's epic 1979 double album.  He calls the plans for his wedding to long-time fiance Laurie Durning '...private and low-key'
TorontoSun.com  New York Post

MORE ROGER WATERS INSIGHTS

Bruce Springsteen is itchin' to get out on the road again. The Boss has announced through his web site that the E Street Band will open a new tour next spring with a series of overseas dates before returning to theses shores for the fist  tour since the death of Clarence Clemons. The short on details post on BruceSpringsteen.net also adds that a new album is also on the way. ROCKinsights has learned that Bruce will headline the closing night (June 24) of the Isle Of Wight festival in the UK.  Festival director John Giddings is giddy at the prospect, saying, 'It's taken years to get him here, but it will have been worth the wait - he's one of the greatest acts of all time, it's going to be a classic year.'
The tour and album announcement comes after recent appearances Springsteen made in Pittsburgh (story) and New York (story).
IWRadio.co.uk

MORE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN INSIGHTS

Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac members have been vague and contradictory about whether they plan to tour or record in the coming year.  Not the Eagles, if Joe Walsh has his way.  The Eagles guitarist told Rolling Stone that the group is laying the groundwork to spend at least five months of the second half of 2012 on tour.  Walsh also hopes to be able to work in a series of James Gang reunion dates.  He also assured Eagles fans that the group is focused on providing a fresh concert experience for the benefit anyone that took in shows during the last tour.  In addition to breaking out some early material the group hasn't been doing on recent tours, concert goers can expect multi-media elements mined from the archives to supplement what the guys are playing on stage.
RollingStone.com   UltimateClassicRock.com

MORE EAGLES INSIGHTS

Talent agency giant ICM has arranged to have virtually full access to the massive Grateful Dead catalog for development of a narrative based feature film based on the group's songs.  ICM's Bruce Kaufman, who played a prominent role in developing Across The Universe, the 2007 movie based on Beatles songs, has enlisted the assistance and support of GD archive guru David Lemieux to advise him on what material will work best for the narrative being developed for the movie. The unprecedented level of access being granted for the project should give Deadheads reason to think this flick could end up being something quite special.
HollywoodReporter.com

MORE GRATEFUL DEAD INSIGHTS

Resentment over the shabby treatment his band got from it's old record label and a lack of control over publishing rights to his own songs resulted in a decades long period during which John Fogerty refused to play Creedence Clearwater Revival songs during concerts.  He got beyond it enough to start including more and more CCR staples in his solo shows in recent years, but it wasn't until this week that he revisited a Creedence album in its entirety.  As it happened, Fogerty made-up for lost time by tackling two during his back-to-back nights at the Beacon Theatre in New York.  Thursday (11/17),  Fogerty and his band took on Cosmos Factory, adding great songs like Ramble Tamble and Long As I Can See The Light to the ones from the 1970 release he has frequently worked into concert sets in recent years.  He supplemented the set with a number of other Creedence songs, ones from his solo catalog and covers of Roy Orbison's Oh, Pretty Woman and Bad Case Of Loving You from the late Robert Palmer.  Friday's audience got a similarly deep treat - songs from the Green River album.
Spinner.com

MORE JOHN FOGERTY INSIGHTS

Todd Rundgren's Utopia was so synth & keyboard oriented that a keyboard player filled a role or prominence most Rock groups reserved for guitarists. A keyboard and electronics wizard that helped craft the sound of Utopia was Moogy Klingman.  Klingman passed away Tuesday (11/15) after a battle with cancer. A Virgina fan came up with the idea of paying tribute to Klingman Saturday (11/19) when Rundgren brings his Utopia reunion tour to Philadelphia's Tower Theatre.
2,300 of the fans attending the concert will find glow-sticks that emit various colors on their seats.  300 white color light cylinders will be given to ticket holders in seats distributed in a pattern that spells out the word "LOVE".  If successful, Bill Bricke, Rundgren's band and the fans attending the show will establish a new Guinness World Record for the largest glow stick design - something we suspect Moogy would appreciate.
Pollstar.com

