Classic Rock News And Views

Shop For: Classic Rock Gear    Classic Rock Ringtones    Classic Rock Posters

Classic Rock Briefs For November 24, 2008

Joe Walsh Comfortable With Eagles Pecking Order

Joe Walsh certainly seems to have mellowed with age. The guy that sang about trashing hotel rooms is now 60, and according to Walsh himself, has sobered up and discovered sleep.

Walsh readily accepts that the Eagles fly in whatever direction that Don Henley and Glenn Frey decide, and reports that he knew from the beginning that it was “truly is Don and Glenn’s band,” although that does not prevent him from speaking his mind when he wants to.

For example, he’s not too crazy about the coordinated clothing the group is wearing on their current tour and would prefer to decide for himself when it comes to wardrobe, but accepts the black suits, white shirts and black ties that were the brainchild of Glenn Frey. “I don’t know exactly why we’re doing it. I guess Glenn came up with it,” he said.

With his wild days behind him, Walsh sounds content to show up and do his job and collect his paycheck. Doesn’t sound like a bad gig. Full Story.

Geddy Lee And Alex Lifeson Scheduled For CBC’s ‘The Hour’

Rush bassist/lead singer Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson will appear on The Hour this coming Wednesday. Lee was on the program most recently during 2007.

The Hour is hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos (say that three times fast!) and airs Wednesday night on Canada’s CBC at 11:00 PM. Full Story.

Now You Can Get Your Rock From Round Rock

Round Rock, Texas-based Dell computer has recently begun offering a new option with the purchase of a PC. For $25 you can get 50 songs pre-loaded on your new Dell PC or go for 100 songs by paying an extra $50.

With Apple’s dominance in the music space these days, Dell hopes the new deal with Universal Music will lure some customers who otherwise might fall under the spell of the iTunes crowd.

For classic rock fans, a bundle of music called “Rock Titans” is available and features material from the likes of ZZ Top, AC/DC and Meat Loaf. There are bundles available featuring other genres as well, but here at Real Rock News, we really don’t care.

I’m sure the execs at Dell are hoping this new idea will fare better than their 2006 effort to compete in the music space with Apple when they abandoned the player they had been offering. Full Story.

Rolling Stone Keith Richard Slows Things Down With Possible Easy Listening Album

I can never avoid thinking about actor Johnny Depp when I hear Keith Richards’ name come up. That’s because I once heard Depp talk about how he used Richards as a model when he honed his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the blockbuster Pirates of The Caribbean movies. Depp even persuaded Richard to take on the role of his father in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.

Swaggering pirates aside, the real news this time is that Keith Richards may be working in an easy listening album. Apparently, twenty or so cover songs performed by Richards were leaked to the internet and people began to ask questions.

Reported to be on the album are versions of Judy Garland’s iconic "Over The Rainbow” as well as Perry Como’s “I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now,” Tammy Wynette’s “Apartment No. 9” and Andy Williams’ “Let It Be Me.” Now that is easy listening.

Once the tunes were leaked on the net, Richards was asked if he would consider releasing them and replied that he might decide to do it. Keith Richards covering an Andy Williams tune? I guess sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction. Full Story.

Subscribe to RRN via RSS Feed or e-mail to stay up-to-date on classic rock news

Tags: Alex Lifeson, Eagles, Geddy Lee, Joe Walsh, Keith Richards, New Solo Album, The Hour

New Interview With Alex Lifeson of Rush

In a new interview with Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson, Max Mobley – obviously a huge Rush fan himself – talked at length with Lifeson about his love for playing guitar and, of course, about Rush.

Some interesting highlights of the interview include word that the studio where the band recorded their most recent album, Snakes & Arrows, has gone out of business. Some earlier comments about Allaire studio back when the album came out revealed the group’s fondness for the unique atmosphere, and equipment that was available – something that Lifeson speaks of fondly again during this most recent interview.

For a moment, I wondered why a studio that was so highly regarded by musicians who worked there would be closing, but then Lifeson reminded me that this digital age we are living in has changed a lot about the way the music industry works these days. “But unfortunately, yeah, you can go anywhere now, take your Pro Tools, and make a record, and that’s what everyone is doing,” he says.

Much like the comments we are hearing from other classic rock acts that are still touring these days, Lifeson mentions his appreciation for seeing more kids showing up for their shows, some as young as 9 or 10 years old.

Although it is sad to hear about studios like Allaire going out of business, I also suspect that the same digital revolution that put them out of business is partly responsible for exposing today’s kids to music from groups like Rush. It is so easy to download a song or an album from iTunes or Amazon these days, or hook up a video game with a plastic guitar to your television set and pretend you’re on stage with Aerosmith, Heart, Rush and other classic bands. Obviously, some of these kids recognize great music when they hear it!

A common theme that seems to run through most of the interviews with the guys from Rush is how they remained true to their own ideas and style, and did not compromise for the sake of commercial success or due to pressure from managers.

While on the subject of the group’s independence throughout their career, Lifeson take a bit of a swipe at The Police by saying, “We don’t want to be like the Police or like a nostalgia band that comes back and plays all the old hits. We want to keep growing and progressing and we want to mix our sets up with new and old stuff.” Whether we hear any response from Sting and company regarding that comment remains to be seen.

