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Classic Rock Briefs For November 10, 2008

Mick Jagger Compares Performing Live To Sex

I think we’ve all heard the phrase “It’s better than sex,” or some derivative thereof, and although Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger does not claim that performing live is actually better than sex, apparently, it’s pretty darn close.

"Is it like sex? I don’t know. Is there an orgasmic moment? Not that there necessarily has to be in sex. It’s a different kind of thing. At times, you have to be more calculated about what you do,” the 65-year-old rocker says.

Jagger also talks a bit about the separation between his rock star persona and his real life. Full Story.

Chris Cornell Denies Led Zeppelin Tour Rumors

Former Audioslave and Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell was rumored to be in the running as a replacement — or perhaps as the fellows from Yes would say, a stand in –  for Robert Plant during a tour that the other members of the group are reportedly anxious to do.

Cornell’s reaction, reminiscent of the reactions we have heard from others that have been mentioned as new frontmen for Zeppelin, was that the notion of him replacing Plant was “depressing,” and that he would not even consider trying to replace him.

“That’s not a ticket I would buy. God bless ‘em, but that’s not Led Zeppelin. I find it completely depressing. I’d never do anything like that. I mean just out of respect to the legacy of the band,” says Cornell. Full Story.

Alice Cooper Sucks

A new movie entitled Suck is said to be in the works, and legendary shock rocker Alice Cooper is set to be part of the cast. The new flick is a satire about a group of rock star wannabes in search of immortality and a record deal.

Joining Cooper on the screen will be Henry Rollins, Moby and Iggy Pop, as well as actor Malcom McDowell. Full Story.

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Tags: Alice Cooper, Chris Cornell, Led Zeppelin, Mick Jagger, movie, Suck

Classic Rock Briefs For October 22, 2008

AC/DC CD Selling Like Crazy

Not surprisingly, AC/DC fans are quickly snapping up copies of the group’s new album, Black Ice. It’s is projected to sell 800,000 copies during the first week of its release. It is already ahead of the Eagles last album, which, like Black Ice, was an exclusive deal with Wal-Mart. Full Story.

Relishing a surprise Grammy, Frampton shows fans his way

He sure doesn’t look the shaggy-haired rocker we remember for the days of “Show Me the Way” and “Do You Feel Like We Do?,” but Peter Frampton is still making music and entertaining fans in person. With a 2007 Grammy Award under his belt for his instrumental album Fingerprints, Frampton’s style has certainly evolved through the years, but proves that he can still sell albums and draw fans to his live performances. Full Story.

How Rockers rocked the ’70s

Although not a new release, Barney Hoskyns’ book, Hotel California: The True Life Adventures of Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Mitchell, Taylor, Browne, Ronstadt, Geffen, the Eagles, and Their Many Friends may be an entertaining and revealing read for classic rock fans. One particularly interesting and surprising fact that comes to light in the book is the infamous Charles Manson’s connection to the music scene at the time, and how he actually had some influence on a track that was included on a Beach Boys album. Full Story.

The book is available at Amazon.com

Alice Cooper To Host ‘The Monstrous Munster Mash’

Veteran shock rocker Alice Cooper has been in the news quite a lot recently and with Halloween just around the corner, there’s no reason to stop talking about him now. Cooper will host WGN’s The Monstrous Munster Mash on Halloween starting at 4:00 PM ET. The program features 16 classic back-to-back episodes of The Munsters, who are obviously near and dear to Cooper’s heart. Full Story.

Tags: AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Barney Hoskyns book, Black Ice, Peter Frampton, The Monstrous Munster Mash, WGN

Classic Rock Briefs For Monday, October 20, 2008

AC/DC’s Black Ice Hits Store Shelves Today

The store shelves, however, will be limited to Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores, where special display areas will be set up for the event.

Some tongue-in-cheek comments from AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson may have a few fans chuckling a bit today. The 61-year-old says that ticket sales for the upcoming tour have sold so briskly because fans expect that one of the aging rockers may die on stage.

Johnson was reported to have said: “Some fans are saying, ‘The singer’s 61. I’m going to that show, I might see him die.’ ”

Johnson does not appear to be taking his own jokes lying down and has hired on a trainer that will work with the singer to improve his stamina. With 42 dates on the itinerary, that does not sound like a bad idea. Full Story.

