Neil Young will infuse new recordings of earlier songs from his career with sounds from nature on what sounds to be another quirky release from the veteran Rocker due June 17.  As he describes it, Earth "...flows as a collection of 13 songs from throughout my life. Songs I have written about living here on our planet together. Our animal kingdom is well represented in the audience as well as the animals, insects, birds and mamals actually take over the performances of the songs as times." Some of the songs come from a 2015 concert with the Promise Of The Real Band, a group that inludes Willie Nelson's two sons.

Earth Track List

Mother Earth (Ragged Glory)

I Won't Quit (previously unreleased)

My Country Home (Ragged Glory)

The Monsanto Years (album of same title)

Western Hero (Sleeps With Angels)

Vampire Blues (On The Beach)

Hippie Dream (Landing On Water)

After The Gold Rush (album of same title)

Human Highway (Comes A Time)

Big Box (The Monsanto Years)

People Want To Hear About Love (The Monsanto Years)

Wolf Moon (The Monsanto Years)

Love & only Love (Ragged Glory)

Motorhead drummer Mikkey Dee will sub for Scorpions after the hard rockin' German band revealed that James Kottak is dealing with a medical problem.  Klaus Meine passed word along that the Return To Forever tour wuld continue with Dee replacing Kottack, saying, 'We wish James a speedy recovery and he will be back to rock with us very soon.'  The groups 12 concert stretch opens next week in Charlotte, NC.

HenneMusic.com

Theater goers attending the the annual Easter Bonnet fund raiser in New York City Tuesday (4/26) got the added treat of seeing a bonafide Rock star on stage when Stevie Nicks made an unannounced appearance to join the band from the School Of Rock musical that's playing on Broadway on a version of Rhiannon.

Paul Stanley joins Ace Frehley on the version of Free's Fire & Water that appears on Frehley's solo covers album.

Eric Clapton added another ticket to the several he's gotten for speeding. Police issued EC a ticket after he'd pulled off of the A3 south of London Tuesday (4/26) in his Porsche.  Ironically, the stop went down in a rest area where a film crew was preparing for a shoot, leading to many onlookers to assume that EC was arriving to be in the scene they were preparing to film.  His only role was getting a ticket. Clapton's need for speed has landed him many citations, including one that resulted in a six week suspension of his license in 2000.

DailyMail.co.uk

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The Marin County, California Dutch Colonial house that has been the primary residence for Grateful Dead veteran Phil Lesh for 14 years is on the market for $10.35 million.  The nearly 8,000 square foot home in the village of Ross sits on 2+ acres of beautifully landscaped and very private property that includes a pool and a very attractive patio.
NYPost.com

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  Photo: Zillow

A trial in the suit claiming that Led Zeppelin ripped off a key segment of the melody for Stairway To Heaven from a Spirit song (story) could be settled for just $1.  The catch is that the late Randy California of that band be given a co-writing credit on the song and a share of all future royalties would go to his estate.  With a court date less than two weeks away that could lead to a multi-million dollar judgment if Zeppelin loses, it's a way out that Jimmy Page and Robert Plant might jump at. If a trial does take place, ground rules issued by the court will bar any testimony or evidence about previous claims of plagiarism by Zeppelin, any testimony about the group's alcohol or drug use or the personal wealth of members.  The attorney representing California's estate says it plans to use a good portion of any settlement in the case to fund a legacy program that provides musical instruments to underprivileged children.  The trial is scheduled to start on May 10th.

Forbes.com

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The younger Axl probably would have just told the papparazzi to get the $#&* out of his face, but it was a polite and responsive Axl that literally rolled into the airport following the Coachella festival.  TMZ landed the video that includes Rose talking about GNR's sets there and his upcoming stint of dates filling in for Brian Johnson in AC/DC.

As words of tribute to Prince continued to pour in following his death Thursday (4/21) (story), so did musical ones.  Pearl Jam worked Purple Rain into its set in Columbia, South Carolina. Bruce Springsteen opened his Brooklyn concert with the song Saturday (4/23), and David Gilmour wove a Purple Rain moment into Comfortably Numb during his performance at the Teenage Cancer Trust concert at Royal Albert Hall.

Investigators have ruled out violence and say suicide does not seem plausible as the cause we of death of Prince. A report has emerged that he may have been treated for an opiate condition after a plane he was said to be aboard  was diverted due to a medical  emergency.

