Classic Hits

Yusuf/Cat Stevens is back with new music. The 74-year-old is set to drop his seventeenth studio album, King of a Land, on June 16.

“Looking at the jagged journey of my music, beginning as I did in the 60s, I would say this new record is a mosaic,” Yusuf/Stevens shares. “A very clearly defined description of where I’ve been and who I am.”

The album features 12 new songs, including the just-released first single “Take the World Apart,” which is the record’s closing track. Stevens notes, “Sometimes you have to take something apart, to find the peace you’re looking for.”

King of a Land is available for preorder now. Here’s the track list:

“Train on a Hill”
“King of a Land”
“Pagan Run”
“He Is True”
“All Nights, All Days”
“Another Night in the Rain”
“Things”
“Son of Mary”
“Highness”
“The Boy Who Knew How to Climb Walls”
“How Good It Feels”
“Take the World Apart”

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Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Rick Wakeman kicks off his U.S. tour, An Evening with Rick Wakeman: His Music and Stories, Wednesday in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. And as the name suggests, fans can expect to hear more than just music at the shows.

“Basically I play music that I’ve been involved with or been inspired by over the 50 plus years” of his career, Wakeman tells ABC Audio. That includes his own music and music of Yes, as well as songs by David Bowie, Cat Stevens and more. “Then in between I tell stories, some of which are completely silly and some of which do have a semblance of truth, as well.”

He adds, “It’s a fun evening. Imagine everyone sitting around a giant dinner table.” 

The tour is set to hit 17 cities, and Wakeman says one of the best things about hitting the road in the U.S. is meeting people.

“I’m a people person,” he shares. “I like people.”

He says he’s made lots of friends over the years, and he loves to get to see them in the audience when he comes to town.

“You know, there’s something nice about, like, a sort of friendship thing when you go onstage and you know you’ve got friends out there,” he says. “It’s just a really nice feeling and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of that.” 

An Evening with Rick Wakeman: His Music and Stories runs through April 15 in Woodstock, New York. A complete list of tour dates can be found at rwcc.com.

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All aboard the Kundalini Express for the first Love and Rockets tour in 15 years.

The “So Alive” group, which hasn’t performed live since 2008, will play a run of West Coast headlining dates taking place May 21 in Oakland, May 24 in Salt Lake City, May 26 in Portland and May 28 in Seattle.

As previously reported, Love and Rockets are also performing at the 2023 Cruel World festival, which will be held May 20 in Pasadena, California. Other artists on the bill include Siouxsie, Iggy Pop, Billy Idol and Echo & the Bunnymen.

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Bono has previously described U2’s next album as a “guitar album,” and The Edge reiterated that by saying it would be “more driven by guitar.” Well, now bassist Adam Clayton is sharing his thoughts on the record, and it certainly sounds like it will be louder than past albums.

“We are turning the amps on,” he tells Mojo magazine. “I certainly think the rock that we all grew up with as 16- and 17-year-olds, that rawness of those Patti Smith, Iggy Pop records … that kind of power is something we would love to connect back into.”

Asked about the album’s difference from the long-in-the works Songs of Ascent record, Clayton joked, “Well, Songs Of Ascent is a much more meditative, spiritual record. This will be Songs For Fighting, I’d say.”

In the meantime, fans can enjoy U2’s latest effort, Songs of Surrender, featuring 40 reimagined and rerecorded U2 songs, which drops Friday.

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The family of the late Woody Guthrie is not happy that Republican Sen. Josh Hawley has used the title of one of his classic folk songs as inspiration for a bill he’s proposed.

He has dubbed his bill, which would prevent anyone associated with the Chinese Communist Party from owning farmland in America, the This Land Is Our Land Act. Guthrie’s daughter Nora Guthrie has a problem with “This Land is Your Land” being used for something that doesn’t mirror the values expressed in the tune.

“In this particular case, the co-opting or parodying of the lyric by those not aligned with Woody’s lyrics – i.e. misrepresentation by autocrats, racists, white nationalists, anti-labor, insurrectionists, etc. – is not condoned,” Nora wrote in an email to The Kansas City Star. “We do not consider Josh Hawley in any way a representative of Woody’s values therefore we would never endorse or approve of his reference to Woody’s lyrics.”

She says of the song, “It is more of a vision of democracy. The song simply reiterates the concept, ‘By the people, for the people.’”

