Classic Rock News

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By Gary Graff - The Classic Rock Insider

Updated Thursday, July 02, 2009

Rock Hall Opens Woodstock Exhibit The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum in Cleveland will celebrate the holiday weekend by opening a special Woodstock: The 40th Anniversary exhibit on Friday (July 3rd) that will run through November 29th. The display will include items that are already part of the Hall's collection, plus some new memorabilia donated by Woodstock executive producer Michael Lang. Among those are the leather vest Lang wore throughout the festival, the original press release and hand-written plan for Woodstock, the performance contract for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Woodstock was only their second gig ever) and a letter to Lang from the Beatles' Apple Corp discussing possible performances by some of the label's acts, including a then-new James Taylor. Lang also published a book this week, "The Road to Woodstock." More information on the exhibit is available at www.rockhall.com.

Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson Wrote Songs Together Queen guitarist Brian May has joined the legions of artists memorializing Michael Jackson -- and has dropped a bombshell. In posting on his blog, May reveals that after meeting in the early '80s, Jackson and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury became "close enough to record a couple of tracks together at Michael's house, tracks which have never seen the light of day." May does not say whether those songs were completed and/or might be released. The guitarist also credits Jackson for pushing the band to release its 1980 No. 1 hit "Another One Bites the Dust" as a single: "It was Michael who heard 'Another One Bites The Dust' when he came to see us on 'The Game' tour and told us we were mad if we didn't release it as a single." May concludes that I think the world is a more colorful place thanks to Michael's work...he was a truly wonderful performer at his peak. I think he qualifies as a great artist; he devoted his whole body and soul to his art. I only hope he passed away in happiness, in great hopes and anticipation of his glorious comeback tour. RIP Michael."

Bad Company's Future Is Undetermined With the surviving original members of Bad Company back on the road for the first time since 1999, we can only wonder what the future might hold for Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke. And there's no sure answer yet. Rodgers tells The Insider he's not sure about the prospects for Bad Company to become a going concern again. He's still tired from touring the world with Queen -- an association that ended amicably earlier this year -- and Ralphs, he notes, will be preparing for some Mott the Hoople reunion shows this fall. "When I get back from (the Bad Company) tour," Rodgers says, "I'm just gonna get behind the piano and behind my guitar and just chill for a year and play and write material. I'm sort of locked into that mode. I'm into that phase at the moment." Kirke, however, is hopeful this year's 10 shows will lead to more group work in the future. "There's still a lot of valid music and high-class music amongst the three of us," he notes. "Just because we're hurtling through middle age doesn't mean we can't play. So, yeah, I think there'll be more shows and maybe a studio album. That would be nice, 'cause we all have the songs and...the desire to play is still there." Bad Company and the Doobie Brothers perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday (July 1st) at the DTE Energy Music Theatre, Sashabaw Road east of I-75, Independence Township. Tickets are $49.50 and $35 pavilion, $25 lawn with a $75 lawn four-pack. Call (248) 377-0100 or visit www.palacenet.com.

Eddie Van Halen Married The ceremoney took place in the garden of his mansion in the hills above Studio City, California. Eddie’s son Wolfgang was the best man, while brother Alex, an ordained minister. Among the 100 guests was the 54 year old guitarist’s ex wife, Valerie Bertinelli. 39 year old Liszewski was given away by her mother. source: BuzzPatrol.com

Heart Plans New Album, Storybook HEART PLANS NEW ALBUM, STORYBOOK Heart plans to bring out new projects from both its past and its present this year. Guitarist Nancy Wilson tells The Insider that she and sister Ann Wilson are in the midst of making their first new album since "Jupiter's Darling" in 2004, with Detroit Born producer Ben Mink. "We've done a lot of writing and we've been in the studio a couple times so far between some of the touring stuff we're doing," says Wilson. "We've got about eight songs that we really like, and we've recorded three basic (tracks) that work so far. I know it will be out this coming year, but I can't give you any more specific time frame than that." The duo is also working a children's storybook based on Heart' 1978 album "Dog & Butterfly." Wilson expects it to be out before year's end, too, and she and her sister are recording new versions of the album's title track and their 1976 hit "Dreamboat Annie" for a CD that will be included in copies of the book. "We always wanted to do a children's book of some form or another," Wilson explains. "Ann pretty much did the writing, and I kind of was her editor. She made the initial drawings of the dog and I did the butterfly. She drew the characters, mostly, and I painted them. We did have an artist come in and kind of fill in some of the other designs 'cause we're kind of busy right now. It looks really good. It's really simple." Heart and Michael Grimm perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (June 30th) at the DTE Energy Music Theatre, Sashabaw Road east of I-75, Independence Township. Tickets are $42 and $25 pavilion, $10 lawn. Call (248) 377-0100 or visit www.palacenet.com.

McCartney Salutes Jackson, Denies Dylan Collaboration Paul McCartney had a busy weekend -- saluting the late Michael Jackson, denying a collaboration with Bob Dylan and joining Neil Young for a version of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" during the encore of the latter's set on Saturday (June 27th) at this year's Hard Rock Calling Festival in England. McCartney, who dueted with Jackson on the hits "The Girl is Mine" and "Say, Say, Say" in the early '80s, posted a statement on his web site calling Jackson's death as "so sad and shocking. I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. He was a massively talented boy man with a gentle soul. His music will be remembered forever and my memories of our time together will be happy ones. I send my deepest sympathy to his mother and the whole family and to his countless fans all around the world." McCartney's friendship with Jackson cooled in 1985, when Jackson -- who had been counseled by McCartney to start investing in song copyrights -- outbid his mentor to buy the ATV Music, which included the Beatles catalog, for $47 million. The two were photographed together at a McCartney concert in 1989 in Los Angeles, but their friendship never recovered. Meanwhile, in an interview with the British newspaper The Telegraph, McCartney said that rumors about he and Dylan collaborating in the near future are only "a newspaper thing. He (Dylan) just said some very complimentary things about me in some interviews, and I love him. He's a great poet and writer so I've always admired him. I don't rule it out. But we're not the kind of people who would ring each other up."

Paper Names Mick Jagger As Rock's Worst Actor Who's the worst rock 'n' roll actor of all time? That would be Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, according to the British newspaper The Independent, which apparently wasn't impressed with Jagger's performances in "Performance," "Ned Kelly," "Fitzcarraldo" and "FreeJack." The rest of the publication's Top 10 list includes: Sting ("Quadrophenia," "Brimstone And Treacle," "Dune"), Madonna ("Desperately Seeking Susan," "Dick Tracy," "Evita"), David Bowie ("The Man Who Fell To Earth," "Just A Gigolo," "Labyrinth"), Bob Dylan (Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid," "Renaldo & Clara," "Hearts Of Fire," "Masked And Anonymous"), the Who's Roger Daltrey ("Tommy," "Listomania," "McVicar"), Jon Bon Jovi ("Moonlight And Valentino," "The Leading Man," "U-571"), the Beatles' Ringo Starr ("The Magic Christian," "Son Of Dracula," "Caveman"), the Spice Girls ("Spiceworld: The Movie") and Ozzy Osbourne ("Trick Or Treat").

McCartney Fans Choose 'Hey Jude' As Their Favorite "Hey Jude" is Paul McCartney's favorite song among his fans. In a new poll conducted by Rolling Stone magazine to commemorate McCartney's 67th birthday (which was June 18), fans chose the 1968 Beatles hit above all others in McCartney's catalog, followed by "Penny Lane" (1967), his solo hit "Maybe I'm Amazed" (1970) and two more Beatles songs -- "Helter Skelter" (1968) and "Oh! Darling!" (1969) in the Top 5. None of the songs in the Top 15 dated past 1973's "Band on the Run" album. The rest of the Top 15 includes: "Live And Let Die" (1973), "Eleanor Rigby" (1966), "I Will" (1968), "Jet" (1973), "Yesterday" (1965), "Let It Be" (1970), "Let Me Roll It" (1973), "Band On The Run" (1973), "Too Many People" (1971) and "For No One" (1966).

Former Chicago Bandmates Talk About Working Together Again Does former Chicago singer-bassist Peter Cetera have a future with the band he left 14 years ago? Maybe. Singer-keyboardist Robert Lamm tells The Insider that he and Cetera have been in touch recently and made tentative plans to collaborate. "I've actually been corresponding with Peter," Lamm reports. "After my last solo album...he sent me an e.mail and said, 'Hey, man, I've always loved your chord structures,' and he's always been publicly very complimentary about my writing during his tenure in Chicago. And he said...'Do you got anything laying around?' and said he'd send a couple of things, so we're kind of MP3ing things back and forth." Cetera was one of Chicago's founding members, singing lead on the hit "25 or 6 to 4" and writing songs such as "Wishing You Were Here," "If You Leave Me Now," "Baby, What a Big Surprise," "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" and "Love Me Tomorrow" before leaving the band in July of 1985 to pursue a solo career. Chicago does have some new music out now; as part of its summer tour with Earth, Wind & Fire, it cut a version of EWF's "I Can't Let You Go" and collaborated with the R&B group on a track called "You." Both are part of the two groups' work for World Hunger Year; they're asking fans coming to shows to bring three cans of non-perishable food or $3 -- which will go to local food banks -- in exchange for a download card. The songs can also be accessed by making a donation at www.EWFandChicago.com. Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday (June 24th) at the DTE Energy Music Theatre, Sashabaw Road east of I-75, Independence Township. Tickets are $79.50 and $59.50 pavilion, $24.50 lawn. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Woodward Dream Cruise. Call (248) 377-0100 or visit www.palacenet.com.