‘The Q’ Keeps on Rocking Texas

These days radio station changing formats to stay current with the desires of their audience is not a rare event. For one enduring rock station in El Paso, that has not been a decision that station management has had to wrestle with.

Since 1978, KLAQ-FM has been rocking the airwaves around El Paso and continues with no sign of a format change on the horizon. In fact, the station is keeping up with the latest in technology, including HD radio, a digital format that allows them to split their signal in two and provide more current rock music on one channel and classic rock on another.

Technology marches on and rock marches right along with it. Full Story.

Alice Cooper Interview

During the Canadian leg of his Along Came A Spider tour, the shock rock veteran took a little time for an interview with the CBC. Among other things, Cooper confesses to be terrified of needles, talks about his long marriage, his children and how he loves playing the part of Alice Cooper.

As a warning to fans planning to attend one of his shows, and have seats situated in the first 20 rows, Cooper ends by saying that they will be part of the show. In particular, watch out for the jugular vein.

Tags: AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Black Ice, CBC Interview, KLAQ, Texas

CBS Censors Alice Cooper’s Performance on The Late Late Show

Alice Cooper was back on Craig Ferguson’s Late Late Show on CBS the other night, and entertained the studio audience with a performance of a song from his new album Along Came A Spider. The song, entitled “Vengeance Is Mine,” was enjoyed in its entirety by the studio audience (depending on individual tastes, of course), but that was not the case for the home viewers.

During a particular portion of the performance, Cooper pretends to strangle a female from the studio audience with a silk scarf. Cooper’s new album tells the story of a serial killer, a subject that should not be considered unusual for Cooper, who has a decades-long reputation as a shock rocker who is known for his creepy theatrics during his live performances.

Well, whoever it is at CBS that decides what’s appropriate for broadcast and what is not, decided that  Cooper’s faux strangulation was a little too much for the late-night home audience, and the segment was cut from the broadcast.

Does anyone else detect a whiff of hypocrisy in the air emanating from CBS? This is the network that broadcasts programs like Criminal Minds, that CBS describes as a program that “revolves around an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country’s most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again.”

Looking at the website for the program, it appears there is no shortage of scenes that some might consider a bit too graphic for TV. Check out the video excerpt of the episode called “Officer Down,” and decide for yourself if that’s more graphic than Alice Cooper pretending to strangle someone with a silk scarf.

By the way, Criminal Minds airs at 9:00 PM, more than three hours earlier than The Late Late Show which comes on at 12:35 AM.

CBS also carries the CSI series of programs, and although I have never watched an episode, I suspect there are plenty of graphic scenes featured on those programs, which air at either 9:00 or 10:00 PM.

I’m sure there are other programs on CBS that regularly feature graphic and violent scenes, but I think I’ve made my point.

I don’t consider myself much of an Alice Cooper fan, but I don’t like hypocrisy, and censoring Alice Cooper pretending to strangle someone during a program that airs in the wee hours of the morning while airing programs containing scenes of people being blown up or shot hours earlier in the evening sure smells like hypocrisy to me.

Tags: Alice Cooper, CBS, Censored, Craig Ferguson, Late Late Show

Alice Cooper To Perform on Craig Ferguson Show Tonight

Alice Cooper fans may want to program their DVRs or Tivos or plan a late bedtime tonight if they want to catch Alice perform on Craig Ferguson’s Late Late Show.

Cooper who appeared on Ferguson’s show not that long ago, seemed to get along quite well with the talk show  host and Cooper will re-visit the show tonight accompanied by his band. Cooper will also take some time to sit and chat with Ferguson.

Word from Alice Cooper’s official site is that they will be performing a song called "Vengeance," which I presume is shorthand for a track from his new album entitled "Vengeance is Mine."

Ferguson’s show airs on CBS at 12:35 AM ET/PT, following the Late Show With David Letterman.

Cooper is currently working on his Psycho Drama tour, which is scheduled to wrap up on December 1.

Tags: Alice Cooper, Craig Ferguson, Late Late Show, Perform