In response to a question about the song, Hawley’s rep said the title shouldn’t be the story, rather the bill itself, noting, “Josh’s bill protects America’s food chain, farmers, and national security – that’s the real story The Star should cover.”

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Brian May officially has a new title. The Queen guitarist was at Buckingham Palace Tuesday to be knighted by King Charles.

People reports May was made a Knight Bachelor during the investiture ceremony, receiving his honor “for his services to music and his charity work.” May shared a photo from the ceremony on Instagram, which shows King Charles laying a sword on his shoulder, with May commenting, “No words.”

“I’m happy and grateful to receive this honor,” the 75-year-old May shared back in January when he first made the 2023 New Year’s Honours List, the first from King Charles. “I will regard the knighthood not so much as a reward, but more as a charge — a commission — for me to continue to fight for justice — to be a voice for those who have no voice.” He added, “I will endeavor to be worthy — to be that Knight in Shining Armor.”

May was previously made Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2005.

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Pink Floyd may be the next group to sell off their catalog, but a new report in Variety questions whether it’s going to happen — and blames the rocky relationship of band members Roger Waters and David Gilmour for delaying the deal. 

Sources tells the trade the deal is “basically dead” because the pair “just can’t get along.” But one of the sources also tells Variety, “But at the same time, it’s still on the table. It’s a strange situation!” 

Variety notes that nobody in Pink Floyd has actually confirmed they are trying to sell the catalog, although the Financial Times reported the band was seeking about $500 million for their songs.

The trade argues that Waters’ controversial political comments about Israel, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine could be devaluing the price of the catalog, but the ultimate issue is the relationship between the band members, which also includes Nick Mason, and the estates of keyboardist Richard Wright and singer-songwriter Syd Barrett. 

The mag does note that the band members can actually afford to wait and hope the controversy around Waters dies down. “It’s one of the most valuable music catalogs of the past 50 years,” a source explains. “Will it be worth as much in two or five years — or worth even more? Sure. They can afford to wait.”

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Willie Nelson is bringing back the Outlaw Music Festival for another season. He’s announced 16 shows, which will continue this year’s celebration of his 90th birthday (his actual birthday is April 29). 

The lineup for the 2023 Outlaw Music Festival Tour features Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, John Fogerty and Gov’t Mule, along with The Avett Brothers, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Marcus King and others.

“I can’t wait to be on the road with the amazing group of artists joining us on this year’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour,” Nelson shares. “It is always a great day of music and fun with family, friends and the incredible fans, and even more special this year in celebration of my 90th birthday.” 

The tour kicks off June 23 in Somerset, Wisconsin, and runs through August 13 in Cincinnati, Ohio, with additional shows to be announced at a later date.

Tickets for the Outlaw Music Festival Tour go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time. More information, as well as the complete lineup, can be found at outlawmusicfestival.com.

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On This Day, March 14, 2005 …

The annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place in New York City, with U2 and The Pretenders inducted into the prestigious institution, along with The O’Jays, Buddy Guy and Percy Sledge.

U2 was inducted by Bruce Springsteen, who joined the band for a performance of “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” The band also performed “Until the End of the World,” “Pride (In The Name of Love)” and “Vertigo.” 

Neil Young was on hand to induct The Pretenders, who performed “My City Was Gone” and were then joined by Young for “The Needle and the Damage Done.”

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Roger Daltrey hasn’t given up on his planned biopic on The Who’s late drummer, Keith Moon. In fact, in a new interview with NME he shared the latest update on the project, which he insists “will be made.” 

“I’m at a draft that’s ready to go to directors,” he tells the mag. “I’m waiting on a reply from a director that I was talking to prior to starting writing the script. I’m very pleased with the script, it will be made. … as soon as he’s finished the film that he’s on, he will read it and I’ll get a reply from him. Hopefully we’ll get it made ASAP.”

Daltrey says getting the film made has been “tricky,” noting several writers tried and failed at writing scripts. He decided to do it himself and “write the kind of story I had in my head of how to tell a story that engages people, that really does expose the full Moon.” 

Daltrey says Moon, who died in September 1978, was an “extraordinary character,” adding, “He was flawed, like we all are. But he was wonderful and he was an absolute uncontrolled genius. And people like him are greatly missed in life today, because life is so full of f****** mediocrity, it’s unbelievable.”

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