Paul Stanley Says New Kiss Album Is 'A Classic' Kiss' Paul Stanley has deemed the group's new album "a classic." The singer and guitarist posted a note at the group's official web site, www.kissonline.com, saying that Kiss is "about four days from finishing the album," the band's first of all-new material since "Psycho Circus" in 1999. Stanley, who's producing the album, writes that its 11 tracks are "everything I've told you. It is classic. It is all written within the band. And it rocks big time! Tommy (Thayer, guitarist) and Eric (Singer, drums) both handle lead vocals. The songs, sound and playing will knock your socks off. You will all be as proud and excited as we all are. Oh -- and WAIT till you see the cover! We ARE just getting started!" Earlier this month, bassist Gene Simmons dubbed the album "the best new record we've done since (1976's) 'Destroyer.' In fact, it has a similar sound -- (a) 'Rock and Roll Over'-meets-'Love Gun' kind of a record." The album is expected to be released in the fall. Kiss is currently touring Canada, with a July 11th show at Caesars Windsor. The group is expected to tour the U.S. in the fall to promote the album.

New Music On Tap From George Harrison And Paul McCartney Is more George Harrison music headed our way. Online scuttlebutt has Jeff Lynne, the late Beatle's Traveling Wilburys mate who worked on his "Cloud Nine" album as well as "The Beatles Anthology" and the posthumous 2002 Harrison album "Brainwashed," is diving into some of the other music Harrison was working on at the time of his death in 2001. There's reportedly an album's worth of material, and Harrison's widow Olivia has given her blessing to the project, saying that, "There are lots of tracks. Some are closer to completion than others, and with those I'd ask for help." Meanwhile, there's definitely some new Paul McCartney music coming -- the score for "High in the Clouds," the animated film adaptation of his children's book collaboration with illustrator Geoff Dunbar, which was published in 2005. McCartney and Dunbar also worked together on the short film "The Frog Chorus," and Rob Minkoff, who directed "The Lion King" for Disney, is reportedly working on "High in the Clouds."

Billy Joel Matital Split Confirmed The Piano Man apparently won't be a married man much longer. Billy Joel and his third wife, original Bravo "Top Chef" host Katie Lee Joel, are planning to split up after five years of marriage. A spokeswoman for Joel confirmed that the couple are separating, saying that "The decision is the result of much thought and consideration. Billy and Katie remain caring friends, with admiration and respect for each other." One source close to the couple cited age -- he's 60, she's 27 -- as the main reason for the split. Joel's rep did add that the break-up has "nothing to do" with Katie Lee's apparent affair with Israeli fashion designer Yigal Azrouel, who she's been spotted with in New York and Miami and who has referred to her as his girlfriend. "Their decision to separate was absolutely unrelated to Yigal," the rep said. Joel, who's currently touring with Elton John, is receiving words of support from his daughter and one of his ex-wives. Alexa Ray Joel and Christie Brinkley, Billy's second wife, spoke out while attending the 6th Annual Wayuu Taya Foundation Gala this week. Alexa Ray said that her father is "a classy man. He'll handle this beautifully as he's handled everything. I am behind him one hundred percent and supportive of him, me and my dad are very close. I'll do whatever I can to support him in this time." Brinkley added that, "I'm really sorry to hear this news, and I wish him the very best. And I wish them both, y'know, happiness in their future. Y'know, Billy's a great father and he's been a great friend to me over the years, and 'y'know, I feel for him."

Sidelined Aerosmith Guitarist To Return In July Aerosmith's Brad Whitford, sidelined from the group's current tour, is planning an early July return to the road. Whitford's fellow guitarist Joe Perry has revealed that the axeman had to have surgery to relieve internal bleeding he suffered after hitting his head while getting out of his Ferrari a week before the tour started. Perry told Reuters that Whitford is "getting better" and plans to return on July 7th in Raleigh, N.C. The Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Presents tour, which also features Z.Z. Top, finishes on September 16th at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Cheap Trick Schedule More 'Sgt. Pepper's' Shows Cheap Trick are returning to Pepperland. The group -- along with a symphony orchestra -- will perform the Beatles' landmark "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album during nine shows in September at the Las Vegas Hilton Theater. Cheap Trick has been performing "Sgt. Pepper's" since 2007, and these shows are slated to be filmed and recorded for subsequent release, with longtime Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick handling the audio production. The shows take place September 13th-15th, 17th-19th and 21st-23rd. Cheap Trick is currently on the road with Def Leppard and Poison (the tour plays July 24th at the DTE Energy Music Theatre) and is selling its new album, "The Latest," at its official web site, www.cheaptrick.com.

McCartney Moving His Catalog To Smaller Company Paul McCartney is making some major changes in his record company affiliations. He's booting both his most recent label, Hear Music -- which released 2007's "Memory Almost Full" -- as well as Capitol/EMI, which has handled his post-Beatles catalog. Reports say McCartney will sign on with the small independent label One Little Indian, which released his 2008 Fireman album "Electric Arguments." A source close to McCartney told The Sun in Britain that "Paul has been unimpressed with EMI for quite some time now. He's really enjoyed working with One Little Indian on his Fireman project, so didn't think twice about giving them the responsibility of handling his solo catalog too." There's no word on when the revamped McCartney catalog will roll out, but Capitol/EMI will still handle the Beatles reissues slated for September.

Creedence Vets Happy To Be In New Woodstock Products Creedence Clearwater Revival is getting back to the garden -- which is music to the ears of group members Stu Cook and Doug "Cosmo" Clifford, who now lead the spin-off band Creedence Clearwater Revisited. Cook says that after performing at the legendary rock festival in 1969, CCR frontman John Fogerty voted against using letting any of its songs appear in the resulting film or soundtrack album. "He told us that we didn't play well enough," Cook, 64, recalls. "We've never gotten a satisfactory answer for (why). My recollection is we did OK." Now, however, CCR appears on a just-released new edition of the "Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music -- The Director's Cut" DVD, and it will have songs on "Woodstock -- 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur's Farm," a box set coming out Aug. 18, which Cook feels is "righting a wrong, and we're happy about that. "I've seen a few minutes of our performance on the new DVD, and it looks like fairly journeyman Creedence to me. It looks good. I was quite moved, actually, to look back that far into my past and see something that, frankly, I thought I'd never see. It was kind of overwhelming." Creedence Clearwater Revisited and Slight Return perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday (June 12th) at the DTE Energy Music Theatre, Sashabaw Road east of I-75, Independence Township. Tickets are $34.50 pavilion, $10 lawn. Call (248) 377-0100 or visit www.palacenet.com.

Hagar, Anthony, Cherone Bumped From Guitar Hero The upcoming Van Halen edition of the Guitar Hero video game will represent only one incarnation of the band -- its latest. A spokesperson for Guitar Hero maker Activision has confirmed that neither original bassist Michael Anthony, second frontman Sammy Hagar or his replacement, Gary Cherone, will be included in the game, which will instead included the animated images of David Lee Roth, brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen and Eddie's son Wolfgang, who is the group's current bass player. The spokesperson would not say whether the game would include any songs from Hagar or Cherone's tenures with the group, but it seems unlikely; a trailer for the game shown at the recent E3 Expo in Los Angeles featured songs from only Roth's era with the group, including "Jump," "Panama," "Hot For Teacher" and "Little Guitars." Eddie Van Halen recently said he and Roth are writing songs for a new Van Halen album with hopes to have it out -- and the band back on the road -- in 2010.

Aerosmith Guitarist To Sit Out Part Of Tour Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford is the latest -- and final -- member of the band to be laid low by health concerns. The group has announced that Whitford will sit out part of its upcoming tour, which begins Friday (June 10th) in St. Louis and concludes September 16th at the Palace of Auburn Hills, due to an unspecified surgical procedure. In a press release, Aerosmith expressed "regret" for "any inconvenience to their fans and thank everyone for their support." Taking Whitford's place will be Bobby Schneck, whose resume includes work with Slash, Weezer and Green Day. The past four years have been hard on Aerosmith: drummer Joey Kramer suffered a shoulder injury in 2005; bassist Tom Hamilton successfully battled throat cancer; guitarist Joe Perry had knee replacement surgery, with complications; and singer Steven Tyler dealt with foot surgery and pneumonia.

