Nineteen-sixty-nine was a banner year for rock ‘n’ roll. Besides Woodstock, it was the year of the MC5’s Kick Out the Jams, The Stooges, the Stones’ Let It Bleed, Zappa’s Hot Rats, Fleetwood Mac’s Then Play On, King Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King, Blind Faith, Captain Beefheart’s Trout Mask Replica, Dylan’s Nashville Skyline, Abbey Road, Santana, Sly & the Family Stone’s Stand, and many more.
Including Led Zeppelin and Led Zeppelin II.
Jimmy Page was already a veteran studio musician and former Yardbirds guitarist at age 24 when he set out to create a supergroup. And that new band’s calling card was recorded at Olympic Studios in London and released January 12, 1969.
Led Zeppelin had already played college gigs and toured Scandinavia as the New Yardbirds, playing Yardbirds’ tunes and fresh numbers including “Communication Breakdown,” Willie Dixon’s “I Can’t Quit You Baby,” “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You,” and the thunderous “You Shook Me.” So they knew their arrangements cold when they entered Olympic and spent just 36 hours making their debut, including mixing.
To achieve Led Zeppelin’s classic guitar sounds Page played a psychedelic hand-painted 1958 Telecaster through a mercilessly overdriven small Supro amp. And he took advantage of natural ambience. Until then guitars were typically recorded with one microphone set right in front of the grill cloth. But Page insisted on using multiple microphones, some as far as 20 feet away from his amp, and blending what they caught on tape.
Huge as the guitars on Led Zeppelin still sound today, Page upped the ante for Led Zeppelin II and indelibly helped elevate the cache of the Gibson Les Paul and establish the mystique of the 1959 model in particular.
While touring the States after Led Zeppelin’s release, Page purchased the sunburst ’59 Les Paul that would become hallowed as his “Number 1” from Joe Walsh in April 1969. Page was first seen with the guitar on stage at Fillmore West and at Winterland in San Francisco, and at San Antonio’s Rose Palace.
Walsh was playing Gibsons and singing in the James Gang at the time, and had the ’59 sunburst’s neck shaved to a thinner profile before selling the guitar to Page. There was already a Black 1960 Les Paul Custom in Page’s collection that he’d modified with a Bigsby tremolo arm. But the six-string from Walsh was different. It felt perfect in his hands and on his shoulders — where it would hang for hundreds of iconic live photos — and conjured the heavy sound he envisioned in a nearly effortless manner.
Page has described “Number 1” as his “wife” and “mistress,” and calls it irreplaceable. Unlike the Black Beauty, which was stolen in 1970, it remains in his possession and has been immortalized by several Gibson Custom Shop reissues. In the ’70s the bridge tone control was replaced with a push-pull pot that puts the pick-ups out of phase, and the bridge pick-up was replaced after it failed on tour. The instrument also sports gold plated Grover tuners. Otherwise it remains the same as when he acquired it, plus road wear.
“Number I” and an array of Marshall amps — the same ones Page used on stage —were the string-bender’s sonic foundation for Led Zeppelin II. The band wrote and developed the album’s songs while touring the U.S. and Europe from January through August of 1969. Unlike Led Zeppelin, each number was recorded separately at various studios in the U.S. and U.K. There was nothing leisurely about the process, however, since the sessions were crammed between concerts, thus replicating the live feel of the first album.
One constant on Led Zeppelin II, however, was engineer Eddie Kramer, who had worked with Jimi Hendrix and today still works with the Hendrix estate on Jimi’s tapes. Kramer helped Page achieve a cleaner, crisper, better-defined sound for the entire album and urged Page to experiment. The psychedelic breakdown of “Whole Lotta Love,” which whips through the stereo spectrum like a Tilt-a-Whirl, is the most famous result of their adventurous efforts.
