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Classic Rock Briefs For October 29, 2008

U.K. Supergroup May Be In The Works For 2012 Olympics

There is talk of a collaboration between some well-recognized U.K. rockers in honor of the 2012 Summer Games that will be hosted in London. The Rolling Stones, David Bowie and Elton John are among the names being mentioned as part of an Olympic supergroup. Others mentioned as possible performers for the event are Phil Collins, Sting, Van Morrison, David Gilmour, and Jimmy Page. Full Story.

Ten Things You Probably Did Not Know About Pink Floyd

Mark Blake, author of Pigs might fly, the inside story of Pink Floyd, has taken a list of ten facts from the history of the iconic group and shared them with U.K. newspaper The Times. The most amusing tidbit might be the one concerning the “gift” that the group sent to the deputy editor of a newspaper that wrote a review of Pink Floyd’s 1971 album, Meddle, that the members of the group were not quite satisfied with. Blake’s book, from which these ten facts were taken, is available at Amazon. Full Story.

Can Kate Moss Help Smooth Over Ron Wood’s Family Problems?

As a close friend of the Wood family, model Kate Moss has been asked to mediate between Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood and his family. Wood has been estranged from his family since his decision to continue his affair with 20-year-old Ekaterina Ivanova after his recent release from rehab. Although Moss had been standing by the family in her opposition to Wood’s actions, now that his daughter is expecting a child, it has been decided to ask Moss to work towards re-opening the lines of communication between Wood and his family. Full Story.

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Tags: 2012 Olympics, David Bowie, Elton John, Kate Moss, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Ron Wood

Classic Rock Briefs For Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Ozzy Says Bats Taste Like McDonald’s Food

Those of us who ever watched the The Osbournes when it was on MTV a while back will know that strange things come out of Ozzy’s mouth from time to time. This time he may have outdone himself.

Speaking of the infamous incident that took place at one of his concerts back in 1982, where he bit the head off of a live bat, Ozzy says, “It tasted all crunchy and warm… like a Ronald McDonald’s." I’m sure McDonald’s will be pleased to  hear about that comparison. Full Story.

Jack White Says There Is No Zeppelin Without Plant

White Stripes lead singer, Jack White, who is apparently another one whose name has taken a turn or two on the Led Zeppelin rumor mill, denies that he was being considered as a replacement for Robert Plant on a Zeppelin tour.

White’s name, along with Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy have come up since we started hearing rumors that the rest of the Led Zeppelin team are ready to go on tour with or without a reluctant Robert Plant.

White says, “I do not believe you can have a band called Led Zeppelin, singing Zeppelin songs, without Plant.” Full Story.

Rolling Stones Ron Wood Sticking With New Girlfriend

Having been seen recently with his new 20-year-old girlfriend, walking a dog in the vicinity of a London Park, it appears that the 61-year-old guitarist had decided to keep the newer model partner and leave his wife of 23 years. He has reportedly been meeting with divorce lawyers of late.

According to witnesses, Wood “looked more careworn than carefree.” Perhaps that’s because he’s preoccupied with the potential amount of a sizable divorce settlement that may be in his future. Generally speaking, wives don’t care much for husbands leaving them for younger women. Full Story.

Famous Pink Floyd “The Wall” Guitar Up For Auction

Although it’s just a plain-old Fender Stratocaster at heart, the one in question has some impressive history in its background. Designed by UK artist Gerald Scarfe, who worked closely with the band on the album and film of The Wall, the guitar is up for auction, with the proceeds benefitting the a homelessness charity called Crisis.

The guitar’s scratch guard was signed  by all four members of the band only weeks before Richard Wright’s recent passing, and will be accompanied by a Scarfe On The Wall Limited Edition Box Set. Full Story.

Tags: Auction, Bat, guitar, Jack White, Led Zeppelin, Ozzy Osbourne, Pink Floyd, Pink Floyd's The Wall Stratocaster up for auction, Robert Plant, Rolling Stones, Ron Wood, The Wall

Classic Rock Briefs For Friday, October 10, 2008

Guns N’ Roses brings ‘Chinese Democracy’ to the holiday season

Billboard is reporting that Gun N’ Roses will finally release Chinese Democracy on November 23. Full Story.

Symphony takes on Pink Floyd

The San Antonio Symphony will be performing some well-known Pink Floyd hits tomorrow at 8:00 PM at the Municipal Auditorium. Singer Randy Jackson (not the American Idol guy) will be the featured vocalist. They plan to tackle such hits as “Money,” “Dark Side of the Moon,” and “Comfortably Numb.” Full Story.

Queen Back in England and in Guitarist

Nearing the half-way mark of their European Cosmos Rocks tour, Queen and Paul Rodgers are returning home to the U.K. tomorrow for a show at Nottingham’s Trent FM Arena. Full Story.

Eagles make ‘Long Road’ trip longer

The Eagles are adding some new dates to their current itinerary, which will take their show into January. Full Story.

