Classic Hits

U2‘s Bono is among a variety of Irish celebrities featured reading the poetry of acclaimed late Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh on a new album titled Almost Everything… that will be released September 23.

The album is a two-part collection, combining recordings of 15 different Irish figures reciting Kavanagh’s poems backed by a musical soundtrack with a remastered version of the 1964 record Almost Everything that captured Kavanagh reading his own poetry.

Bono kicks off the album with a recitation of perhaps Kavanagh’s most famous poem, “On Raglan Road.” Other contributors to the album include Ireland’s president, Michael D. Higgins; singers Sharon Corr, Christy Moore, Hozier and Imelda May; and actors Liam Neeson, Aisling Bea, Evanna Lynch, Aidan Gillen and Jessie Buckley.

Almost Everything… will be available as a two-CD or a two-LP set, and can be preordered now at CladdaghRecords.com and Amazon.

The physical versions of Almost Everything… will come packaged with a booklet featuring all the poetry heard on the album.

Kavanagh, who began his professional writing career during the early 1930s, was known for his unsentimental depiction of everyday life in Ireland. He died in 1967 at age 63.

Here’s the track list of Almost Everything…:

CD1 (read by guests):

“On Raglan Road” — read by Bono
“Stony Grey Soil” — read by Michael D. Higgins
“Memory of My Father” — read by Liam Neeson
“Canal Bank Walk” — read by Imelda May
“Peace” — read by Hozier
“Inniskeen Road: July Evening” — read by Lisa McGee
“In Memory of My Mother” — read by Kathleen Watkins
“The Hospital” — read by Lisa Hannigan
“Pegasus” — read by Rachael Blackmore
“October” — read by Christy Moore
“Shancoduff” — read by Aisling Bea
“Lines Written on a Seat on the Grand Canal, Dublin” — read by Evanna Lynch
“Extract from The Great Hunger” — read by Aidan Gillen
“A Christmas Childhood” — read by Sharon Corr
“Epic” — read by Jessie Buckley

CD2 (read by Patrick Kavanagh):

“Autobiographical Prose”
“The Same Again”
“Jungle”
“Narcissus and the Women”
“Epic”
“God in Woman”
“Kerr’s Ass”
“Peace”
“The Hospital”
“On the Death of Jim Larkin”
“Extract from The Great Hunger“
“Living in the Country: Part One”
“Dear Folks”
“Miss Universe”
“About Reason, Maybe”
“To Hell with Commonsense”
“October”
“Come Dance with Kitty Stobling”
“Prelude”
“Having Confessed”

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The Who‘s 10th studio album, It’s Hard, was released 40 years ago this Sunday — September 4, 1982. The album was the British rock legends’ final studio effort to feature their founding bassist, John Entwistle, and their second and last recorded with ex-Faces/Small Faces drummer Kenney Jones, who replaced Keith Moon after Moon’s 1978 death.

It’s Hard peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200 and yielded the hit single “Athena,” which reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the enduring tune “Eminence Front.” “Athena” and “Eminence Front” also ascended to #3 and #5, respectively, on Billboard‘s rock-radio airplay chart.

It’s Hard was produced by Glyn Johns and was recorded at his Turn Up-Down Studio in Surrey, U.K. It has gone on to be certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of over 500,000 in the U.S, and features the song “Eminence Front,” which has been used in commercials, in TV shows and at sporting events.

The Who supported It’s Hard with a major trek that the band had planned to be its farewell tour. The outing included the famous concert at New York’s Shea Stadium that featured The Clash as one of the opening acts.

This past June, an expanded 40th-anniversary edition of It’s Hard was released as a limited-edition two-LP vinyl set as part of this year’s Record Store Day event. The release featured bonus tracks and one orange and one yellow LP.

Here’s the full original track list of It’s Hard:

“Athena”
“It’s Your Turn”
“Cooks County”
“It’s Hard”
“Dangerous”
“Eminence Front”
“I’ve Known No War”
“One Life’s Enough”
“One at a Time”
“Why Did I Fall for That?”
“A Man Is a Man”
“Cry If You Want”

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Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine turns 80 this Saturday, September 3, and just a day before his milestone birthday, a newly remastered version of his 2010 solo album, A Postcard from California, has been released via digital formats.

This marks the first time the star-studded collection has been made available via streaming services.