Jimi Hendrix - The Complete Experience arrives in the Apple app store just in time for the Nov. 27 anniversary of the guitar icon's birth.  The comprehensive (and free!) download from Universal Mind was developed in collaboration with Sony Legacy and Experience Hendrix, the entity headed by Janie Hendrix that must review and approve any venture related to her late brother.  Like so many of the best projects, this one began on a paper napkin.  Universal Mind's Tim Wandell says Experience Hendrix showed little interest in the concept until his team got to meet with them and lay-out the scope of that they had in mind. Once the project got a thumbs-up from EH, Wandell and his developers got into the process of turning the powerful vision into a fully functional, content rich app. 
In addition to a comprehensive discography a time line, photos and the other stock features of artist oriented apps, Universal Mind's Hendrix app includes a strong narrative about one of Rock's most intriguing figures, along with never before available to the public artifacts, built-in Hendrix related location based landmark identification capability. The company also made a commitment to making sure that the app continues to evolve.
Jimi Hendrix - The Complete Experience is available exclusively to Apple device owners (IOS 5 required) initially, but Wandell expects an Android version to follow.
FierceDeveloper.com
 
MORE JIMI HENDRIX INSIGHTS

Any doubt that Beatle memorabilia is still on the upswing probably disappeared with news that someone bid more than $55,000 for a letter Paul McCartney wrote to an unknown drummer inviting him to audition for a spot in what would become the Beatles.  The August, 1960 letter for a stick man to fill the role that eventually was awarded to Pete Best and later Ringo Starr was auctioned by Christie's Auction House in London on Tuesday (11/15). News of the considerable sum paid for a letter whose recipient can't be identified comes just days after reports that a Canadian dentist had laid out more than $30k to get possession of a  tooth that once resided in John Lennon's mouth (story).
Gibson.com

MORE BEATLES INSIGHTS

A Conservative member of the British Parliament has initiated a campaign to have one of the UK's highest honors bestowed on guitarist Jimmy Page.  If Louise Mensch gets her way, the Led Zeppelin and Yardbirds veteran will join Elton John and Paul McCartney as official members of British Rock Royalty.  Mensch denies that the fact her husband, Peter Mensch, once was a manager for Page, saying, 'Clearly there is nobody more worthy of a knighthood'.  She announced the plan publicly through her Twitter account, tweeting 'I've proposed Jimmy Page. Waiting to see if that finds favour with the Honours Directorate. I hope so"
Telegraph.com.au

MORE JIMMY PAGE INSIGHTS

Director Julie Taymour exited the Broadway production of Spider-Man when the massively over budget and behind schedule musical was at a tipping point.  The logistics of staging the production as originally envisioned were proving impossible for even a seasoned technical crew to pull together and outside pressure was causing the production team to come apart.  Some of that pressure was coming from Bono and U2 guitarist the Edge who, according the Taymour in an Esquire magazine interview, resorted to  misrepresenting her state of mind as a means of ousting her from the production so they could revamp it the way they wanted it staged.  She also accused some production insiders of secretly leaking info about the inner workings of the production to outsiders intent on changing things.  The Lion King director recently initiated legal action seeking compensation for aspects of the finished production that she contends she deserves. Spider-Man has been one of the biggest draws on Broadway since opening, despite less than stellar reviews.  Given the massive over-run in production costs and the enormous expense of staging it each week, few believe it will ever prove profitable.
NYTimes.com

Star's guitars have always been among the most popular auction items. While none of the ones going on the block Dec. 3 in Beverly Hills were ever played or owned by the guitarists that inspired them, the axes are expected to bring in top bids of several thousand dollars each.  The 20 ft. tall pieces honoring Jimi Hendrix, Peter Frampton, Slash, Ozzy Osbourne and others have been on display along Sunset Strip for the last several months as an exhibit sponsored by guitar maker Gibson.  Proceeds from the sale will go to the LA Youth Network, the West Hollywood Arts & Cultural Commission and the Hollywood Library. Bidder with high ceilings and fat wallets can get in on it through JuliensLive.com.
UltimateClassicRock.com

Cheap Trick, the band that put Rockford, Illinois on the map, is planning to open a music themed eatery 60 miles east of its home base.  The restaurant and a number of associated operations will occupy space on South Michigan Avenue in Chicago, the part of the Windy City that was home to Chess, Brunswick and Vee-Jay records.  Plans, reported by Reuters, also call for a broadcast ready studio and a museum showcasing instruments and artifacts from the Chicago area's musical history.
Gibson.com