“Ramble On” established hard rock’s often parodied use of sword-and-sorcery lyrics. “What Is and What Should Never Be” pushed dynamics to their fullest. And drummer John Bonham concocted a solo in “Moby Dick” that beat Ginger Baker’s “Toad.”But Page forever defined the sound and balls-out stance of the Les Paul in heavy rock. His riffing on “Heartbreaker” made the song the “Eruption” of its day, emulated by nearly every budding slash-and-burn guitarist who came in his wake. And his growing riffs in “The Lemon Song” and “Whole Lotta Love” are part of rock’s Mt. Rushmore.
Soon after making Led Zeppelin II Page acquired a second Les Paul Standard he dubbed “Number 2.” He had its neck shaved to emulated “Number 1” ’s distinctive profile, and installed push-pull pots to coil split the guitar’s humbuckers. After Led Zeppelin disbanded he had phase and series switches installed beneath the pick guard. But before Zeppelin’s dissolution, “Number 1” and “Number 2” helped Page and his self-made supergroup create rock ‘n’ roll history for seven more awe inspiring, timeless albums.
After months of rumors, innuendo and speculation about a Black Sabbath reunion, Ozzy Osbourne has confirmed the band has reconnected.
While speaking with Billboard about his upcoming second book, "Trust Me, I'm Dr. Ozzy," Osbourne touched on the swirling Sabbath reunion rumors. "Yes, it's a very, very strong possibility," he says of getting the old band back together. "It's in the very early stages, so we haven't recorded anything yet. If it works out, it'll work out. If it doesn't, I'll keep doing my thing."
The Sabbath guys have been trying to keep things hush-hush so as not to draw attention to their plans or raise the expectations of hardcore fans, but a media leak through a formerly-trusted source blew Tony Iommi’s cover, causing the guitarist to apologize publicly to his bandmates for putting his faith in the wrong person…a reporter looking to make a name for himself.
That’s all old news, now, and fans can now sit and wait patiently to see what happens...or doesn’t...in the coming months.
Meanwhile, both Iommi and Ozzy are out doing book-signing tours for their new works: Tony’s "Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath," will be released in Europe on October 13 and in the US on November 1....Osbourne’s “Trust Me, I'm Dr. Ozzy," is due October 11.
John Winston Lennon, (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Along with fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, he formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships of the 20th century.
Born and raised in Liverpool, Lennon became involved in the skiffle craze as a teenager, forming his first band, The Quarrymen evolving into The Beatles in 1960. As the group disintegrated towards the end of the decade, Lennon embarked on a solo career that produced the critically acclaimed albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, and iconic songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine". After his marriage to Yoko Onoin 1969, he changed his name to John Ono Lennon. Lennon disengaged himself from the music business in 1975 to devote time to his infant son Sean, but re-emerged in 1980 with a new album, Double Fantasy. He was murdered three weeks after its release.
Lennon revealed a rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music, his writing, his drawings, on film, and in interviews, becoming controversial through his political and peace activism. He moved to New York City in 1971, where his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a lengthy attempt by Richard Nixon's administration to deport him, while his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement.
As of 2010, Lennon's solo album sales in the United States exceed 14 million units, and as writer, co-writer or performer, he is responsible for 25 number-one singles on the US Hot 100chart. In 2002, a BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons voted him eighth, and in 2008, Rolling Stone ranked him the fifth-greatest singer of all-time. He was posthumously inducted into theSongwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
TOP 10 JOHN LENNON SONGS(SOLO):
1.IMAGINE
2.WATCHING THE WHEELS
3.INSTANT KARMA
4.WORKING CLASS HERO
5.NOBODY TOLD ME
6.REAL LOVE
7.JEALOUS GUY
8.STAND BY ME
9.GOD
10.LOVE
TOP 10 BEATLES SONGS:
1.HEY JUDE
2.LET IT BE
3.A DAY IN THE LIFE
4YESTERDAY
5.STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER
6.IN MY LIFE
7.WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS
8.ELEANOR RIGBY
9.TWIST AND SHOUT
10. AND I LOVE HER
"YOU MAY SAY I'M A DREAMER BUT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE"-JOHN LENNON(1940-1980)
Christian metal, also known as white metal, is a form of heavy metal music usually defined by its message in a song's lyrics as well as the band's dedication to Christianity. Christian metal is typically performed by professed Christians sometimes principally for Christians who listen to heavy metal music and many times produced and distributed through various Christian networks.