In his closing comments of the interview, it sounds like Rush isn’t entertaining any plans of retiring any time soon. With comments like "We are all in such great shape right now. We’ve been playing with such confidence and ease…” it sounds like they are as satisfied with their abilities as they have ever been, and if the other two members of the group are still in love with playing (and in the case of Geddy Lee, singing as well) their instruments as much as Lifeson is with playing his guitar, there is no reason to expect that Snakes & Arrows will end up being the last we hear from Rush.

You can read the interview in its entirety at Crawdaddy.

Another thing Lifeson mentions during the interview was how 2112 seemed to be an album that really defined what their style of playing and songwriting was, which makes for a nice segue into this next bit of Rush-related news.

Sean Scallon has an article at American Chronicle that draws some parallels between the story from 2112 and the global financial crises we find ourselves mired in currently. I can easily see his point, and perhaps the new Priests of the Temples of Syrinx have indeed assumed control, as he suggests.

From the way things look now, I’m guessing they have been in control for a while.

Tags: Alex Lifeson, interview, Rush, Snakes & Arrows

Alex Lifeson’s Son Settles Lawsuit Over 2003 New Year’s Eve Incident

We’re finally beginning to see some closure regarding that whole nasty incident from 2003 which involved Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson and his son Justin Zivojinovich. As a result of a lawsuit filed by Zivojinovich, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Naples, Florida, where the incident took place, has agreed to a settlement.

The amount of the settlement was not disclosed and likely will not be, since confidentiality is commonly a condition of these types of settlements. I’m guessing it’s a nice chunk of change considering that Alex Lifeson certainly has the resources to hire the best attorneys, who were probably not willing to settle for peanuts.

On the other hand, the Ritz-Carlton can also afford the best attorneys, but since this is because of their enormous financial resources, parting with a hefty pile of cash probably isn’t going to hurt them very much.

After dragging on for more than five years, it’s good to see some results in this case. Being a Rush fan, and believing that they are probably some of the nicest guys in the rock business, I tend to come down on the side of Lifeson and his son regarding this incident.

Download Rush Ringtones      Rush Apparel

Ultimately, it’s impossible for me to know exactly what happened, and only those who were present during the incident, and witnessed it, know the truth of what actually transpired. However, the fact that the Ritz-Carlton agreed to settle might be an indication that the hotel staff over-reacted as Lifeson and his son have claimed.

I’m no lawyer, but the fact that a big hotel chain with very deep pockets was willing to settle the case, suggests to me that they were not too confident about a victory if the case went to trial. I’m sure there are other possibilities as well, but whatever the real reason was behind the decision to settle, I’m happy to see something real finally happen after all this time.

Tags: 2003, Alex Lifeson, Justin Zivojinovich, lawsuit, Naples, Ritz-Carlton

Alex Lifeson Talks About Rush: Past, Present And Future

Canadian rock trio Rush has been around for quite some time. Their first album hit the airwaves in 1974 and they’ve been at it ever since. Lately, however, there seems to be a new appreciation for the group that seems a bit surprising to them after years of being practically ignored by the music media and maligned by the critics.

With 24 gold and 14 platinum records to their credit, it’s clear that Rush has not been ignored by everyone, and enjoys an extraordinarily loyal fan base.

In a recent interview, guitarist Alex Lifeson talks about how things are going for the guys who now find themselves in the clutches of middle age (I feel their pain) and are rocking as hard as ever.

One of the most interesting comments Lifeson makes during the interview suggests that he believes the group’s best days are still ahead for them. Something that may be comforting to fans who might be worrying that these guys could be considering retirement before too long.

Most of the interview is focused on Rush’s latest album, Snakes And Arrows, which the trio is still promoting on the road with a second tour.

One might infer from the interview that Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are a little closer to one another than they are to drummer Neil Peart, whose personality might come off as a bit stand-offish to some, and although Lifeson does admit that they have had their share of disagreements through the years, in the end they still love hanging out and playing music together — even after all these years.

For the full interview, head on over to MusicRadar.com.

Tags: Alex Lifeson, interview, Rush, Snakes And Arrows

Rush To Bask In New Recognition?

It’s been said so many times. When it comes to the subject of Canadian rock trio Rush, people either love them or hate them. I suppose it is obvious to regular readers here that I categorize myself firmly among the former.

Many Rush fans feel that the group has never received the attention and recognition that they deserve. Some fans are particularly galled by the group’s omission from the Rock And Roll Hall of fame.

Times may be changing however, according to some recent comments by guitarist Alex Lifeson.

It was reported that Rolling Stone magazine, a publication that has not had the friendliest relationship with the Canadian rockers, has sent a reporter to Canada to spend four days with the group doing interviews, which makes Lifeson wonder if they are planning a cover story featuring the group.

"If they want to do a cover story on Rush, then something’s changing somewhere,” Lifeson says.

For more on this story, see the Providence Journal.

Tags: Alex Lifeson, Rolling Stone Magazine, Rush