MORE CHEAP TRICK INSIGHTS

A band that spent as many days on the road as the Allman Brothers did during the years they mounted tours every year has plenty of great concert stuff to drill down for.  A recent alliance between the group and Entertainment One Distribution will result in some of the best of those live recordings becoming officially available. The vintage material will come out under the Allman Brothers Band Recording Company label. while concert performances by more recent ABB lineups will make their appearance as Peach Records releases.  Leading off the Allman Brothers Band Label releases will be a State University Of New York Stonybrook concert from 1971 that has been previously available by mail order only .A re-release of a 2003 Beacon Theatre DVD is also expected, along with the 2004 album One Way Out.  Among the more recent live material being prepped for release is one featuring highlights from the band's 40th anniversary series at the Beacon.
UltimateClassicRock.com

MORE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND INSIGHTS

Rod Stewart says he wants to be on board a trans-Atlantic ship following the identical route of the ill-fated Titanic on the 100th anniversary of the great maritime disaster that claimed the lives of more than 1,500 passengers and crew.  Two memorial crossings are scheduled, one retracing the ship's route west from Southampton, England, the other originating in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Both will converge at the point in the Atlantic where the ocean liner encountered the iceberg shortly after midnight on April 15, 2012 that proved the notion that the ship was unsinkable false.  Stewart, who released an album titled Atlantic Crossing in the 70's, said his wife, who is prone to sea sickness, will be on terra firma while he taunts fate.
Mirror.co.uk

MORE ROD STEWART INSIGHTS

Touting itself as 'the ultimate accompaniment to the ultimate band', a new iPhone, iPod and iPad app is due (11/15) that promises to be a hot item among hard core Pink Floyd fans. In addition to a database that feeds a daily historic chronicle of what transpired with the band each day, the app will provide a comprehensive look at each album and every song Pink Floyd has released, interfacing with ones in the user's library for live play.  The app also includes trivia questions, photos, an HD video of the song Point Me To The Sky (1968), wallpaper and a ringtone extracted from Shine On You Crazy Diamond.
Appolicious

MORE PINK FLOYD INSIGHTS

A Christmas Carol, the perennial holiday favorite promises to be an even bigger draw for a local theatrical group in western Massachusetts this year with the announcement by the Berkshire Community Theatre that singer James Taylor will appear in one of the signature roles.  JT will appear as Bob Cratchit, a role that isn't too much of a stretch for one of the most down-to-earth guys in the music biz.  The play, Taylor's first, will be staged December 17-30 at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA.  Director Eric Hill says he is thrilled to have Taylor in the cast, saying, ' I know that James will bearing his inherent charm and gentleness to bear in his portrayal of Bob Cratchit, a good and unprentitious man.'

Boston.BroadwayWorld.com

Just a few days after delivering back-to-back marathon performances in Pittsburgh (story), Bruce Springsteen was on stage at the Beacon Theater for his friend Jon Stewart of The Daily Show and former president Bill Clinton at the 5th annual benefit for the Bob Woodruff Foundation. The Max Weinberg Big Band was also in the lineup for the fundraiser named in honor of the ABC News correspondent.  Springsteen went on early in the night's festivities, opening with Open All Night from the Nebraska album before swinging into a full band backed version of Spirit in The Night that got Bruce into the audience and dancing in the aisle.  He ended his set on a somber note, doing Land Of Hope & Dreams, but was later back tearing things up on Long Tall Sally.  Springsteen also put the acoustic guitar, his shirt and harmonica he played up for auction, bringing in a high bid of $160,000 from a bidder that then gave the guitar to Andrew Kinkaid, a veteran that lost his legs in battle during the Iraq war who had spoken earlier in the program.
RollingStone.com

MORE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN INSIGHTS

Mick Jagger has apparently been non-committal, but the rest of the core members of the Rolling Stones have plans to do spend some time in the studio before the month is out.  Keith Richards says that he, Ron Wood and drummer Charlie Watts have no plans to record, they are '...just going to play a little together, because we haven't played for three or four years.'  Addressing the question of whether their front man will join them, Richards said, 'Mick's welcome, and I'm sure he'll turn up, but right now we just want to get our chops down.'  This could be the first clear indication that a Stones album and/or tour will come together before the end of 2012.
List.co.uk