Christian metal bands exist in all the subgenres of heavy metal music, and the only common link among most Christian metal bands are the lyrics. The Christian themes are often melded with the subjects of the genre the band is rooted in, regularly providing a Christian take on the subject matter. It has been argued that the marginal yet transnational Christian metal subculture provides its core members an alternative religious expression and Christian identity, and that the music serves the purpose of offering a positive alternative or counterbalance to secular metal music which is known for its generally dark and negative message.Christian metal emerged in the late 1970s as a means of evangelism to the wider heavy metal music scene, and was pioneered by the American Resurrection Band and Swedish Jerusalem. Los Angeles' Stryper achieved wide success in the 1980s, otherwise the genre was mostly ignored by the mainstream. California's Tourniquet and Australia's Mortification led the movement in the 1990s. The metalcore groups Underoath, Demon Hunter, As I Lay Dying, and Norma Jean (dubbed by Revolver Magazine as "The Holy Alliance") brought some mainstream attention to the movement in the first decade of the 21st century, achieving ranks in the Billboard 200.
TOP 10 CHRISTIAN METAL BANDS:
1.STRYPER
2.TOURNIQUET
3.AS I LAY DYING
4.SKILLET
5.THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
6.VENGEANCE RISING
7.LIVING SACRIFICE
8.DELIVERANCE
9.ANTESTOR
10.BECOMING THE ARCHTYPE
Following a three-year sabbatical and after the multi-platinum worldwide success of their sophomore album, The Open Door, Evanescence went into the studio to begin recording their third studio album. This time they have teamed up with acclaimed producer Nick Raskulinecz, whose recent producing credits include Foo Fighters, Stone Sour, Deftones and Alice in Chains. The band’s hotly anticipated new album, Evanescence, is due to for release on October 10 on Wind Up/EMI.The debut single off the new album is, “What You Want,” and will be released on October 3. Recorded in Nashville’s Blackbird Studios, Amy Lee describes the song as being “really different” from anything in the band's back catalog.
“What You Want” deals with heady concepts, a trait that’s readily apparent throughout Evanescence’s new album. “It’s about freedom – that’s definitely a constant theme on the record and the chorus - ‘Remember who you really are’ – that’s exactly everything you could assume it means.”
With what some call a meteoric rise to the top, Evanescence’s first album, Fallen, brought the band to global success with more than 17 million records sold, two #1 singles, “My Immortal” and “Bring Me to Life” and two Grammy® Awards in 2003 (Best New Artist and Best Hard Rock Performance for “Bring Me to Life”).
Evanescence are Amy Lee (vocals, piano), Terry Balsamo (guitar) Tim McCord (bass), Troy McLawhorn (guitar) and Will Hunt (drums).
Evanescence are set to return to the U.K. for a full tour, their first in four years. Kicking off at London’s Hammersmith Apollo on November 4, the band finish up in Birmingham on the 13th, before heading over to mainland Europe. Amy Lee commented: “We're dying to come back to the U.K. and play the new music for our fans. Can’t wait!”
Evanescence’s U.K. tour dates:
November 2011
FRI 4th and SAT 5th - London HMV Hammersmith Apollo
MON 7th - Manchester 02 Apollo
TUE 8th - Glasgow Academy
THU 10th - Plymouth Pavilions
SAT 12th - Leeds 02 Academy
SUN 13th - Birmingham 02 Academy
Metal gods Judas Priest continue their “Epitaph” farewell world tour, as the band gears up to launch the North American leg in San Antonio, Texas on October 12.
With one head in the present, Priest vocalist Rob Halford is also looking forward – to the band’s next album.
"I think one of the things that we seriously considered was how to maintain the longevity of Priest, and one of the ways of doing that is just to cut back a little bit on these intense tours that we do," Halford tells SoundSpike. "We're still going to stay focused on recording and writing new songs; as you may have heard we have a new album coming out sometime next year.”
