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What's Happening In The World of Classic Rock?
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May 1, 2008
Motoring Brits Like Their Meat Loaf
In a recent survey of 2,000 British drivers, Meat Loaf’s well-known hit song "Bat Out of Hell" was voted to be the best song to listen to while driving. The larger-than-life American rocker edged out Queen hit "Bohemian Rhapsody," which came in second.
Not surprisingly, the survey also found that the music a driver is listening to can influence the speed they choose to drive.
What was a bit surprising, however, was that blues fans were the ones most likely to be caught speeding. I would have suspected heavy metal fans or jazz fusion fans due to the intensity of their chosen music.
Drivers listening to talk radio were less likely to be caught speeding which is understandable. No word on those who choose to listen to the sound of silence when they hit the road.
For more, see news:lite.
New Book From Former Eagle Don Felder
This week John Wiley & Sons will be releasing Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974-2001), Don Felder’s revealing behind-the-scenes 
stories about the Eagles, the band’s creative process, and its legendary partying.
Heaven and Hell is a raucous and bittersweet tale about the love of music and the price of fame. It offers a glimpse into Felder’s childhood in Gainesville—during which he crossed paths with several rock greats, from Duane Allman to Stephen Stills to Tom Petty–and goes on to chronicle his years as a member of The Eagles.
Felder recalls every part of the band’s wild ride, from the pressure-packed recording studios to the trashed hotel rooms. Yet, beyond the mayhem and clashing egos, he also captures the joy of writing powerful new songs with his band mates, the magic of performing in huge arenas packed with fans and the hard work, dedication, and creativity that each band member brought to the music.
April 26, 2008
Def Leppard on TV
Def Leppard Ringtones Def Leppard Posters
Def Leppard fans will get a chance to see the group on some upcoming television appearances this coming week which happens to be the week of the release of their new album, Songs From The Sparkle Lounge.
On Tuesday, April 29, the group will appear on ABC’s hit show Dancing With The Stars and also on The Ellen Degeneres Show. On Wednesday, April 30, the British rockers will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Def Leppard has also released some new tour dates. Some recent shows had to be postponed due to an upper respiratory tract infection that had sidelined lead singer Joe Elliott. The new dates include the shows that had been postponed.
For more details, check out Def Leppard’s official web site.
News From The World of Rush
It’s stuff like this that makes me glad I’m not a lawyer. A bit of news about Alex Lifeson’s troubles with the Collier County, Florida Sheriff’s Department has come to light recently and it appears to be some good news for his son Justin, who was also involved in the New Year’s Eve 2003 incident at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Naples, FL that gave birth to years of legal battles.
It is being reported that a federal appeals court has said that a lower court judge in Florida was wrong to dismiss a negligence claim by Alex 
Lifeson’s son, Justin Zivojinovich, against the hotel and their security manager on duty at the time of the December 31, 2003 altercation.
That sounds like good news for Justin Zivojinovich, but then the story goes on to report that an 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld the dismissal of the rest of the claims brought by Lifeson and his son - including the contention that the Collier County deputies violated their civil rights by using excessive force.
In plain English, it looks like Lifeson’s son Justin had filed suit against the Ritz-Carlton and their security manager for allegedly leading police to expect trouble when they were called that fateful night, which led to an increased likelihood that hotel guests could be injured.
A lower court later dismissed that suit along with another that was filed against the Collier County Sheriff’s Department. Although this late news does not say Justin Zivojinovich’s suit will be reinstated, that sounds like a reasonable assumption. But, like I said, I’m not a lawyer.
In other Rush news, another interview with Alex Lifeson has surfaced where he talks about the group’s experience while recording their most recent album, Snakes & Arrows.
The group was said to be quite pleased with their scenic surroundings at Allaire Studios, just outside Woodstock, New York where they worked for six weeks on the album. In fact, they found the beautiful view from the glass-enclosed studio so inspiring, it helped to fuel the creation of two of the album’s instrumental numbers, "Hope" and "Malignant Narcissism"
For more details on the groups experience while recording Snakes & Arrows, see NewsOK.com.
April 23, 2008
Judgement Day For Bon Jovi Guitarist
As a result of a drunk driving arrest back in March, Bon Jovi guitar man Richie Sambora is facing three years probation, an alcohol education class and legal fees.
Although Sambora did not face the judge himself, his attorney entered a guilty plea for Sambora in court, admitting that the rocker was indeed operating his vehicle under the influence of alcohol in Laguna Beach, CA.
The Laguna Beach police has also recommended that Sambora be prosecuted for child endangerment since his daughter was also in the vehicle at the time of Sambora’s arrest. Prosecutors decided not to file those charges since Sambora’s driving was not reported to be erratic enough and he was not speeding.