MORE ROLLING STONES INSIGHTS

A guitar and dog lover can help them self to lunch and private guitar lesson with Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & The Hearbreakers to help out one of the guitarist's favorite causes.  Campbell and Tom Petty co-founded Rock The Dogs, a Southern California group that provides medical or other help to canines without owners able to cover the expenses.  Campbell is stepping up with an opportunity for the high bidder to get some first-hand pointers on fret work along with the chance to break bread with the Heartbreaker guitar wiz.  The leading bid with just over a week to go was at $1,250 when we checked in.  Looks like the cause will pocket some serious coin through the EBay auction.
UltimateClassicRock.com

MORE MIKE CAMPBELL INSIGHTS

Grateful Dead and Furthur bass player Phil Lesh has decided to withdraw his proposal for a multi-use music venue just north of San Francisco.  Terrapin Crossroads would have been a 8,250 sq. ft. building on the site of a former gas station in the Marin County town of Fairfax. Announcement of the plan for a facility named after the 1977 Grateful Dead album Terrapin Station met generally positive response in the community, but vocal opponents made it clear they would fight the project every step of the way.  The announcement that the project was being scuttled came on election day.  The mayor of the town expressed disappointment, saying, 'I regret we were not given the opportunity to go through the process with them. I think that is a real loss for the community'.  Terrapin plans may not be totally dead in the water. Project manager Bruce Burman's statement announcing the suspension read included this: 'For all of you that have supported our efforts and helped to define the vision we are extremely grateful. Phil looks forward to making music and creating a community gathering place sooner rather than later.'
MarinIJ.com

MORE PHIL LESH INSIGHTS

With plans up in the air on a 2012 Rolling Stones album or tour (story), Ron Wood has time on his hands that he is applying towards creating some nice faces for the hands of time.  The Stones and Faces guitarist has joined forces with watch maker Benmont to create a limited edition of clocks featuring his artwork.  Each hand painted clock face will display an image depicting a point in the guitarist's life.  The high-end time pieces meticulously built by the company that earned the UK Watch Brand Of The Year feature remarkably detailed works showcased in an elaborate hinged compartment.  Each of the custom built marine style clocks features three time zones and 90 day chronograph.  The complexity of assembling the highly detailed clocks will limit each to a run of 10-15 pieces per year.  Wood calls the opportunity to work with the watch company an '...exciting adventure'.  Given the limited run and quality of the time pieces, you can bet it will be lucrative as well (no prices were available).  He added, 'I feel there will be a magnificent opportunity through my art to show what has influenced me throughout my life, which includes my water heritage, my well documented life in music and my abiding passion for horses.'  Looks like much younger women finished out of the running.
Retail-Jeweller.com

MORE RON WOOD INSIGHTS

The music of Graham Nash and David Crosby has always included songs that resonate with the politically active, so it was no surprise to hear that the pair had plans to put on a performance of support and encouragement for those continuing to stage protests in New York City under the Occupy Wall Street banner.  Their brief set Tuesday (11/8) in lower Manhattan's Zuccotti Park opened with Long Time Gone, closed with Teach Your Children and included the song They Want It All, a song Graham Nash directed toward the brokers, bankers and other 1%ers working for big firms on and around Wall Street.  Protesters gathered tightly around the veteran performers, who were prohibited from using any amplification under terms that have permitted the protesters to have an ongoing presence in the nation's financial center.  Nash concluded the appearance by raising a toast to those gathered and calling on them to continue their vigil.
Bloomberg.com

MORE CROSBY & NASH INSIGHTS

Gear head  & Rocker Brian Johnson of AC/DC will be piloting a BMW prototype around the circuit at Daytona Motor Speedway in the Rolex 24 Hour race at the fabled Florida race course January 28-29 to raise money to fight pediatric cancer.  The Highway To Help team of Johnson and his driving partners are looking to collect $1 million dollars for the Austin Hatcher Foundation during the run-up to the big race and a radio-thon being conducted during the race itself.  Johnson, who recently published a book about his favorite cars (story), is no stranger to the cockpit of race cars, having been at the wheel of a Can-Am car and several Historic  Sports car competitions.  He is also expected to drive for Rolex at events being staged at Watkins Glen and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
AutoWeek.com

MORE BRIAN JOHNSON INSIGHTS

Ozzy Osbourne, Tommy Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler are all expected to be on hand Friday (11/11) at the Whiskey Au Go Go in LA for an announcement confirming that the original lineup of the ground breaking metal band Black Sabbath is reuniting.  The date and venue for the press conference leave no doubt about the subject:  Sabbath did its first ever US live set at the SoCal club on the very same date 41 years ago.  Earlier reports make a new Sabbath album is a virtual lock (story).  What remains to be be seen is whether the reunion will include just a one-off live date or full tour. Bet on the latter.
AntiMusic.com

Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of the Who have long supported the Prince's Trust, the UK charity that has raised millions to assist children facing medical challenges.  Now, the pair of is stepping up to help raise money so the UCLA Medical Center can created a satellite center dedicated to providing care to 15 -25 year-olds confronting cancer.  The Rock veterans are joined by drummer Dave Grohl in the effort, which has a goal of developing a state-of-the-art facility where patients are able to get the care they need in an atmosphere that still allows for them to enjoy life.
Express.co.uk

MORE WHO INSIGHTS

When reports first emerged a couple of weeks ago (story) that a tooth belonging to John Lennon was headed for auction we considered the estimated sale value of $16,000 for the unusual artifact a bit low.  That proved correct Saturday (11/5) when a Canadian dentist submitted a winning bid of nearly $32,000.  Michael Zuk said that as soon as he got wind that a tooth that once resided in the mouth of Lennon was going up for sale he knew he '...had to have it.'
Zuk went on to tell the BBC that he made the purchase knowing that many would consider it 'gross'.  The tooth was reportedly given by Lennon to to his housekeeper as a memento for her Beatles fan daughter shortly after John returned from a dentist's office to have it extracted.
UltimateClassicRock.com

MORE JOHN LENNON INSIGHTS

Soldiers & Sailors Hall in Pittsburgh was the place to be Thursday night (11/3) when Bruce Springsteen hit the stage with local legend Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers for a nearly three hour, 26 song show.  Sporting a black T-shirt and Jeans, The Boss was in mid-season form for a SRO crowd that included Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger and plenty of Springsteen faithful anticipating the return engagement after last year's shows with Grushecky in the same venue.
Bruce opened the night on his own with acoustic versions of For You, Land Of Hope & Dreams and I'll Work For Your Love before Grushecky and the Houserockers took the stage for a couple of tunes on their own.  Bruce returned, joining the band on Atlantic City, followed by a set that included an interesting mix of E Street Band staples and some less frequently heard tunes, including Murder Incorporated, Code Of Silence (a song he and Grushecky wrote together), Homestead, Pumping Iron, and Save My Love (a tune first performed at the Pittsburgh appearance he made with Grushecky in 2010).  The set closed with Light Of Day and Bruce telling the crowd 'We're too old to run back off and back on the stage' before launching into an encore that included The Promised Land, Down The Road and Wipe Out.  The night ended as it began - just Bruce and his acoustic guitar for a trip down Thunder Road.

Night two opened with Springsteen joining opening act The Composures on Dancing In The Dark.  After their set, Bruce returned to the stage on his own for back-to-back solo acoustic versions of one of the more recent and one of the earliest songs from the Springsteen repertoire - Your Own Worst Enemy from the Magic album, followed by Incident n 57th St. from The Wild, The Innocent..., a song Bruce said was requested by Grushecky that he had never played on an acoustic guitar.  Over the next 3+ hours Springsteen and Grushecky delivered a 30+ song set it's safe to say every one of the 2,200 people lucky enough to be in the house will forever recount as one of the most remarkable concert experiences of their life.  Springsteen was in and out of the audience repeatedly and members of the audience were alongside the band on stage during the multiple encores of the marathon set that finally wrapped-up at midnight with exhilarated and exhausted musicians and concert goers hearing Bruce do Thunder Road solo-acoustic with Grushecky and many of the 2,200 joining him on the vocals.
NJ.com

MORE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN INSIGHTS

Julian Lennon has been on a bit of a tirade over not getting an invitation to attend Paul McCartney's recent wedding or a party Paul and new wife threw in New York October 23 .  He says it is just the latest example of how his father's surviving former band mates have ignored him and his mother, Cynthia, John Lennon's first wife.  Pecking away on his Facebook page, the 48 year-old Lennon reportedly wrote 'Wow... Snubbed at Macca's wedding, Snubbed at the Anniversary of LOVE in Las Vegas! Snubbed at Macca's Wedding reception in NYC last night. Snubbed at George's Film Premier... What have I done to be ignored in such a way?'  No doubt the fact John Lennon's second son, Sean, who he fathered with Yoko Ono, did get an invite to the New York party contributed to the rant, which has since been removed from Julian's FB page.
DailyMail.co.uk