A Postcard from California features an impressive cast of guest artists, including Jardine’s fellow Beach Boys, Steve Miller, Neil Young, Stephen Stills, David Crosby, America‘s Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell, and Glen Campbell.

Jardine wrote or co-wrote over half of the tracks on the album, which also features updated renditions of The Beach Boys’ hits and of the Mamas and the Papas classic “California Dreamin’.”

The digital reissue includes two bonus tracks. The first is a previously unreleased extended version of “Waves of Love,” which features one of the last recorded studio vocal performances by late Beach Boys co-founder Carl Wilson. The second is “Sloop John B (A Pirate’s Tale),” Jardine’s reworked version of the popular folk tune “Sloop John B,” which was originally released in 2005 alongside Al’s children’s book of the same name.

Miller contributes to an updated version of “Help Me Rhonda,” the chart-topping 1965 Beach Boys hit featuring Jardine’s lead vocals. Crosby, Stills and Young all appear on Jardine’s rendition of “A California Saga.” Campbell, who was a touring member of The Beach Boys during the mid-1960s, lends his vocal talents to the title track and the “California Dreamin'” cover.

“I can’t believe it’s been 12 years since Postcard came out and I thank everyone involved in the production and creation of this album to help me get my songs out there,” says Jardine.

Here’s the reissue’s full track list:

“A Postcard from California” — featuring Glen Campbell
“California Feelin'”
“Lookin’ Down the Coast”
“Don’t Fight the Sea” — featuring The Beach Boys
“Tidepool Interlude” — featuring Alec Baldwin
“Campfire Scene” — featuring Neil Young
“A California Saga” — featuring Neil Young, David Crosby & Stephen Stills
“Help Me, Rhonda” — featuring Steve Miller
“San Simeon” — featuring America
“Drivin'” — featuring Brian Wilson & David Marks
“Honkin’ Down the Highway” — featuring Brian Wilson
“California Dreamin'” — featuring Glen Campbell
“And I Always Will”

Special Bonus Tracks
“Waves of Love” — featuring Carl Wilson
“Sloop John B (A Pirate’s Tale)”

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Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett‘s latest concert album and video, Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out & More, documenting a 2021 performance from his tour of the same name, got its release today.

The collection captures a September 2021 show in Manchester, England, that featured Hackett and his current backing band performing Genesis’ 1977 album Seconds Out in its entirety. It also features some select solo tunes, including two from 2021’s Surrender of Silence.

Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out & More is available as a two-CD/Blu-ray set, a two-CD/DVD package and via digital formats. A four-LP/two-CD version of the release will follow on November 25.

The versions featuring the Blu-ray and DVD boast 5.1 surround sound, as well as a behind-the-scenes documentary and promotional videos.

Coinciding with Genesis Revisited Live‘s release, a video clip from the film featuring a performance of the 1974 Genesis song “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” has debuted on Hackett’s official YouTube channel.

In other news, Hackett and his solo band will launch a new Genesis-themed tour, “Foxtrot at Fifty,” with a series of U.K. shows running from September 9 through October 12. The trek also will visit Italy in mid-November. Hackett and company also have plans to return to North America in late November to play some rescheduled dates for postponed shows on their “Genesis Revisited: Seconds Out & More” tour. Visit HackettSongs.com to check out Steve’s full itinerary.

Here’s the full Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out & More track list:

“Apollo Intro”
“Clocks — The Angel of Mons”
“Held in the Shadows”
“Every Day”
“The Devil’s Cathedral”
“Shadow of the Hierophant”
“Squonk”
“The Carpet Crawlers”
“Robbery, Assault and Battery”
“Afterglow”
“Firth of Fifth”
“I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)”
“The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”
“Musical Box (Closing Section)”
“Supper’s Ready”
“The Cinema Show”
“Aisle of Plenty”
“Dance on a Volcano”
“Los Endos”

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Creedence Clearwater Revival has made available the band’s performance of its classic 1969 breakthrough hit “Proud Mary” at the Royal Albert Hall. It’s been released as an advanced digital track from the upcoming archival live album.

Titled Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall, the album will be released on September 16 and features the band’s 12-song set from their concert at the famous London venue on April 14, 1970.

A video of the “Proud Mary” performance has also debuted on the band’s official YouTube channel and will appear in the upcoming documentary and concert movie Travelin’ Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall.