With Aerosmith on hold, Tom Hamilton is opting to play bass for Thin Lizzy's upcoming tour.

Joe Walsh has opted out of a concert he says was misrepresented to him as being a non-political benefit for veterans families during the Republican convention in Cleveland.  The guitarist explained his take on the situation on his Facebook page, posting, "It was my understanding that I was playing a concert which was a nonpartisan event to benefit the families of American Veterans on Monday, July 17 in Cleveland.  Today it was announced that this event is, in face, a launch for the Rpublican National Convention. In Addition, my name is to be used to raise sponsorship dollars for convention related purposes."  He went on to say he is "...very concerned about the rampant vitriol, fear-mongering and bullying coming from the current Republican campaigns" he considers "isolationist and spiteful".  We're amazed the GOP failed to consider what Joe might have played and said about the party and its candidates if he had performed. Walsh says he plans on doing a benefit for veterans families with no political strings attached later in the year.

TheWrap.com

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Emergency medical responders were dispatched to Prince's Paisley Park Estate outside of Minneapolis just before 10am local time Thursday (4/21), according to KMSP TV, but were unable to revive the 57 year-old singer. Prince had reportedly been treated and released after his plane was diverted for a medical emergency en route back to Minneapolis following a concert in Atlanta.  No cause of death has been determined.  Here he is delivering a blistering and brillaint solo while performing with Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison at a Rock Hall Of fame tribute to George Harrison.

FOX9.com

Brian Johnson broke the silence he's maintained since news emerged that he would no longer be able to tour with AC/DC due to the risk he would lose all hearing.  His statement indicates that studio work with the band is still an option and that he may someday get clearance to resume live performances. Calling the day he received the news from doctors '...the darkest day of my professional life', Johnson also said he was '...personally crushed by this development more than anyone could ever imagine.'

Axl Rose has been tapped by the band to be the front man for the 10 dates on the AC/DC tour that had to be postponed after Johsnon got his diagnosis.
ABC.net.au

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The list of artists joing Bruce Springsteen (story) in deciding not to play in North Carolina in protest of a state law prohibiting transgenders from using the restroom designated to the sex they identify themselves as belonging to is growing.  Ringo Starr, Pearl Jam and Boston have pulled out of dates in the state.  Jimmy Buffett opted to do his concert there but is making a point of voicing his objections to what he calls the 'stupid' law.  Pearl Jam offered a longer explanation for fans, calling the HB2 law "... a despicable piece of legislation that encourages discrimination against an entire group of American citizens." The web post continued with, "The practical implications are expansive and its negative impact upon basic human rights is profound.  We want America to be a place where no one can be turned away from a business because of who they love or fired from their job for who they are."

LoudWire.com

We now know why KISS canceled a concert in Poughkeepsie, NY and performed on Friday (4/16) at a Beverly Hills benefit without Paul Stanley.  He was tending to a torn tendon in his bicep that had to be surgically re-attached.  Stanley posted to his Facebook page over the weekend that he is sporting stitches and has a screw in the injured arm to keep the tendon anchored and adds that he should be good-to-go with time to spare before his band opens its Freedom To Rock tour inBoise, Idaho on July 7.

AntiMusic.com

Kobe Bryant's 20 year career with the Los Angeles Lakers produced all kinds of records, but one set on his final day in an LA uniform put him in some unlikely company.  AEG says the single day record for merchandise sales set by Led Zeppelin at the O2 arena in London in 2007 was eclipsed by the sale of Bryant merchandise on the last day of his career.  Zeppelin rang registers to the tune of $1 million during the band's December, 2007 engagement in London.  Bryant's last game on April 13 saw Lakers fans forking over an average of just over $60 on merchandise alone, pushing the total spent that night on Bryant past the $1.2 million mark.

HenneMusic.com

MORE LED ZEPPELIN INSIGHTS

The official opening of the park honoring Seattle guitar legend Jimi Hendrix will take place August 27.  The decade long effort to create space celebrating the life and music of Hendrix has produced a 2.5 acre space at the intersection of 25th Avenue and Massachusetts in the neighborhood Hendrix grew up in.  The primary entrance winds along a curving guitar neck path through a green space with water, gardens and colorful murals emblazoned with images relating to Hendrix and his music.