Fogerty Unveils New Blue Ridge Rangers Details Former Creedence Clearwater Revival leader John Fogerty, who rocked the Meadow Brook Music Festival 10 days ago, has announced details for his highly anticipated new album "The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again." (That's right, "Rides." He's a rocker, not a grammarian.) The album is a sequel of sorts to Fogerty's 1973 "Blue Ridge Rangers solo project, except this time he uses a band that includes ace players such as Buddy Miller, Greg Leisz and Kenny Aronoff. Guests include Bruce Springsteen on a rendition of the Everly Brothers' "When Will I Be Loved" and the Eagles' Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmit, who were part of Rick Nelson's "Garden Party." Fogerty produced the album, which was recorded at studios in Santa Monica, Calif. Springsteen's contribution, however, was recorded during January in New Jersey. Fogerty also recorded a new gospel-influenced version of his own "Change in the Weather." No release date or label have yet been announced. The album's full track list includes: "Paradise" (written by John Prine), "Never Ending Song of Love" (Delaney Bramlett), "Garden Party" (Rick Nelson), "I Don't Care (Just As Long As You Love Me)" (Buck Owens), "Back Home Again" (John Denver), "I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)" (Ray Price, Rusty Gabbard), "Change in the Weather" (John Fogerty), "Moody River" (Gary Bruce), "Heaven's Just a Sin Away" (J. Gillespie), "Fallin', Fallin', Fallin' " (D. Deckleman, J. Guillot, J.D. Miller), "Haunted House" (Robert Geddins) and "When Will I Be Loved" (Phil Everly)

Woodstock Box Set To Feature Many Rarities A treasure trove of unreleased material will be featured on "Woodstock -- 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur's Farm" box set, a six-CD, 77-track anniversary collection which will be released on Aug. 18. Among the highlights on the package are a 19-minute rendition of the Dead's "Dark Star," "Amazing Journey" and "Pinball Wizard" by the Who, "Feelin' Alright" by Joe Cocker, CCR's "Bad Moon Rising," Blood Sweat and Tears' "You've Made Me So Very Happy" and tracks from Sweetwater, Bert Sommer, Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Joan Baez, Melanie, Country Joe & the Fish, Sha Na Na, the Butterfield Blues Band, Johnny Winter and others. The set, which lists for $79.98, will also restores full-length performances of Canned Heat's "Woodstock Boogie" (to a whopping 30 minutes) and the Who's "We're Not Gonna Take It," and it includes the never-released Woodstock performances of Arlo Guthrie's "Coming Into Los Angeles" and Mountain's "Theme For an Imaginary Western," which were replaced by better-sounding recordings from other concerts for the original "Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music" soundtrack. The track lineup is accurate to the actual running order of the legendary 1969 festival, and it also includes stage announcements (the brown acid is still alright, apparently), Wavy Gravy's announcement of "breakfast in bed" for the crowd estimated at 500,000, Max Yasgur's famous speech to the crowd and audio of Abbie Hoffman's encounter with Who guitarist Pete Townshend. The accompanying booklet, meanwhile, will include the accurate sequence complete with full set lists. Ten Years After, however, refused to clear the use of its performance for the box set, which means the group's epic version of "Goin' Home" will not be included. The Band and Keef Hartley also chose not to be part of the set. Rhino has already re-released remastered editions of "Music From the Original Soundtrack and More: Woodstock" and "Woodstock 2." A new Woodstock.com web site also launched this week, and a new DVD edition of "Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music -- The Director's Cut" comes out Tuesday (June 9th). On June 30, meanwhile, "Woodstock Experience" editions of seminal albums by five of the festival's acts -- the Jefferson Airplane's "Volunteers," Janis Joplin's "I Got Dem 'Ol Kozmic Blues Again Mama!," Santana's debut album, Sly & the Family Stone's "Stand!" and Johnny Winter's self-titled effort -- will be released, each with a second CD featuring the acts' complete Woodstock performances for the first time ever.

Guitar Hero: Van Halen Previewed At Convention The Van Halen edition of the Guitar Hero video game was rolled out at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles this week, and a trailer for the game is now available on YouTube. The game features more than two dozen classic Van Halen songs -- most likely only from the David Lee Roth era of the band -- as well as what are described as "three signature Eddie Van Halen guitar solos." Neither the group nor the manufacturer has revealed whether songs sung by Sammy Hagar and/or Gary Cherone will also be part of the set, and the game features Wolfgang Van Halen playing bass rather than Michael Anthony. Songs by Weezer, Queen, Blink-182, the Offspring and Queens Of The Stone Age are also included in the game, which is expected to be released this fall.

Van Halen Moving Forward On New Album Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth have started writing songs for their first Van Halen album together since "1984," the guitarist tells Rolling Stone magazine. Van Halen noted that "we're a true band now. It wasn't just a reunion one-off thing. I've already gone to Dave's house four or five times over the last month. I've got so much music. It's just trying to figure out what Dave's into because we haven't written together in a long time. But it's great. It feels like we've always felt in the beginning. But I'm sober, so it's different. He's sober, so it's different. It's a wonderful feeling." Van Halen -- who's preparing for his June 27th wedding to publicist Janie Liszewski -- predicted that he, Roth, drummer Alex Van Halen and bassist Wolfgang Van Halen will be "going into the studio and record some new music and go on tour about a year from now." As for former Van Halen members Michael Anthony and Sammy Hager, whose first album with their new group Chickenfoot comes out June 9th, Van Halen said "I wish them well. The funny thing is that everyone who quits the band always claims they got fired by me. Hey, I'm not the bad guy here. When Hagar left the band, Mike went with him. Then when we get back together with Dave, and all of a sudden, he wants back in. It's like, 'No, dude, you quit the band.' So my son became the bass player. But we didn't give Mike the boot to have my son play. He was around. We didn't have a bass player. 'Hey Wolfie, you want to play?' "

The Big Man Pens A Book Clarence Clemons, the longtime saxophonist in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, will publish a memoir, "Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales" in October, accompanying it with appearances in book stores while Springsteen and company are on tour in North America. Co-written with Clemons' friend, TV writer and producer Don Reo, the book will include stories from throughout the history of the E Street Band, Clemons' remembrance of Springsteen's decision to put the group on ice in 1989 -- getting a call while sitting in a hotel room with Ringo Starr -- and the revealing of a secret that actor Robert De Niro told Springsteen and Clemons they had to keep for 25 years. The "Big Man" book is 384 pages and will retail for $26.99.

Ozzy Osbourne Sues For Share of Black Sabbath Name The battle over the Black Sabbath name is now in court. Frontman Ozzy Osbourne is suing guitarist Tony Iommi to share ownership of the band name. Iommi considers himself the sole owner as the only member who's been in the band for its entire 41-year history, while Osbourne, who left the group in 1979 and rejoined it in 1997 -- though the group has been inactive since 2004 -- claims Iommi illegally assumed that claim in a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and is demanding a 50 percent share of the name for himself as well as a split of monies earned while he was not in the band. Osbourne's suit contends that his "signature vocals" were responsible for the band's "extraordinary success," noting its decline in popularity after he left the first time, although Osbourne in the past has been complimentary about his first replacement, Ronnie James Dio. Osbourne has issued a statement that reads: "Since 1997 when Geezer (Butler, bass), Bill (Ward, drums) and myself rejoined the band, Black Sabbath has returned to its former glory as we headlined sold-out arenas and amphitheatres playing to upwards of 50,000 people at each show around the world. We worked collectively to restore credibility and bring dignity back to the name 'Black Sabbath,' which lead to the band being inducted into the UK and US Rock & Roll Hall of Fames in 2005 and 2006, respectively...Tony, I am so sorry it's had to get to this point by me having to take this action against you. I don't have the right to speak for Geezer and Bill, but I feel that morally and ethically the trademark should be owned by the four of us equally. I hope that by me taking this first step that it will ultimately end up that way. We've all worked too hard and long in our careers to allow you to sell merchandise that features all our faces, old Black Sabbath album covers and band logos, and then you tell us that you own the copyright. We're all in our 60s now. The Black Sabbath legacy should live on long after we have all gone. Please do the right thing." Iommi has not yet responded to the suit or to Osbourne's statement. Iommi, Butler, Dio and drummer Vinnie Appice -- the third incarnation of Black Sabbath, currently tour and record under the name Heaven and Hell in order to avoid confusion (and likely litigation) over the Sabbath name. The group performs August 21st at the Meadow Brook Music Festival.

Steven Tyler Stymied In Blogger Lawsuit Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler won't be able to go after anonymous bloggers who are impersonating him online. A California Superior Court judge in Los Angeles dismissed Tyler's suit without prejudice because he could not identify the bloggers by name but did say Tyler could file the suit again if he is able to name names. Tyler decided to go after the bloggers after some, under his name, began to make hurtful comments about his mother. Tyler and Aerosmith hit the road with ZZ Top on June 10th for a summer tour that wraps September 16th at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Tyler and Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer are both publishing memoirs this year.

Fogerty Let's CCR Woodstock Footage Out John Fogerty has made peace with his Creedence Clearwater Revival past over the years. Now he's making peace with a part of the band's past. Fogerty -- who during the '80s refused to perform CCR songs live owing to bad feelings towards his bandmate and the band's record company -- has granted permission for CCR's Woodstock performances to be included a new 40th anniversary director's cut of the "Woodstock" documentary, due out June 9th, as well as on a six-CD Woodstock box set coming August 18th. "I gave my blessings after all this time," Fogerty tells the Insider. "We weren't in the movie on purpose. Nobody really understood what the movie would be; the track they wanted to use was 'Bad Moon Rising,' and I just didn't feel like it was our best work. "But now it's OK. Historically it is what it is. It doesn't matter if it's well done or not well done. It's just history." Due to a film stock shortage at the site, CCR's entire performance was not filmed. Fogerty performs at 8 p.m. Friday (May 29th) at the Meadow Brook Music Festival on the campus of Oakland University, Rochester Hills. Tickets are $65 and $45 pavilion, $15 lawn with a $44 lawn four-pack. Call (248) 377-0100 or visit www.palacenet.com.