Travelin’ Band, which is narrated by Jeff Bridges, features previously unseen film of CCR’s entire performance, as well as rare behind-the-scenes clips of the band and archival interviews. The film will premiere internationally on September 16.

“Proud Mary,” which is perhaps Creedence’s most famous song, was the band’s first single to break into the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #2 in March of ’69.

Last month, CCR released the performance of their classic song “Fortunate Son” on YouTube.

The group’s live album, which can be preordered now, will be available on CD, cassette, 180-gram vinyl and via various digital formats.

Meanwhile, a super deluxe box set will be released on November 14 that includes a Blu-ray of the Travelin’ Band film, two-LP 45-rpm versions of the live album and a bonus CD containing other music that’s featured in the movie.

Here’s the Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall album’s full track list:

“Born on the Bayou”
“Green River”
“Tombstone Shadow”
“Travelin’ Band”
“Fortunate Son”
“Commotion”
“Midnight Special”
“Bad Moon Rising”
“Proud Mary”
“The Night Time Is the Right Time”
“Good Golly Miss Molly”
“Keep On Chooglin'”

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The first of two tribute concerts honoring late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins takes place Saturday at London’s Wembley Stadium.

The star-studded event, which will feature a towering roster of guests performing alongside Foo members Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee, is set to stream live via Paramount+ and MTV’s YouTube channel beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET.

An hour-long version of the concert will also air as a special on CBS on Saturday at 10 p.m. ET. MTV will also air a two-hour special later in September.

The many artists joining the Foos in London for the tribute include Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson, the Joe Walsh-fronted James Gang, Led Zeppelin‘s John Paul Jones, The Pretenders‘ Chrissie Hynde and Martin Chambers, The Police‘s Stewart Copeland, Nile Rodgers of Chic, Rush‘s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, and Wolfgang Van Halen.

Grohl’s daughter Violet and Hawkins’ son Shane are also on the bill, as is Taylor’s cover band Chevy Metal.

You can view a full list of participants at TaylorHawkinsTributeConcert.com, which also features personal messages from a number of the guest artists sharing their memories of Hawkins and what it means for them to be performing in his honor.

Hawkins died on March 25 at age 50. The second tribute concert will be held at Kia Forum near Los Angeles on September 27.

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This Labor Day weekend, instead of the fan cruise she’s been doing for years, Melissa Etheridge is hosting her first fan destination festival, Etheridge Island, at a Mexican resort. Melissa tells ABC Audio that the festival, which started Tuesday and runs through Monday, is a better solution than a cruise ship for her fans — and not just because of COVID.

“COVID…ecologically…[and] there’s some fans that are just like, ‘I’m not getting on a boat, I’m just not going to do it!'” Melissa laughs. “And many asked for this: a destination, a place we can go. And I can also get more artists to come. There’s less artists that are willing to get on a boat for a few days. So it just made sense.”

The artists are a key ingredient in both the cruises and Etheridge Island: This year, in addition to three shows by Melissa, fans will also see Elle King, KT Tunstall, Ani DiFranco and lesser-known acts. Melissa loves that her fans tell her how she’s helped them discover new music that way.

“That’s my favorite thing: when they say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know this artist until Melissa introduced us [to them],'” she says. “And that means so much to me, because I spend the year finding these artists.”

She adds, “Since the late nineties I’ve been doing that: [I] really, really enjoy finding artists — especially females — that are so good, and [I] can really get them in front of people, knowing that my crowd will like them.”

To prove that she’s got a talent for, well, spotting talent, Melissa recalls doing a VH1 Duets show in the ’90s when she insisted on singing “with some artists that no one’s ever heard of.” Their names were Paula Cole, Joan Osborne and Jewel.

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In June, Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band postponed the last 12 concerts of the first leg of their 2022 North American tour after two members — Edgar Winter and Toto‘s Steve Lukather — tested positive for COVID-19. Now, the group is ready to return to the road.

The ex-Beatles drummer and his star-studded group kick off their trek’s second leg on Monday, September 5 in Lenox, Massachusetts. The outing begins with the rescheduled dates and then runs into the All Starr Band’s 20 originally announced fall shows.