Sambora is currently on the road with Bon Jovi who will be performing at Nashville’s Sommet Center on April 24.
April 20, 2008
Rush Guitarist Alex Lifeson In Newspaper Interview
In an interview that was conducted by telephone just before the start of the second half of their Snakes & Arrows tour, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson discussed a number of topics of interest to Rush fans.
There is some talk about how surprised the group was to find out how
popular they were in South America after performing in Brazil a few years ago.
The group seems to be enjoying as much or more popularity today than they ever have, with more younger fans showing up in the audience and creating hope for the continuing popularity of the Canadian trio.
Lifeson also spent a little time talking about the legal problems he became involved with following an incident at a Ritz Carlton hotel in Florida back in 2003, which has still not been resolved to Lifeson’s satisfaction.
The group’s drummer, Neil Peart, also comes up during the conversation with some attention given to his lyrics, which often reveal his feelings regarding faith and religion. Frankly, I’m surprised that there does not seem to be more controversy surrounding his lyrics given the strong feelings many people have for that subject.
The future of Rush is also discussed, which included some comments that suggested the group may take a break after the current tour and may or may not tour again in the future, although Lifeson admits that there has already been some talk of another tour between him and Geddy Lee.
Lifeson also has some kind words for Foo Fighters, whom he and Geddy Lee joined on stage recently for a surprise performance in Toronto.
There’s a lot more in the interview which can be read here, and includes a link to the audio from the original telephone conversation.
Van Halen Back on The Road
After some time off to deal with medical problems that reportedly plagued guitarist Eddie Van Halen, the group took to the stage on April 17 in Reno Nevada.
Reports from the show suggest that Eddie appeared to be in good shape and was running and jumping around on stage in his usual energetic style.
Frontman David Lee Roth was said to be quite happy about being back in front of a crowd and boldly proclaimed "Better late than never!"
Two nights later, on April 19, the group rocked the Tiger Jam charity event at the the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Eddie Van Halen’s undisclosed medical problems caused the postponement of 17 shows, but since then, the group has added 20 new shows to the tour.
The only official word regarding Van Halen’s medical problems came some weeks back when it was announced that he was undergoing a series of tests. Rumors circulated that he was back in rehab, but that was denied by his ex-wife, Valerie Bertinelli whose comment regarding his condition at the time was that he was "doing great."
Check out the fan-filmed video of the group’s April 19 performance at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Def Leppard Sidelined While Singer Recovers
Def Leppard Ringtones Def Leppard Posters
Veteran British rockers Def Leppard were forced to put their tour on hold recently and had to postpone shows in Canada as well as shows in Michigan that the band had hoped to perform.
Lead singer Joe Elliott is said to be suffering from an upper respiratory
tract infection, which certainly sounds like the kind of affliction that would keep a singer off the stage for a time.
There was some indication that Elliott was having some minor health problems during the show in Providence, Rhode Island, where it was reported that he was obviously not at the top of his game and was having some difficulty singing high notes.
So far there does not appear to be any official word on when the group plans to resume their tour.
April 18, 2008
E Street Band Keyboardist Loses Battle With Cancer
It’s being reported that E Street Band keyboard player Danny Federici has lost his battle with melanoma. He passed away at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City after fighting the disease for the past three years.
After a long personal and working relationship, Bruce Springsteen had the following to say about Federici: "Danny and I worked together for 40 years - he was the most wonderfully fluid keyboard player and a pure natural musician. I loved him very much…we grew up together."
Although they did not realize it at the time, Springsteen fans in attendance at the Indianapolis show on March 20 saw Federici’s last performance with Springsteen and the E Street Band when he joined them on stage for a surprise appearance.
The Springsteen shows scheduled for Friday in Ft. Lauderdale and Saturday in Orlando are being postponed. New dates for those shows will be announced soon.
Danny Federici was 58 years old.
April 16, 2008
Geddy Lee Interview In Canada’s National Post
A somewhat brief, but recent interview with Rush lead vocalist and bassist Geddy Lee has appeared in the National Post.
Many of Lee’s responses to questions seem a bit on the smart-ass side, but that’s probably just a reflection on his sense of humor. The guys from Rush have a history of not taking themselves too seriously.
In the interview, Lee is asked about such things as the set list for the Snakes & Arrows tour, the unusual items that appear on stage with the group during their live performances, reviews that the band has inspired from critics through the years and the great song that Lee has talked about in the past that he has not yet written.
Rush has just recently embarked on the second half of their Snakes & Arrows tour which wraps up in Atlanta, GA on July 22.
For more, check out the National Post.