Steely Dan To Close Tour In Detroit Steely Dan has added a Detroit stop to its Rent Party '09 tour this summer. The group will close the tour with a Labor Day weekend performance on Saturday, September 5th at Sound Board in the Motor City Casino downtown. The local stop caps a 28-date run that includes multi-night stands in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago where Steely Dan will play its "Aja," "Gaucho" and "The Royal Scam" albums in their entirety. The Sound Board stop, however, will be a standard Steely Dan concert. Ticket details will be announced in the near future.

Bill Joel Sued By Ex-Drummer BILLY JOEL SUED BY EX-DRUMMER For 30 years drummer Liberty DeVitto was to Billy Joel what saxophonist Clarence Clemons is to Bruce Springsteen. But the onetime foil has turned litigant, suing Joel for allegedly failing to pay him royalties during the past 10 years. DeVitto, who was kicked out of Joel's band in 2005 -- he believes because he took part in an intervention that helped send the Piano Man into rehab -- told the New York Post that "everybody always assumes that you make a lot of money because you worked with Billy Joel. It didn't happen that way. People get fired, they get severance or insurance for a certain period of time. I didn't even get a phone call. It was cold." Other rumors about DeVitto's firing speculate that DeVitto and his wife sided with Joel's second ex-wife, Christie Brinkley, during the couple's divorce, and that DeVitto asked Joel for a major loan at one point. DeVitto has not commented on those reports. The drummer's attorney says he's requesting an audit of Joel's album and concert ticket sales to determine how much DeVitto is owed. Joel has not commented on the suit.

James Taylor To Usher Leno Off 'The Tonight Show' James Taylor has signed on to be the music guest for Jay Leno's final broadcast Friday (May 29th) as the host of NBC's "The Tonight Show" (Leno will be moving to a 10 p.m. nightly slot in the fall). Taylor will also perform on NBC's "The Today Show" morning program on Thursday (May 28th) as part of the new Tickets-For-Charity campaign that sells premium-priced music and sports tickets to raise money for various non-profit organizations. The two appearances will also promote Taylor's June 8th performance at another benefit -- for Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall camps at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Iggy Says 'Raw Power' Stooges May Reunite The Stooges may ride again, even without founding guitarist Ron Asheton, who passed away earlier this year. Iggy Pop told The Australian that he's considering hitting the road with the incarnation of the band that recorded the 1973 "Raw Power" album and has even met with James Williamson, who played guitar in that lineup (Asheton switched to bass). "We talked about doing something together. 'Raw Power' would be the repertoire," Pop said, adding that, "There is always Iggy and the Stooges, the second growth of the band." Mike Watt, who's been playing bass in the Stooges for the past few years, would likely continue in that role. Pop is releasing his next solo album, the jazzy "Preliminaries," on June 2.

Mellencamp Prepping Live Album, Box Set MELLENCAMP PREPPING LIVE ALBUM, BOX SET John Mellencamp will release a new live collection on June 23rd featuring eight songs recorded last year while on tour behind his Life, Death, Love & Freedom album. Mellencamp announced the release of Life, Death, LIVE Freedom on his official website (johnmellencamp.com), saying that the project was, "completely live, by the way, with no studio enhancements." The songs were taped at stops in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Toronto The tracklisting for Life, Death, LIVE Freedom is: "If I Die Sudden," "Troubled Land," "Don't Need This Body," "Longest Days," "Young Without Lovers," "A Ride Back Home," "Jena," and "My Sweet Love." A limited edition pack featuring the live set and Life, Death, Love & Freedom will also be available. Mellencamp is also prepping a 4-CD, 72-track box set called On The Rural Route 7609 -- spanning the years 1976 to 2009. The set, which has no firm release date, will feature alternate versions of Mellencamp's biggest hits.

Joel and John On Different Creative Paths As their latest Face To Face Tour rolls into town, Billy Joel and Elton John are at different ends of the creative spectrum. John recently closed a five-year, 242-show run of his "The Red Piano" show at the Caesars Palace Coliseum in Las Vegas, and he's currently working on an album with Leon Russell that will be produced by T-Bone Burnett. Joel, meanwhile, hasn't released an album of new pop songs since 1993's "River of Dreams," preferring instead to focus on classical music. He did write a new song, "All My Life," to commemorate his first wedding anniversary with his third wife, Katie Lee, in 2007, but tells The Insider that "I don't feel compelled to write in song form anymore. These days I just think of myself as a composer...I still love rock 'n' roll. I still love pop music. I haven't divorced myself from the material I wrote before. That's why I'm out here on the road playing this stuff. I still believe in it." John, however, is confident we haven't heard the last of his friend as a songwriter. "He just seems to have a mental block about writing songs," he says, "but he'll get that back. He seems to think, 'I can't do this anymore,' but, you know, he's not a rock 'n' roll artist. He's a great songwriter, and great songwriters always write songs. There'll be songs coming from Billy Joel's piano again." The duo performs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday (May 21st) at the Palace, Lapeer Road at I-75, Auburn Hills. Tickets are $180, $100 and $54.40. Call (248) 377-0100 or visit www.palacenet.com.

Nugent Releasing 6000th Show On DVD Ted Nugent fans will be able to have his 6,000th performance -- played last July 4th at the DTE Energy Music Theatre -- for posterity."Motor City Mayhem" will be released June 30th, featuring the entire show including guest appearances by Mitch Ryder, original Nugent band singer Derek St. Holmes, drummer Johnny "Bee" Badanjek and Nugent's guitar teacher Joe Podorsek, who brought Nugent on stage for his first public performance in 1958 joined his former pupil at DTE for a rendition of Bill Doggett's "Honky Tonk." The DVD also includes Nugent's rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" flanked by troops from the Selfridge Air National Guard as well as staples such as "Motor City Madhouse," "Free For All," "Dog Eat Dog," "Weekend Warrior," "Cat Scratch Fever" and "Stranglehold." Nugent, who reunited with the Amboy Dukes for this year's Detroit Music Awards in April, is working on new material in Texas and, while still playing some select shows, is mostly spending time with family during his 60th birthday year. He does have a new reality/survival show, "Runnin' Wild From Ted Nugent," slated to premiere during August on CMT.

Don Henley Plans New Best-Of Set The Eagles' Don Henley is updating his solo career with a new greatest hits set, "The Very Best of Don Henley," that's due out this summer. The package includes a 14-track CD featuring selections from all four of Henley's solo album along with a DVD that includes six videos as well as audio-only tracks of songs he contributed to film soundtracks such as "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and The Color of Money." Henley's previous retrospective, "Actual Miles: Don Henley's Greatest Hits," was released in 2005. The full track list for "The Very Best of Don Henley includes: CD -- "Dirty Laundry," "The Boys of Summer," "All She Wants to Do is Dance," "Not Enough Love in the World," "Sunset Grill," "The End of the Innocence," "The Last Worthless Evening," "New York Minute," "I Will Not Go Quietly," "The Heart of the Matter," "Everybody Knows," "For My Wedding," "Everything is Different Now," "Taking You Home;" DVD -- "The Boys of Summer" (video), "All She Wants to Do is Dance" (video), "The Last Worthless Evening" (video), "The Heart of the Matter" (video), "Everything is Different Now" (video), "For My Wedding" (video), "Love Rules" (from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"), "Who Owns This Place?" (from "The Color of Money"), "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" ("Leap of Faith"), "Through Your Hands" (from "Michael")

McCartney Voices Support For Middle East Peace Organization Paul McCartney is continuing to take an active role in promoting piece in the Middle East. Reports indicate that McCartney has written a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama supporting One Voice Movement, a grass roots peace organization that's promoting a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. One Voice has reportedly collected more than 650,000 signatures on a petition supporting its position, and in a statement McCartney said that, "This seems to me like a great idea, the symbolism of two people from both sides coming together to spread their message of peace via music is exciting and inspiring for me. I hope President Obama looks into this organization and feels that One Voice could be part of a peaceful solution." McCartney joined the One Voice board of directors after his 2008 performance in Tel Aviv, joining boxing champ Muhammad Ali and actor Danny DeVito. The organization's web site is www.OneVoiceMovement.org.

Hand Injury Sidelines Keith Emerson What's Keith Emerson up to these days? Not as much as he planned. The Emerson, Lake and Palmer keyboardist has been forced to cancel an upcoming solo tour and a proposed ELP reunion due to a hand injury. In a note posted on his official web site, Emerson writes that: "It is with much regret that I have to announce that due to past right hand injuries the resulting nerve damage and dystonic factor has made it unable for me to play the keyboards to the high standard I have always set myself and have to cancel my forthcoming Keith Emerson Band (tour)...I am also going to have to cancel the proposed Emerson, Lake and Palmer tour which we were going to do at the end of this year...I will of course continue with my physical/chiropractic/acupuncture therapy etc. in the hope that this will eventually get me back on form. This is absolutely devastating to me as music will always be my main key to communicating with a world-wide audience. I know how much my fans and fellow band members were looking forward to these shows and it saddens me greatly to have to come to this decision and make this announcement." Emerson also posted a letter from his doctor confirming and explaining the injury in-depth.