CapitolHillSeattle.com Photo: Jimi Hendrix Park Foundation

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The LA Times reports that California could host a 3 day event in October that would feature complete concert sets from the Rolling Stones, the Who, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Roger Waters.  The setting would be the site of the Coachella festival, which is staged at the Empire Polo Field in Indio.  All of the acts and their managements are bound by a restriction not to reveal any details, but Neil Young's manager commented in general terms, saying, 'You won't get to see a bill like this, perhaps ever again.' If the wheels don't fall off this massive undertaking, an announcement confirming it could come in this month,  According to the Times, plans call for Dylan and the Stones to open the extravaganza on October 7, Young and McCartney to perform on the 8th and the Who and Roger Waters to close things out on the 9th.  Wh shudder to think what the ticket prices will be.

LATimes.com

Near the end of the marathon River tour concert performance in Palace of Auburn Hills Thursday (4/14), guitarist Steve Van Zandt recruited Bob Seger from his position in row one alongside the stage to join the band and help it finish the song. Supplied with a tambourine by Little Steven, Bob helped bring down the house with the Boss on that and then stayed on stage for the rave-up finale of the Isley Brother's Shout.  The appearance of Bob with Bruce was an encore of the pair sharing a stage in nearby Ann Arbor during the original River tour in October of 1980.  During the concert, Springsteen mentioned that Michigan's governor is considering legislation that would impose bathroom restrictions of transgenders. Bruce's comment, 'We hope the bill doesn't pass, because we love playing in Michigan' brought a roar from the crowd that the band's rendition of Born In The USA swelled out of.
Billboard.com

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Without a good local music store, plenty of musicians might not ever have been inspired to start playing an instrument. As Ambassadors for the spring 2016 Record Store Day, Metallica members are taking very active roles in promoting the importance supporting local, independent record stores.  Lars Ulrich took the time to share what having one to go to near him when he was growing up meant to him on the band's Facebook page.

Drummer Matt Sorum says no offer was extended to him to join the reunion of Guns N' Roses.  Steven Adler, the GNR drummer before Sorum, is also outside looking in.  Sorum is keeping the beat for the Hollywood Vampires, the band fronted by Alice Cooper that includes Joe Perry of Aerosmith and actor/Rocker Johnny Depp.  Asked via his Twitter account whether he would perform at any of the Guns N' Roses trour stops, Sorum replied, '"No sir, they didn't ask me.' A follow-up asking him whether he planned to take in any of the shows, Matt wrote that he was watching episodes of Downton Abbey instead.

TeamRock.com

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Bono dropped in on a Senate subcommittee hearing on extremism Wednesday in Washington and suggested comedians be deployed to underimine Isis. Speaking before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee in an effort to get it to commit to additional funding to address the refugee crisis in Europe, Bono got on a tangent and suggested that sending Chris Rock, Amy Schumer and Sacha Baron Cohen could undermine Isis because, 'When you laugh at them when they are goose-stepping down the streegt, you take away their power.'  Schumer was reportedly quite unammused by the idea.
DailyLife.com.au

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Steve Miller made it apparent after his induction to the Rock Hall Of Fame that he has little regard for the institution.  Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney of the Black Keys feel the similarly toward Miller. Auerbach told Rolling Stone that he regrets having inducted him.  He called the most unpleasant part of the evening being around Miller who, he said, had no idea who they were.  Not making any effort to learn something about who is introducing you to the Hall is a bit arrogant, but so is the Hall not letting the inductee have any say in who gets the honor.  It's a ridiculous practice.  As for Miller's decision to bad mouth the Hall for the scarcity of women it has inducted, Auerbach pointed out that the Steve Miller Band has had more than two dozen members over the decades it's been together, none of them female.

Pitchfork.com

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Robin Zander says he'd be happy to fill in for Brian Johnson so AC/DC can reschedule the dates they canceled after their lead singer was warned by doctors that he risked permanent hearing loss if he continued touring with the high voltage group.

The Cheap Trickster added that he would only do it if Johnson agreed to it, saying, '...I'd want the blessing of Brian. I wouldn't go in there as a slap in the face to him.'

Radio.com

MORE ROBIN ZANDER INSIGHTS   MORE AC/DC INSIGHTS  

The soap opera known as Deep Purple has always been one of petty differences getting overblown into major ego clashes. While many individuals and bands have managed to gain some perspective and set aside the clashes of the past, DP members continue to behave in an only slightly more mature manner than other infantile groups.  The most recent display of Jr. high school behavior came over the group's induction into the RockHall Of Fame.  In fairness to the goup, the inducting institution was no better behaved than the band.  Surprisingly, Ritchie Blackmore came off as being measured and reasonable about being absent from the event.  He gained added cred by resisting the temptation to go off on other DP members and the Hall by saying he feels Joe Lynn Turner deserved recognition from the Hall.