Tags: Eagles, Guns N Roses, Paul Rodgers, Pink Floyd, Queen, San Antonio Symphony, tour

David Gilmour’s Floating Studio

From what little I know of recording studios, things like acoustics and sound-proofing are primary considerations for obvious reasons. These requirements can present challenges for just about any studio, but just imagine the challenge of making something like that work on a houseboat.

Pink Floyd legend David Gilmour discovered quite by accident that recording while floating on the Thames river was an idea that might sound a bit out of the ordinary, but certainly works well for him.

The houseboat, a 100-year-old classic called the Astoria was a discovery Gilmour made while being driven by the Thames one day after having lost his license for drinking and driving. Apparently something he acknowledges as one of the events in his life that he’s not particularly proud of, referring to it as “being silly.”

While gazing out the window of the car, Gilmour noticed something in the river which prompted him to have the driver stop for a closer look. When he spied the Astoria, it obviously made an impression on him, and set in motion a series of events that led to his purchase of the boat a short time later when he saw an advertisement offering the vessel for sale while perusing magazines in a dentist’s office.

Gilmour has certainly made good use of his purchase by building a recording studio on the boat and recording some well-known Pink Floyd albums onboard, including The Division Bell and A Momentary Lapse of Reason, as well as his solo album, On An Island, which seems a fitting name considering the location where it was recorded.

For the full story, you can visit New Zealand’s 3News, which also offers video of an interview with Gilmour on the subject of the Astoria as well as some concert footage from the last show of his 2006 On An Island tour in Gdansk, Poland. The live DVD and CD sets from that performance were released yesterday.

Tags: Astoria, David Gilmour, Houseboat, Pink Floyd, Recording Studio, Thames

CD Review: David Gilmour: Live In Gdansk

A little over two years ago, on August 26, 2006, the sounds of a legendary artist filled the air at the shipyard in Gdansk, Poland,where 50,000 cheering fans joined in commemoration of the world-changing events at the shipyard where striking workers were credited with one of the first organized efforts that eventually led to the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe.

This is probably one of the best live albums I have heard. I have not seen the DVD that accompanies some versions of this release, but this album gave me more of a feeling of “being there” than other live recordings I have heard. This may be due in part to history of the venue, which was so unique, when compared to the typical concert hall or sports arena where recordings like this are usually made.

One welcome discovery while listening to this album was that the audience seemed to be there to actually listen to the music, which stands in contrast to other live recordings, where one might get the idea that a good portion of the audience purchased their tickets with the idea of spending most of the show screaming and whistling, whether the band was playing or was between songs. The crowd in Gdansk was clearly appreciative of the opportunity to attend, but was virtually dead silent when the artists were playing. Very commendable for a crowd of 50,000 or so. Bravo for that Polish audience in attendance.

The album includes some venerable Pink Floyd classics, such as “Breath (In The Air),” “Shine on You Crazy Diamond,” “Wish You Were Here” and “Comfortably Numb.” There are also a number of songs from Gilmour’s solo career that are certainly not as recognizable as the Pink Floyd material, but I found that I enjoyed those as well. It is, however,  tough to compete with the old favorites.

As is the case with all my reviews of live albums, it would not be complete without a comment or two about the sound quality. I found it difficult to find fault with the sound quality of this recording. There was an element to it that is difficult for me to describe that did hint strongly that this was recorded at an outdoor venue, but it was not something that detracted from the experience, and probably contributed much to that feeling of “being there” that I alluded to earlier.

This recording was made during the last performance of Gilmour’s On An Island tour, and was unique due to the accompaniment of the string section from the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zbigniew Preisner.

Another unique element to this recording is the presence of Richard Wright, whose recent and untimely passing probably makes this one of the final recordings that the sometimes-overlooked Pink Floyd keyboard player, vocalist and song writer ever appeared on.

Of all the tracks on the album, I would have to say that “The Division Bell” was my personal favorite. I’m hard pressed to think of any other “classic” group that evokes so much emotion for me than Pink Floyd — something I’ve experienced only since crossing the line into middle age. As a carefree teen or twenty-something, it was just cool music.

Track 5 on the second CD, “Echoes,” is notable in that it morphs into what might be called a “jam session” of sorts, and really showcases the musicianship of those onstage, and energizes the well-behaved crowd as well.

The music of Pink Floyd has a lot to say, and although I won’t claim that I “get it” entirely, I know it’s there just under the surface. Listening to those classics on this new live album had no less effect on me than that of their original counterparts, and it was one of those rare live recordings that genuinely made me wish I had been able to attend. It must have been quite an extraordinary event.

The DVD trailer is available online for those who would like a nice preview.

David Gilmour: Live In Gdansk will be available on September 23rd and can be ordered at Amazon.com.

Tags: David Gilmour, Live In Gdansk, On An Island Tour, Pink Floyd, Review