New Black Sabbath Hits Set Coming In June While Black Sabbath's Mk. 3 lineup prepares for its summer tour as Heaven & Hell, the original quartet -- featuring frontman Ozzy Osbourne -- will release a new "The Best of Black Sabbath" set on June 16th. The 14-track set is culled from the band's first eight albums and contains no new material. The tune tally includes: "Paranoid," "Iron Man," "Changes," "Fairies Wear Boots," "War Pigs," "Never Say Die," "Children Of The Grave," "The Wizard," "Snowblind," "Sweet Leaf," "Evil Woman (Don't Play Your Games)," "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," "Black Sabbath" and "N.I.B." The Ronnie James Dio-fronted Heaven & Hell, meanwhile, performs on August 21st at the Meadow Brook Music Festival in support of its new album, "The Devil You Know."

Paul Rodgers Declares Queen Collaboration Over Paul Rodgers has declared the Paul Rodgers + Queen project over -- for the most part. With a Bad Company reunion looming this summer (including a July 1st stop at the DTE Energy Music Theatre), the singer tells The Insider that his teaming with Queen, which began in 2004, was "never meant to be a permanent arrangement" and, he feels, has run its course. "We did two world tours and...made a studio album...and it was awesome and magical. I think we made a huge success of it. But I think at this point we're going to sit back from this." Rodgers did, however, leave things as "kind of an open book" and said that if Brian May and Roger Taylor "approach me to do something for charity...I'd be very much into doing that, for sure. I like to keep myself open to people who share a passion for music." Queen + Paul Rodgers released its studio album, "The Cosmos Rocks," last fall, but it was a sales disappointment. The group also released a pair of live albums and three DVDs.

Aerosmith Invites Lottery Players To 'Dream On' Fans have a new chance to play with Aerosmith -- but not music. The group and its publisher, New York-based Primary Wave Music, is launching a series of branded lottery games that will use Aerosmith's hit "Dream On" as it theme and incorporate the band's logo and image into the design of the cards. The games will roll out first in New Hampshire and Rhode Island during the summer, then spread to other states and private gaming concerns. Aerosmith begins a summer tour with ZZ Top on June 10th, finishing September 16th at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Alice Cooper To Tell Grads That 'Schools Out' It'll be Alice Cooper -- and President Barack Obama -- headlining at graduation ceremonies for Arizona State University on Wednesday (May 13th). Cooper will perform his rock anthem "School's Out" backed by Runaway Phoenix, a group that features his son, Dash Cooper, who's an ASU student. In a statement, Cooper said that, "Of all the people I've ever shared a stage with Obama is the biggest rock star. And I'd like to thank him, in advance, for changing the national anthem to 'Schools Out.' " There's no comment from the White House on that, by the way. Cooper starts his Theater of Death Tour later this month in Russia. After swinging through Europe he returns to North America for a two-week run in August and then heads to Australia for the rest of the month. A Detroit area appearance has yet to be announced, though his reps have confirmed he will NOT be making his annual performance at the Michigan State Fair.

Van Halen Coming To Guitar Hero Guitar Hero: Van Halen is a go. Activision Blizzard, which makes the popular video game, has confirmed that the latest installment of its series -- following games dedicated to Aerosmith and Metallica -- will come out this fall. An official release date will be announced soon. The track lineup will feature songs from David Lee Roth's era of the band and will also include tracks from Queen and a variety of younger bands, such as blink-182, Weezer and The Offspring. Van Halen is reportedly working on its first new album with Roth since 1984.

Skynyrd Bassist Succumbs To Cancer Lynyrd Skynyrd has lost another member. Wayne "Ean" Evans, who replaced the late Leon Wilkeson in 2001, died this week from cancer at the age of 48. Skynyrd has been touring with other bass players since Evans was diagnosed, and frontman Johnny Van Zant has been asking audiences to pray for him. A statement on Skynyrd's web site reads: "It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of longtime Lynyrd Skynyrd bassist Ean Evans. Ean put up a valiant battle with an aggressive form of cancer and he will be sorely missed by family, friends and fans." Evans is survived by his wife, Eva, and daughters Sydney and Andrea. It's the second death Skynyrd has suffered this year; in January, keyboardist Billy Powell died after suffering a heart attack, leaving guitarist Gary Rossington as the group's only surviving founding member. Skynyrd performs with Kid Rock on July 17th at Comerica Park.

Springsteen Expanding 'Greatest Hits' Album For Wide Release Bruce Springsteen plans to release his second greatest hits album this year on June 2nd. The new set is actually an expanded version of the controversial "Greatest Hits" package Springsteen released exclusively via Wal-Mart in January, shortly before he put out his new studio album, "Magic." The set will feature a different cover photo -- a shot of the E Street Band that also appears in the "Magic" booklet -- as well as some additional songs. The track list for the new "Greatest Hits" set includes: "Blinded By The Light," "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)," "Born To Run," "Thunder Road," "Badlands," "Darkness On The Edge Of Town," "Hungry Heart," "The River," "Born In The U.S.A.," "I'm On Fire," "Glory Days," "Dancing In The Dark," "The Rising," "Lonesome Day," "Radio Nowhere," "Long Walk Home," "Because The Night" and "Fire." Springsteen is also planning a seven-disc box set of his live albums with the E Street Band for May 25th, compiling features 1986's "Live/1975-85," 2001's "Live In New York City" and 2006's "Hammersmith Odeon London '75."

Yoko Ono Planning A New Plastic Ono Band Yoko Ono is putting together the band again -- the Plastic Ono Band. The late John Lennon first formed the ad hoc supergroup -- which featured Beatles mate Ringo Star, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, future Yes drummer Alan White and producer Phil Spector -- for the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival in 1969, and, with a changing membership, it recorded a pair of albums with Lennon and Ono that were released in 1970. Now comes word that Ono will perform with a new version of the Plastic Ono Band on June 14 at the Meltdown Festival in London at the request of jazz legend Ornette Coleman, who's curating the festival and played on those 1970 albums. Ono is not yet saying who will be in the lineup for Meltdown, although Sean Lennon, her son with John is expected to be part of it.

Dylan Becomes Senior Citizen Of U.K. Charts Bob Dylan has become the oldest person -- at 67 -- to have a No. 1 album debut on the top of the U.K. charts. Dylan's new release, "Together Through Life," has topped the British survey, giving Dylan new seniority over Neil Diamond, who was 67, but seven months younger, when his "Home After Dark" debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. in 2008. Billboard's chart figures for "Together Through Life's" U.S. sales will be announced late Tuesday (May 5th).

Tyler's Memoir Coming In October Aerosmith's next album may be on hold, but frontman Steven Tyler is moving forward with plans to release his autobiography, "Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?," on October 27th. The singer promises "the unbridled truth, the in-your-face, up-close and prodigious tale of Steven Tyler straight from the horse's lips" -- and given the size of those lips, there will be a lot to tell. But the tome will reportedly reveal in-depth details about his upbringing in the Bronx, where his father was a classically trained musician, as well as his sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll escapades in and outside of Aerosmith -- whose band autobiography, "Walk This Way," was a best-seller. The book will be published by Harper Collins' Ecco division, which reportedly paid Tyler more than $2 million, and it will be launched on May 28th at BookExpo America in Norwalk, Conn. Tyler and Aerosmith hit the road on June 10th for its summer tour with ZZ Top, which wraps up September 16th at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Tickets go on sale Saturday (May 2nd) at the box office and Ticketmaster outlets.

Two-Day Ticket Opens Rothbury For Dead, Dylan Fans The Rothbury Festival is making it easier for those who just want to see classic rock headliners The Dead and Bob Dylan at this year's event. Organizers are selling a two-day Saturday and Sunday ticket which includes The Dead's only summer performance on July 4th and Dylan's date on July 5th. The two-day pass runs $167 (compared to $272.50 for all four days) and includes on-site camping and parking. Tickets are on sale at www.rothburyfestival.com and by calling (888) 512-7469.

Solo Project, Joe Walsh Album On Tap For Jeff Lynne SOLO PROJECT, JOE WALSH ALBUM ON TAP FOR JEFF LYNNE After laying low for a bit, Jeff Lynne has become a hard workin' man again. The former Electric Light Orchestra leader and Traveling Wilburys member is starting to work on a new solo album, his first recording since ELO's "Zoom" in 2001, and he's also producing Joe Walsh's first solo album in seven years. Of the latter -- the Eagles guitarist's first solo outing since 1992's "Songs For a Dying Planet," Lynne said, "I love Joe. He's a terrific guy, and we'll probably mess around and come up with some ideas together." Lynne's own album, meanwhile, is "coming, gradually, I can do 'em quick, but it depends whether you want 'em good or quick!" Lynne revealed the projects while receiving the ASCAP Golden Note Award late last week in Los Angeles.