AntiMusic.com

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Michael Stipe has been an ardent supporter of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.  The REM veteran's social media platforms contain a number of endorsements of the Vermont senator.  He used another platform to voice his conviction that Sanders is the right guy for the oval office at a Coney Island, NY rally Sunday (4/10) when he took the stage to introduce Sanders.

Billboard.com

Motley Crue veteran Vince Neil has been hit with a misdemeanor battery charge following a Thursday (4/7) incident in Las Vegas that apparently stemmed from a fan's attempt to get an autograph from Nicolas Cage.  TMZ reported that a woman approached the actor while Neil and Cage were in the Aria Hotel.  Neil allegedly grabbed and yanked the woman's hair from behind, causing her to fall. Cage then took Neil outside where the pair was observed in a shouting match over the incident that escalated into a physical altercation.  We're not sure whether the charge filed against Neil relates to the incident inside or outside the hotel but if it was because of the scuffle with Cage, it will be surprising if an additional charge and possibly a lawsuit over what allegedly happened to the woman don't follow.

AntiMusic.com

The head of the E Street Band has joined the governors of several states by electing to ban non-essential travel to North Carolina.  The stand is being taken to protest a Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act passed by the state that prohibits transgender individuals from using public bathrooms matching their gender identity.  The decision by Springsteen resulted in the cancellation of a concert scheduled for Greensboro on Sunday (4/10). Springsteen wrote on his web site, "To my mind, it's an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress.  Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry - which is happening as I write - is one of them.  It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards."

Spin.com

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The highly anticipated Guns N' Roses tour already has a problem.  Axl Rose will be in a cast for about a month after having a plate and screws inserted in a foot to mend a fracture. The injury will reportedly not result in any cancellations or reschedulings.  Leave it to Axl to find a very attractive expert to tend to him and perform the "Internal Fixation" - which sounds more like a description of the patient than a procedure.

"Internal Fixation" from Team Brazil on Vimeo.

Steve Miller was amicable during his on-stage induction acceptance at the Rock Hall Of Fame insduction Friday (4/8), but he let it all hang out during at the backstage presser, saying the Rock Hall of Fame lacks respect for the artists it supposedly honors.  After remarking on stage that more women deserve to be inducted, Miller let loose behind the scenes with a broader criticism of institution for its induction process as well as its attitude toward the musicians it does honor.  After Miller said that the Hall refused to provide him with more than one additional comp ticket for the ceremony at the Barclay Center unless he paid $10,000, a representative attempted to cut the session off, prompting Miller to snap back, 'We're not going to wrap this one up'.  But he did just that after a parting jab at the RHOF, saying, 'This is how close this show came to not happening, because of the way the artists are being treated right now'.

Cleveland.com

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There appears to be a good chance that Aerosmith will call it quits after a farewell tour in 2017.  Talking with Rolling Stone, Steven Tyler said he's committed to a solo tour that will conclude at the end of August, after which he may reunite with his Boston band mates to lay the groundwork for a 2017 tour the lead vocalist told the magazine will 'probably be a farewell tour.' Tyler's comments are consistent with remarks Brad Whitford made when talking with Eddie Trunk late last year when he said the prospect of one or more members of the veteran band reaching a point where going on the road is no longer an option led him to believe '...it would be very nice to take a nice long bow and say thank you and... out it to bed kind of gracefully.'

HenneMusic.com

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Early Stones records contained some bare-bones Blues elements and the band considers Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and other artists in the genre essential to their development as a band.  Keith Richard's recent comments (story) about the band having cranked out a prodigious amount of material in just a few recording sessions has triggered speculation that the band may have been recording familiar songs instead of new originals.  If that's the case, there's a good possibility the next, and possibly final album, will find the band back where it all began.

Stuff.co.nz

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An early morning tour bus crash in West Virginia has injured members of Gregg Allman's sound crew.  The bus veered off Interstate 77 at about 5 in the morning Wednesday (4/6) near the Jackson and Kanawha county lines.  The three injured crew members were treated and released from an area hospital.  The driver of the bus reportedly told police that he was choking when he lost control of the bus, which crossed into the wrong lanes of the highway before breaking through a guardrail and sliding down an embankment and hitting a tree.  Allman was not injured in the accident and the evening show in Charleston will take place as scheduled.

