U2 released its third album on February 28, 1983.  War knocked Michael Jackson's Thriller out of the #1 album slot.

Metallica has rolled out a Wherever You May Roam ticket that's good for admission to as many North American tour concerts as the ticket holder wants to travel to. At $598 it's a cost-per-show bargain even for a fan planning to use it at a fraction of the 34 shows on the schedule... until you factor in airfare or gas and hotels. Only 250 will be available.

Guitar wizard Neal Schon was born on this day in 1954.  Schon got his start in Santana in his teens and formed Journey in 1973.  He is the only original member still in that group, but has done stints in Bad English, the group that included Journey bandmates Jonathan Cain and Deen Castronova, and done projects with Sammy Hagar and Jan Hammer.

The son of Led Zeppelin's original drummer will abide by the request from other members of his late father's group that he no longer call his tribute band the 'Led Zeppelin Experience'.  John Bonham's son tells Blabbermouth that the request may relate to the band wanting to use the name for something relating to the 50th anniversary of the group.  His band's new touring handle will apparently be 'Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening'.

MORE LED ZEPPELIN INSIGHTS

On Febrruary 25, 1980 Bob Seger released the album that ended Pink Floyd's run at #1 on the Billboard chart with The Wall. Bob got help from Glenn Frey and Don Henley of the Eagles, Little Feat's Bill Payne and Sam Clayton, Dr. John and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. The release earned him a Grammy for Best Rock Performance.

Led Zeppelin's 6th studio album released on this date.  It was the first on the group's

own Swan Song label and included some songst that had been recorded during

sessions for earlier releases.

A couple of good guitar slingers entered this world on February 23.  Jounny Winter (1944)
and Aerosmith's Brad Whitford (1952).

Led Zeppelin is over and out as far as any new recording or performances, but Jimmy Page still plans on several more releases of old original material from his former band.  Speaking with Planet Rock, the guitarist said he's got another multiple track release in the near term and several more release over the course of the next ten years.  While he doesn't have any expectations he'll play or record with Robert Plant or John Paul Jones again, the three will collaborate on the 50th anniversary book based on the band that is in the works, which he says sets it apart.  Speaking of other books documenting bands, Page said, 'There's about ten that I know of coming out, wich is pretty ridiculous!  It will be really good to have an authoritative book, where the band are actually contributing to it rather than being rippedd off.'

Music Week  AntiMusic.com

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Metallica's James Hetfield has landed the role of the Utah Highway Patrol officer that arrested Ted Bundy in the upcoming film about the serial killer titled Extremely Wicked, Shocking, Evil And Vile.  Zac Efron plays Bundy.

Parkinsons Disease has  forced Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton to step aside from the group.  He was first diagnosed with early onset of the disease about a decade ago, but it has advanced to the point that it has compromised his ability to perform.  The group issued a statement that read in part, "Right now Glenn is able to play and perform some of the Priest songs that are less challenging but due to the nature of Parkinsons progression he wants to let you all know that he won't be touring as such."  Andy Sneap will fill his role in the band for the upcoming tour, but Tipton added to the group's announcement, "I don't rule out the chance to go on stage as and when I feel able to blast out some Priest! So at some point in the not too distant future I'm really looking forward to seeing all of our wonderful Metal maniacs once again."

The group opnes it's North American tour on March 15 in Youngstown, Ohio.

Former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler has announced that he will perform Appetite For Destrution in its entirety during his upcoming tour with his own group, Adler's Appetite.  His efforts to get the early linup of GNR reinstated has been largely ignored by the group.  Adler was able to join Axl Rose, Slash and Duff MvKagan on a few tour stops in 2016, but there appears to be no plans involving the former members on the horizon.

HenneMusic.com

MORE GUNS N' ROSES INSIGHTS

Roadhouse Blues, the biggest song on the Doors 5th album, was the B side of the single You Make Me Real, and featured a stealth harmonica solo by Lovin' Spoonful's John Sebastian, credited as G. Puglese to protect his contract status with another label.

The term 'Supergroup' gets misapplied a lot. Not in this case.

John Mellencamp's on-off affair with actress Meg Ryan is on again.  Just a few months vowing that he would never leave Indiana to live in New York or LA, the singer reportedly plunked down $2.3 million for a place in lower Manhattan's Soho section.  That will make his trip uptown to the Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 14th for the Songwriters Hall Of Fame Awards Dinner conveniently short.  Mellencamp will be inducted with Alan Jackson, Kool & the Gang, Jermaine Dupri, BIll Anderson, Allee Willis and Steve Dorff.

MORE JOHN MELLENCAMP INSIGHTS

If all goes as planned, Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster will be on it's way Tuesday (2/6) to an eventual close encounter with Mars with David Bowie's song Starman providing the on board soundtrack. The Tesla and SpaceX mastermind shared this pic of the cargo on his Instagram account.

A judge in New York has tossed a suit filed by a UK musician claiming that U2 based a portion of The Fly from the Irish group's Achtung Baby! album on a song he'd written.  Paul Rose initiated the suit last year, contending that a 12 second guitar part played by The Edge in the U2 song matched up too closely to a 13 second portion of his song Nae Slappin to be coincidental.  Judge Denise Cote ruled that The Fly doesn't "recreate the notes, sounds or rhythms of the plaintiff's work in a way that would permit a finding that the copying was sufficiently close to find infringement under the fragmented literal similarity doctrine."

Billboard.com

MORE U2 ROCK INSIGHTS