Henley Sues To Stop 'Boys Of Summer' Parody The Eagles' Don Henley and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers have filed suit in a California federal court to prevent state senatorial candidate Chuck DeVore from using a song that parodies their hit "The Boys of Summer" in his campaign against incumbent Sen. Barbar Boxer. Devore and campaign staffer Justin Hart perform the parody, re-titled "Hope of November," in a YouTube video, using a recorded version of "The Boys of Summer" as the background for their lyrics. Though YouTube briefly took the clip down after Henley invoked the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, DeVore was successful in getting it reinstated and YouTube told Henley he'd have to take legal action in order to get it off the site, leading to the federal lawsuit. A Henley/Campbell spokesperson said the two "brought this action to protect their song...which was taken and used without their permission. Because the infringers have vowed to continue exploiting this and other copyrighted works, as it suits them, to further their own ambitions and agenda, it was necessary to file a lawsuit to stop them." On his blog, DeVore blasts Henley for his contributions "to Democrats and liberal causes over the years" and claims that the lawsuit "shows he's good at dishing it out, but not so good at taking it." DeVore said that "we are responding to the Henley/Campbell lawsuit and expect to prevail. If an elected official running for the U.S. Senate is not allowed to fearlessly engage in parody, then the First Amendment means little."

Elton To Work With Leon Russell and T-Bone Burnett On Next Album Elton John is reaching out for his next album to the producer who's worked recently with Robert Plant and John Mellencamp. John told the Canadian Press that he's meeting with T-Bone Burnett this week to discuss plans for the album -- a collaboration with Leon Russell -- that he hopes to start recording in early 2010. Burnett produced Plant's Grammy Award-willing collaboration with Alison Krauss, "Raising Sand," as well as Mellencamp's 2008 release "Life Death Love and Freedom;" he's also working on John Fogerty's new Blue Ridge Rangers project and Elvis Costello's next album. John said that teaming with Russell was inspired by his appearance on Costello's Sundance Channel talk show "Spectacle:" "That was a complete result of...'Spectacle' -- by me talking about Leon, playing Leon, seeing him (on video) and then phoning him up, saying, 'Listen, I haven't seen you for so long, I just want to tell you how much I loved you.' And he loved the show, and then I said 'Let's do something together.'...I'm so excited about that." John performs with Billy Joel on May 21st at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Pink Floyd Suing For Back Royalties Pink Floyd is taking its record company to court. The surviving members of the group -- David Gilmour, Roger Waters and Nick Mason -- and the estate of keyboardist Rick Wright are suing EMI Records over what they claim are miscalculated royalty payments (in the label's favor, of course) for the back catalogue. The amount the band is seeking has not been made public, but it's said to be substantial as Pink Floyd is EMI's second top-seller behind the Beatles. Stay tuned...

Van Halen Sneakers Made Public We may be waiting for the next Van Halen album, but tennis shoes are coming sooner. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen is rolling out a new EVH Brand Signature Striped Sneakers, sporting a red, white and black "Frankenstein" design similar to the Kramer guitar he played in the early '80s. In a statement, Van Halen said that, "So many people would ask me, where can I get a pair of those? After hearing that for about 15 years, I figured they were something that people obviously wanted, so making them available and official seemed like a natural progression." The sneakers are available in high-top and low-top versions, each with "5150" printed on the spine of the shoes. They're available at www.evhgear.com. Van Halen the band, meanwhile, is reportedly planning to star work soon on a new album with original frontman David Lee Roth.

New George Harrison Best-Of Will Span Solo Career A new George Harrison best-of collection will span his entire solo career and even include a few of the songs he wrote for the Beatles. "Let it Roll: Songs By George Harrison," coming June 16, will feature hits from Harrison's days as a solo artist with Apple -- including "My Sweet Lord," "Isn't It A Pity," and "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" -- as well as his later Warner Bros. material, such as the chart-topping "Got My Mind Set On You." The set will also include three Beatles tracks from The Concert For Bangladesh in 1971 -- Something," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," and "Here Comes The Sun." All of the songs have been digitally remastered, and the package will come with extensive liner notes as well as rare and never-seen-before photographs. Harrison received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday (April 14th) at a ceremony attended by his widow, Olivia, his son Dhani, Paul McCartney, Traveling Wilburys bandmates Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, Monty Python's Eric Idle, Joe Walsh, T-Bone Burnett, drummer Jim Keltner and actor Tom Hanks.

Woman Denies Affair With Springsteen Bruce Springsteen isn't the only one denying an extra-marital affair with a woman in New Jersey. The woman in question, Ann Kelly, has through her attorney refuted her husband's claim in a divorce suit that she's had an affair with the singer. "My client absolutely denies having an affair with Bruce Springsteen," Kelly's lawyer, Noel Tonneman, told People magazine. "These are baseless allegations of a jealous man. And that's all there is to it." In the divorce proceedings, Arthur Kelly accused his wife and Springsteen of an affair "at various times and places too numerous to mention." Springsteen's only response was to reiterate a statement he made in August of 2006, amidst rumors of infidelity, denying the reports and saying that his marriage to fellow singer Patti Scialfa "remains as strong as the day we were married." Springsteen is currently on tour with the E Street Band and next performs Wednesday and Thursday (April 15th and 16th) at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.

McCartney, Starr Working On Each Other's Music? Some new surviving Beatles reunion rumors have started in the wake of Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr's appearance together at last weekend's benefit for the David Lynch Foundation. Nashville songwriter Gary Nicholson, who's been writing with Starr for the drummer's next album, hs said that Starr told him McCartney will be playing bass on the track. Britain's Daily Express, meanwhile, quotes an "inside source" saying that Starr will also be playing on some of McCartney's new tracks later this year. "They had a fantastic time in New York and realize they still work well together," the source said. "As well as having this remarkable shared history, they still connect so well together musically." McCartney and Starr have worked together several times since the Beatles' broke up in 1970. McCartney has appeared on Starr's albums "Ringo," "Ringo's Rotogravure," "Stop and Smell the Roses" and "Vertical Man," and McCartney produced Starr's 1981 short film "The Cooler." Starr has played on the McCartney albums "Tug of War," "Pipes of Peace," Give My Regards to Broad Street" and "Flaming Pie" and also appeared in the "...Broadstreet" film.

Springsteen Refutes Adultury Allegations Bruce Springsteen is refuting the latest reports of an extra-marital affair. Springsteen has been named the "other man" in divorce papers filed in New Jersey by the husband of Ann Kelly, a friend who reportedly met Springsteen at a local gym. On Thursday (April 9th), Springsteen's reps issued a statement saying that he "stands by the statement he posted on his website in August 2006," when he was accused of having an affair with a 911 widow. That statement read: "Due to the unfounded and ugly rumors that have appeared in the papers over the last few days, I felt they shouldn't pass without comment. Patti and I have been together for 18 years - the best 18 years of my life. We have built a beautiful family we love and want to protect and our commitment to one another remains as strong as the day we were married." Springsteen and Scialfa became a couple in 1988, while Springsteen was still married to actress/model Julianne Phillips. They married in 1991 and have three children.

Kiss Letting Fans Choose Tour Stops Want Kiss to come to town? Let 'em know. The group is letting fans dictate the itinerary for its upcoming North American tour and is taking fan votes at www.eventful.com/Kiss. The group will tally the votes and choose which cities it's going to play and will also weigh population size against total votes in order to give smaller locales a fair shake. Kiss is planning to record a new album, it's first since 1999's "Psycho Circus," this year with frontman Paul Stanley producing. Kiss has a show on Wednesday (April 8th) in Brazil and plans to start the North American tour on July 10th in Sarnia, Ontario.

Beatles Catalog To Be Remastered, Re-Released In September We'll be meeting the Beatles again this fall -- on CD. The group's entire catalog will be digitally remastered and re-released on September 9th (9-9-09 -- number nine, get it?), the same day as the Beatles' Rock Band game is released. The program includes 14 albums individually and in mono and stereo mix box sets. The two "Past Masters" rarities collections that came out in 1987 will be repackaged as a two-CD set. For the first time, stereo versions of the Beatles' first four albums -- "Please Please Me," "With the Beatles," "A Hard Day's Night" and "Beatles For Sale" -- will be available, as well as mono versions of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "The Beatles" (aka "The White Album"). Each CD will replicate the original art from the British versions of the album and will include expanded booklets containing original and newly written liner notes and rare photos. For a limited time each disc will also be embedded with a QuickTime documentary film about the album, which will feature archival footage, rare photographs and never-before-heard studio talk from the group. There's still no word, however, on when the Beatles' music will be available via digital retailers.

Aerosmith Delays Album, Plans Summer Tour With ZZ Top AEROSMITH DELAYS ALBUM, PLANS SUMMER TOUR WITH ZZ TOP There's good and bad news for Aerosmith fans. The bad news is that the has decided to delay its next album after guitarist Joe Perry had to have corrective surgery on his 2008 knee replacement and singer Steven Tyler subsequently came down with pneumonia. The silver lining, however, is that Aerosmith will hit the road in June for the first time in nearly two years, touring with longtime friends ZZ Top. Perry told The Insider that the group recently "realized there wasn't any chance of getting it finished before we hit the road for the summer. So basically we had to push (the album) back, and when the band gets off the road, that's when we'll pick up the Aerosmith record." Perry said Aerosmith has "probably two or three (songs) that could be mixed right now" with producer Brendan O'Brien but adds that "there's a long way between two or three and doing the 12 or 14 that you have to have to do a whole project." The tour, meanwhile, will encompass 40 North American dates and may also go to South America and Japan. And while he's waiting for that to start, Perry is working on a new solo album, his follow-up to 2005's Grammy-nominated Joe Perry.