WSAZ.com

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The life and legacy of Janis Joplin is said to be wonderfully encapsulated in the documentary Little Girl Blue.  The film, a labor of love for Oscar nominated director Amy Berg, will air on PBS affiliates on Tuesday, May 3 as an episode of the American Masters series.  Footage will be supplemented by extended cut scenes featuring additional performance footage of Janis, along with recently added interviews with the singer's sister, Laura an other vocalists Janis had a profound influence on. Here's a preview of what's in store.

In a wide ranging interview with The Sun, Keith Richards said the Stones had the most productive studio sessions they have ever had during a flurry of London studio visitis in December that left the group with a wealth of new songs to consider for the next album.  While the guitarist would not reveal much about the songs or the album, he did say, '...the Stones have never cut so many tracks in such a short time,' but added, 'Now that's not necessarily a guarantee of a good record but there is something in the works and I'd just like to leave it up there in mystery land.'

TheSun.co.uk

MORE KEITH RICHARDS INSIGHTS

Rasputin Music, an independent record store in Berkeley, California, will have one thing no other store can offer on Record Store Day.  The international event's Ambassadors band will be doing a live set Saturday (4/16) at the Telegraph Avenue store.  Lars Ulrich says his band looks forward to 'Getting loud, noisy and sweaty' at the store on RSD.  The group will have remastered versions of Ride The Lightning and Kill 'Em All in the lineup of limited edition music being featured by record stores this time around. Metallica Fifth members over 18 can register for the chance to win a ticket by signing up by April 10.
Metallica.com

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A candidate for Sheriff in a Boston suburb can apparently count on Steven Tyler if he ever needs a posse. The Aerosmith front man attended Joseph McDonald's campaign breakfast event in Plymouth Saturday (4/2) and posed sharing a re-election sign for McDonald.
MarshfieldWickedLocal.com

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     photo: Joseph McDonald campaign

The intention to pursue a copyright infringement claim against Led Zeppelin based on the contention that a key portion of the melody in Stairway To Heaven was lifed from s song written by Randy Claifornia of the band Spirit was made public almost two years ago.  Unless a settlement is reached prior to a trial, the long climb toward an actual court date for the estate of California will end on May 10th.  The stakes are potentially enormous if the court finds that Zeppelin did infringe on California by using a portion of the Spirit instrumental Taurus without credit.  Jimmy Page reportedly insisted in a deposition he gave that he never heard the song, despite the fact that the two bands shared the same stage at about the time the epic Zeppelin song on an album that has sold more than 37 million copies was being written.
HenneMusic.com

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We got the heads-up several days ago that Guns N' Roses would shift from festival into full blown tour mode (story). The reunited group made it official today with the announcement of a two month trek of stadiums starting on June 23 at Ford Field in Detroit and wrapping up at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on August 22.  GNR fan club members get the first shot at tickets via an invitation by email. Citi card holders also get a jump on the general sale starting at 10a on April 4. Remaining tickets become available to all on Friday, April 8 through livenation.com.  The breathing room between dates could be to allow for second nights in the event demand warrants. (preview clip from 4/1 LA club concert below dates)

Not In This Lifetime Tour

6/23 - Ford Field - Detroit

6/26 - FedEx Field - Washington

6/29 - Arrowhead Stadium - Kansas City

7/01 - Soldier Field - Chicago

7/06 - Paul Brown Stadium - Cincinnati

7/09 - Nissan Stadium - Nashville

7/12 - Heinz Field - Pittsburgh

7/14 - Lincoln Financial Field - Philadelphia

7/16 - Rogers Centre - Toronto

7/19 - Gillette Stadium - Foxborough

7/23 - MetLife Stadium - East Rutherford

7/27 - Georgia Dome - Atlanta

7/29 - Citrus Bowl - Orlando

7/31 - Mercedes Benz Superdome - New Orleans

8/03 - AT&T Stadium - Arlington

8/05 - NRG Stadium - Houston

8/09 - At&T Pard - San Francisco

8/12 - CenturyLimnk Field - Seattle

8/15 - University of Phoenix Stadium - Glendale

8/22 - Qualcomm Stadium - San Diego