The tour leg begins with a series of shows in the Eastern U.S. then makes a bunch of stops at venues in Canada and the Northern U.S. as it works its way west across the continent. The trek winds down with concerts in Washington, Oregon and California, with the final stateside performance scheduled for October 16 at the famed Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Ringo and the All Starrs also will play an October 19-20 engagement in Mexico City.

In addition to Winter and Lukather, the current All Starr Band features Men at Work frontman Colin Hay, Average White Band bassist Hamish Stuart, Toto multi-instrumentalist Warren Ham and acclaimed session drummer Gregg Bissonette.

During the tour, Ringo will release the latest in a series of EPs that he’s been putting together since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a four-track collection titled EP3. The new recording, which can be pre-ordered now, will be released digitally and on CD September 16. A limited-edition blue cassette and 10-inch vinyl-disc version will follow on November 18.

EP3 includes contributions from Lukather, Toto lead singer Joseph Williams, hit-making producer and songwriter Linda Perry, sax player Dave Koz and more.

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The Cars‘ Greg Hawkes and Squeeze‘s Chris Difford are among a variety of guest artists featured on an upcoming concept album called Circus of Wire Dolls by the prog rock-influenced collaborative group Rocking Horse Music Club.

Circus of Wire Dolls will be released as a two-CD set September 16, while a two-LP vinyl version is due out October 21.

The album is a rock opera that combines a wide range of musical genres, including prog rock, ’60-influenced baroque and symphonic pop, glam rock, ’80s new wave, gospel, jazz fusion, folk and musical theater.

“On the surface, the record tells the story of a man who creates a miniature circus out of wire, string, and cloth,” explains Rocking Horse Music Club producer/songwriter Brian Coombes, “but it’s really about a man looking back at his life, his work, the people who entered and exited his world, his successes, his failures, his regrets.”

Hawkes contributes alto sax to the album, while Difford sings on one of the tracks. Other guest singers and musicians featured include former Manfred Mann’s Earth Band vocalist Noel McCalla, ex-King Crimson violinist David Cross, current Squeeze pedal-steel guitarist Melvin Duffy and Dream Academy multi-instrumentalist Kate St. John.

The album can be preorderd in the U.S. at RockingHorseMusicClub.com and TheBandWagonUSA.com, and in the United Kingdom and the rest of the world at BurningShed.com.

Rocking Horse Music Club has plans to perform Circus of Wire Dolls live on March 17 and 18 in Fletching, England.

The album is a follow-up to 2019’s Which Way the Wind Blows, a tribute to original Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips.

Here’s the full Circus of Wire Dolls track list:

“Prologue: Riverside”
“Circus of Wire Dolls”
“Packed Up” — featuring Noel McCalla
“Senseless Sky”
“Animate in 5/8” — featuring Noel McCalla & Caroline Carter
“To Reach the Other Side”
“Will You Be My Downfall?” — featuring Caroline Carter
“So Little Left” — featuring Tim Bowness
“It’s Not About You”
“Trapeze Waltz” — featuring Amy Birks
“Burn” — featuring Caroline Carter
“Cut from a Different Cloth” — featuring Chris Difford
“Face of Rain”
“0300”
“SY22”
“Lost a Piece of Me”
“House Party at Jack’s”
“Flowers in November”
“Every Show Must End” — featuring Noel McCalla
“All Shall Be Well” — featuring Evelyn Cormier
“Circus Waltz” — featuring David Cross
“Coda: Slide Down the Cellar Door”

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Following a protest from the Prince estate, a judge has ruled that an energy drink cannot trademark the name “Purple Rain.”

Billboard reports a judge said Bang Energy could not trademark their drink’s name because it is “uniquely and unmistakably” connected to the late singer.

Following the ruling, Bang Energy CEO Jack Owoc explained to Billboard that he was “a big fan” of the iconic artist and would not appeal.

“We greatly respect Prince and his estate and will not ‘rain’ on their parade. Maybe we can negotiate a deal in the future that is mutually beneficial to both parties,” he said.

Attorney Londell McMillan, who represents one group of Prince heirs, told Billboard he was pleased the trademark application was rejected.

“Prince’s music, art and trademarks hold a special place in our society and culture. Purple Rain is a Prince mark and brand known worldwide,” he continued. “Please respect these unique assets or suffer at your own peril.”

Purple Rain earned an Oscar in 1985 for Best Original Song Score plus Grammy Awards for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

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