All-Stars Help Ex Beach Boy On Solo Album Neil Young, Steve Miller, Stephen Stills and Brian Wilson are among the guests on "Post Card From California," a new solo album coming this summer from former Beach Boy Al Jardine. Jardine told The Insider that the album is "a travelogue for California. It actually takes you through the experience of being there in that environment and driving up Coast Route 1. It's kinda cool." The set mixes originals with "a Beach Boys standard or two," including a version of "Help Me, Rhonda" that features Miller. Former Beach Boys touring guitarist Glen Campbell and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea also appear on the album.

Neil Young Album Comes To The Web Neil Young fans can get an early listen to his new album, "Fork in the Road." Young is streaming the album, which comes out Tuesday (April 7th), at www.myspace.com/neilyoung until its official release. He's also uploaded a pair of videos from the album, for the songs "Johnny Magic" and "Cough Up the Bucks." "Fork in the Road" was inspired by Young's work on the Linc Volt project, an environmental initiative in which a retooled 1959 Lincoln Continental runs on alternative energy. Young begins a North American tour on Monday (April 6th) in St. John's Newfoundland.

Rolling Stones Announce Catalog Reissue Campaign The Rolling Stones won't have a new album out in 2009, but they will be releasing remastered versions of 14 of their post-1970 albums on CD and in digital downloads. The campaign starts May 4th with "Sticky Fingers" (1971), "Goat's Head Soup" (1973), "It's Only Rock 'N' Roll" (1974) and "Black And Blue" (1976). On June 8th the Stones will release "Some Girls" (1978), "Emotional Rescue" (1980), "Tattoo You" (1981) and "Undercover" (1983), and July 13 will unleash "Dirty Work" (1986), "Steel Wheels" (1989), "Voodoo Lounge" (1994), "Bridges To Babylon" (1997) and "A Bigger Bang" (2005). A "special version" of 1972's "Exile on Main Street" will be coming this year, but no release date has been set yet. And there's no word on whether live and compilation albums such as "Love You Live," "Still Life," "Flashpoint," "Stripped," "No Security," "Live Licks," "Shine A Light," "Made In The Shade," "Sucking in the '70s," "Jump Back" and "Forty Licks" will be issued. Stones guitarist Ron Wood, meanwhile, is in Cleveland this weekend to induct Bobby Womack into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday (April 4th). The ceremony will be broadcast at 8 p.m. on FUSE TV.

Beatles Version Of Trivial Pursuit Coming First Rock Band, now Trivial Pursuit -- the Beatles will be among the games people play this year. A Fab Four edition of Trivial Pursuit is due out in August, featuring 2,592 questions written by Beatles biography Bruce Spizer. Among the categories are: History; The Beatles In America; Movies; Albums and Singles; Songs; and On Their Own. Spizer has written eight books about the Beatles, including in-depth analyses of the group's work on the Capitol, Vee-Jay, Swan and Apple labels. The Beatles edition of the Rock Band video game, featuring unreleased material and specialty playing instruments, comes out September 9th (Number 9 -- get it?). Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, meanwhile, are slated on Saturday (April 4th) at a benefit concert for the David Lynch Foundation.

Bad Company Including Detroit On Short Reunion Tour The Detroit area will be getting one of 10 Bad Company reunion shows this summer. The group -- featuring original members Paul Rodgers, guitarist Mick Ralphs and drummer Simon Kirke -- will perform July 1st at the DTE Energy Music Theatre as part of a limited run to promote its forthcoming "Hard Rock Live" DVD, which was filmed at a one-off gig last August in Hollywood, Fla. Rodgers, who took time off from rehearsals for the Queen + Paul Rodgers tour to do the 2008 Bad Company gig, told The Insider that the group is "very proud of (the DVD). The idea of releasing the DVD was a reality and supporting it is also a reality, and I think we really need to go out and do some dates in support of it. But I wanted to keep it to a minimum and keep it somewhat exclusive, too." Lynn Sorenson, the bassist from Rodgers' solo band, will step in for the late Boz Burrell, who passed away in 2006, while Howard Leese, the former Heart principal who also works with Rodgers, will play second guitar. The Doobie Brothers will be opening all but the final show of the tour. Rodgers says he hopes to dig even deeper into the Bad Company catalog than the group did in 2008, mentioning "Silver, Blue and Gold" from 1976's "Run With the Pack" as one he'd particularly like the bring into the set. Additional Bad Company shows are unlikely, however, as Rodgers plans to take the rest of the year off to focus on writing new material. Ticket sale details for the DTE show should be announced soon.

Wings Bond Theme Tops Fan Poll Paul McCartney & Wings' 1973 theme song for the "Live and Let Die" has been named the top James Bond movie theme in a new poll. Some 23 percent of the respondents in a survey conducted by Britain's HMV music stores and the social networking site www.getcloser.com chose "Live and Let Die" over a pair of Bond themes by Shirley Bassey, "Goldfinger" (1964) and "Diamonds Are Forever" (1973). The top 10 was rounded out by: "Nobody Does It Better" (from "The Spy Who Loved Me," 1977), Carly Simon; "James Bond Theme (Dr. No version)" (from "Dr. No," 1962), John Barry Seven and Orchestra; "We Have All The Time In The World" (from "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," 1969), Louis Armstrong; "GoldenEye" (from "GoldenEye," 1995), Tina Turner; "A View to a Kill" (from "A View to a Kill," 1985), Duran Duran; "The Living Daylights (from "The Living Daylights," 1997), A-Ha; and the "James Bond Theme" from all opening credits by composer John Arnold.

Dylan Streaming Song From New Album Bob Dylan is giving fans a free listen Monday (March 30th) to "Beyond Here Lies Nothing," a track from his forthcoming album "Together Through Life." The song will stream for 24 hours at Dylan's official www.bobdylan.com web site. The site also features a three-part interview with Dylan talking about the new album; the first two parts are available now. "Together Through Life," Dylan's 46th release -- and first studio album since 2006's "Modern Times" -- will be released on April 28th. He'll perform as part of this year's Rothbury Festival during July 4th weekend at the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Mich.

Iggy Pop Goes Jazz On New Album Iggy Pop is stepping away from rock on his next album. The Ypsilanti-born icon's "Preliminaires," due out June 2nd in the U.S., will be a jazz project inspired by French novelist Michel Hollebecq's "The Possibility of An Island;" in fact, the songs began as part of a documentary about Hollebecq rather than as an actual album. "I recognized a lot of myself in the book," Pop said at a press conference Thursday (March 26th) in Paris. "(The book) is about death, sex, the end of the human race, and some other pretty funny stuff. I read the book with intense pleasure when it came out, and in my mind, I created music that would have been the music that I would hear in my soul when I read this book." Among the tracks on the album are a French version of the popular 1940s song "Les Feuilles Mortes" ("Autumn Leaves"), a cover of Antonio Carlos Jobim's bossa nova standard "How Insensitive" and "King of the Dogs," a sequel of sorts to the Stooges' classic "I Wanna Be Your Dog" that's about "how cool it is to be a dog, and how much it beats human life," according to Pop. "Preliminaires" will be released in the rest of the world on May 18. There's no word yet on whether Pop will tour to support the album.

CSN Demos Collection Coming In June Crosby, Stills & Nash are planning to release a new "Demos" collection on June 2nd to accompany their U.S. tour dates that month. The single-disc set features working versions of songs that appeared on the trio's 1969 debut album as well as Graham Nash's "Songs For Beginners," including "Marrakesh Express," "My Love Is A Gentle Thing," "Almost Cut My Hair," "Chicago," "Long Time Gone," "Guinevere" and "Wooden Ships." It's the latest in a vault-clearing campaign that has already seen box sets from Nash and David Crosby, with Stills currently working on one of his own. The group performs June 6th at the Meadow Brook Music Festival.

McCartney Joins Middle East Peace Group It was John Lennon who sang "Give Peace a Chance," but Paul McCartney is thumping that drum these days. The former Beatle has joined the International Board of Advisors for the One Voice movement, an organization that "seeks to empower the moderate majorities of Israel, Palestine and citizens internationally to work toward a two-state solution to the conflict." In a statement announcing the affiliation, McCartney said: "Having met representatives of the association One Voice, I was impressed, first of all, by the fact that half of the organization is Palestinian and half is Israeli. Almost 650,000 people have signed on to their manifesto, supporting their steadfast work to bring about a negotiated solution, and peace in the region...(One Voice) told me that the vast majority of people in both societies are moderates and simply want a better life for their families and themselves. This gave me great hope that, one day, people like them will help to bring about a peaceful resolution to the troubles in the area. I am, therefore, happy to lend my support in this way to the cause of peace." McCartney met with both One Voice's Israel chairwoman, Irit Admoni Perlman, and the Palestinian executive director Nisreen Shahin. It's unknown what particular role he'll play in the organization.