The project will feature new material that he and guitarist Glenn Tipton penned in the first quarter of the year. It will be the follow-up to band’s 2008 concept album "Nostradamus."
"It made absolute sense to be who we are and what we're renowned for, which is making the best heavy metal albums that we can," he said. "Our next record, when it's completed, will just be a traditional British heavy metal release, which obviously means there's going to be loads of riffs and screaming vocals and crazy guitars, lead breaks and all of the wonderful aspects that are loved about Judas Priest and heavy metal in general. It's going to be pretty much a straightforward, good solid piece of heavy metal that we're working on to release next year."
The album will be Priest's first with new guitarist Richie Faulkner, who replaced the retired K.K. Downing earlier this year.
Here's the video of PAINKILLER by JUDAS PRIEST
The new ZZ Top album, “A Tribute From Friends,” is out next Tuesday (October 11), and it is exactly what it says it is: other rockers playing the tunes of “That Little Ol’ Band From Texas.”
It’s a high-profile salute from the likes of Nickelback, Steven Tyler, Wolfmother, Daughtry, Filter and more….and guitarist ZZ guitarist Billy Gibbons is humbled and excited at the same time.
ZZ Top
“A Tribute From Friends”
Release date: October 11, 2011
01. “Sharp Dressed Man” – The M.O.B. (Mick Fleetwood, Steven Tyler, Jonny Lang & John McVie)
02. “Gimme All Your Lovin’” – Filter
03. “Tush” – Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
04. “Legs” - Nickelback
05. “Cheap Sunglasses” – Wolfmother
06. “Got Me Under Pressure” – Duff McKagan’s LOADED
07. “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers” – Coheed & Cambria
08. “Just Got Paid” – Mastodon
09. “Rough Boy” – Wyclef Jean
10. “Waitin’ for the Bus / Jesus Just Left Chicago” – Daughtry
11. “La Grange” – Jamey Johnson
The 1st ROCK song that i heard was not a CLASSIC rock or a HARD rock song.It was a PUNK rock song called "BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS" by GREEN DAY!!!!
GREEN DAY consists of 3 members:
1.BILLY JOE ARMSTRONG [lead vocalist and guitarist}
2.MIKE DIRNT[bassist and back vocalist]
3.TRE COOL[drummer]
Today is the birthday of AC/DC singer Brian Johnson.Brian Johnson joined the australian band in 1980 and is a rock &roll hall of fame inductee!!!!KEEP on ROCK & ROLLIN!!!!!
Well this being the 1st Post by me,the only way to give the blog a good kickstart was by posting the "BEST SONG EVERMADE": STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN by LED ZEPPELIN. Video link:Stairway to heaven-led zeppelin For those who havent heard the song,"Stairway to Heaven" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant for the band's untitled fourth studio album (usually referred to as Led Zeppelin IV). The song, running eight minutes and two seconds, is composed of several sections, which increase in tempo and volume as the song progresses. The song begins as a slow acoustic-based folk song accompanied by recorders before electric instrumentation is introduced. The final section is a high-tempo hard rock section highlighted by an intricate guitar solo by Page. Lyrics:
There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold And she's buying the stairway to heaven. When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed With a word she can get what she came for. Ooh, ooh, and she's buying the stairway to heaven.
There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure 'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings. In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings, Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven. Ooh, it makes me wonder, Ooh, it makes me wonder.
There's a feeling I get when I look to the west, And my spirit is crying for leaving. In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees, And the voices of those who stand looking. Ooh, it makes me wonder, Ooh, it really makes me wonder.
And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune Then the piper will lead us to reason. And a new day will dawn for those who stand long And the forests will echo with laughter.
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now, It's just a spring clean for the May queen. Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run There's still time to change the road you're on. And it makes me wonder.
Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know, The piper's calling you to join him, Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.
And as we wind on down the road Our shadows taller than our soul. There walks a lady we all know Who shines white light and wants to show How everything still turns to gold. And if you listen very hard The tune will come to you at last. When all are one and one is all To be a rock and not to roll.