Neil Young Sets New Release Date Neil Young has announced yet another new release date for his long-awaited "Archives" collection -- June 2. The date was announced by Young's manager Elliot Roberts during a panel discussion about the anthology at last week's South By Southwest Music & Media conference in Austin, Texas. "Archives" will be sold as a 10-disc Blu-Ray edition for $299, a 10-DVD box set costing $100 and a CD version for $100. Some of the "Archives" material was debuted during the panel; this first of several planned compilations, the set spans Young's career from 1963-72, including music from his early band the Squires and a wealth of unreleased material. Also on Saturday in Austin, director Jonathan Demme premiered a working version of his second Young feature, called "Neil Young's Trunk Show." The film features onstage and backstage footage, including performances of "Harvest," "Cinnamon Girl," "Southern Man" and "Like A Hurricane," among others." No release date for the new film, which Demme is still editing, has been announced. It's the director's second concert film with Young, following 2006's "Heart of Gold."

Springsteen Confirms Weinberg Will Miss Some Show Son Tour Bruce Springsteen has confirmed on his web site that E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg's son Jay will fill-in for his father on a "small number of shows" during the group's upcoming world tour. The elder Weinberg does double duty as the musical director with Conan O'Brien, and his responsibilities with the late show's move to Los Angeles to fill Jay Leno's former "Tonight Show' spot means he'll be unable to play some shows on the tour. In the web site posting, Springsteen refers to Jay Weinberg as "a brilliant young drummer from New Jersey" and also expressed his "appreciation to Conan O'Brien, and everyone on his team, for making it possible for Max to continue to do double duty for both us and for him. We promise to return him in one piece.' " O'Brien's stand on "The Tonight Show" begins June 1st, so it's expected Weinberg will miss some early dates on the European leg of Springsteen's tour, which begins May 30th in the Netherlands. The tour begins April 1st in San Jose, Calif., and Springsteen and company play a pair of rehearsal concerts Monday and Tuesday (March 23rd and 24th) at the Asbury Park Convention Hall in New Jersey.

Frey Wrote Eagles Instrumental To Let Fans The Eagles have won two Grammy Awards since “Long Road Out of Eden,” the group’s first album since 1979, came out in the fall of 2007. One of those came last month for "I Dreamed There Was No War," an instrumental that Detroit native Glenn Frey wrote to provide some relief after "...Eden's" title track, a 10-minute "magnum opus" of political thought composed by Henley. "I thought, 'Maybe we need to just take a couple of deep breaths and relax and just let that sink in and not try to start somebody on another trip right away,' " Frey told the Insider. "So I came up with this instrumental; it gives everyone a bit of time to kind of collect themselves and think about what they just listened to." The Grammy was just the laste triumph for an album that went No. 1 in 13 countries and has gone seven-times platinum in the U.S. The Eagles perform at 8 p.m. Saturday (March 20th) at the Palace, Lapeer Road at I-75, Auburn Hills. Some tickets remain priced $60-$195. Call (248) 377-0100 or visit www.palacenet.com.

Dylan Announces Details For New Album DYLAN ANNOUNCES DETAILS FOR NEW ALBUM Bob Dylan has confirmed a title and release date for his next album. "Together Through Life" will be released on April 28th, marking Dylan's first set of new material since ?? Dylan produced the album himself under the alias Jack Frost and wrote many of the new songs after composing "Life is Hard" for a forthcoming film by French director Oliver Dahan. Dylan has posted an interview about the album at www.bobdylan.com. He starts a seven-date U.K. tour on April 24th in Sheffield, England, and will be one of the headliners at this year's Rothbury Festival, July 2nd-5th in Rothbury, Mich.

Dylan, The Dead To Headline Rothbury Festival Bob Dylan and The Dead will be among the headliners at this year's Rothbury Festival, which takes place July 2nd-5th at the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Mich. The Dead, comprised of surviving members of the Grateful Dead, will close the July 4th portion of the festival's second year, while dates for other acts will be announced in the near future. Also on this year's Rothbury bill are the Black Crowes, Gov't Mule and Dweezil Zappa's Zappa Plays Zappa. Zappa, the Dead's Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart, and Gov't Mule performed at the inaugural Rothbury Festival in 2008, which netted a reported $7.4 million and drew more than 30,000 fans to the event. The festival will also continue to focus on clean and "green" environmental initiatives. A foreclosure on the Double JJ Ranch will not affect this year's festival, organizers say. Tickets will go on sale Friday (March 20th) at www.rothburyfestival.com.

Kiss Planning New Album, Tour, M & Ms KISS is back in the studio, making its first album since "Psycho Circus" a decade ago. Bassist Gene Simmons confirmed the project during a press conference in Toronto following his keynote address as part of Canadian Music Week. Guitarist Paul Stanley is producing the album, but Simmons had no release date or other details about it. He did say that KISS plans to start a world tour on April 5th in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with Canadian dates in July and presumably U.S. shows about the same time. As for the music on the album, Simmons said that "we're not interested in musical trends; we're too long in the tooth for that. So it's going to be a classic '70s rock 'n' roll vibe, meat-and-potatoes kind of thing...Titles like 'Rock to the Core,' the obvious things. No secret to life. No political messaging, nothing like that." KISS will also be working with "Survivor" and "Rock Star" TV reality show creator Mark Burnett on a show about the band, and the group has inked a deal for a special series of M&M candies that will feature the group members' faces. Simmons, meanwhile, has filmed a Dr. Pepper commercial with his son and "Gene Simmons' Family Jewels" co-star Nick, and he's considering another reality show focusing on the bands he's signing to his reactivated Simmons Records label.

Led Zep Bassist Lines Up New Project John Paul Jones hasn't wasted time finding something to do now that this year's Led Zeppelin -- or whatever they were going to call it -- tour has been scuttled. Jones is teaming on a project with the modern rock group Sonic Youth and composer Takehisa Kosugi to celebrate the 90th anniversary of New York's Merce Cunningham Dance Company. The musical piece and accompanying dances are slated to debut April 16th in New York as part of a four-day festival celebrating Cunningham's lauded history in dance choreography. It's not the first time Jones has hooked up with the Cunningham company; he performed as a guest musician with the troupe during a 2005 show in London.

Van Halen To Hit The Road Again This Summer? Van Halen may be planning to return to the road this summer -- for a stadium tour with Guns N' Roses. The report comes from the music industry trade publication Hits, though no other details have been revealed. Other sources have reported that GNR is planning to hit stadiums this summer, while Eddie Van Halen has said in recent interviews that he was waiting for son and current VH bassist Wolfgang Van Halen's high school graduation and his wedding, both taking place this spring, then plans to "give Dave (Lee Roth) a call to see if he feels like whooping and hollering a little bit." As far as a new VH album, Van Halen said "I've got tons of music written" but has not committed to actual recording plans. VH staged a successful reunion tour with original singer Roth in 2007-08.

Faces Reunion Still Possible, Keyboardist Says Ian McLagan is on tour behind a well-received new solo album, "Never Say Never," but the specter of his old band, the Faces looms large. The group members, who split up in 1975, got together during November in London to play, and McLagan says the sessions went "really, really great." But since then frontman Rod Stewart has refuted reports about a tour and a new album, and now, McLagan tells The Insider, guitarist Ron Wood (currently a member of the Rolling Stones) is proferring a plan to "do a couple shows and film it." "It's what (we) would like Rod to agree to," McLagan says. "I'm hoping he'll be into that, 'cause it'll be such a lot of fun. I don't want to do anything next year. I'm not gonna wait again. It's either gonna be this year...It's now or never! "So I've got my fingers crossed, but I'm not going to waste energy trying to make it happen. I've worked for 30 years trying to make it happen. It's now in the lap of the gods -- or the hands of Rod, maybe." Ian McLagan & the Bump Band and the Muggs perform Sunday (March 8th) at the Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15. Call (248) 544-3030 or visit www.themagicbag.com.

Fleetwood Mac Hopes Tour Will Inspire New Album Mick Fleetwood says this is the first time ever that Fleetwood Mac has toured without a new album, but Lindsey Buckingham says that's not such a bad thing. "It takes a little pressure off," the guitarist, who's released three solo albums since Fleetwood Mac last toured in 2003-04, tells The Insider. "It kind of frees you up to enjoy each other a little bit more as people. We can relax into just hanging (out) a little bit more. The mantra is really, 'Let's just have a good time' and value the friendships and the history that really underpins this whole experience that we've had over these years." A new album, Fleetwood Mac's first since "Say You Will" in 2003, may be looming, however. Though singer Stevie Nicks tells The Insider that "there isn't any plan at this point," Buckingham says he's hopeful that the group's current Unleashed tour will "sow some seeds musically that would get us more prepared to go in the studio rather than just going in cold." Fleetwood, meanwhile, confirms that "there have been discussions, for sure, that we would love to make some more music...We hope it happens, and certainly it's been somewhat loosely touched on. Certainly I know that all of the songwriting department, both Stevie and Lindsey are continually writing. The whole creative bowl is very much intact, so I would love to see what happens. My heart says I believe that will happen." Fleetwood Mac performs at 8 p.m. Sunday (March 8th) at the Palace, Lapeer Road at I-75, Auburn Hills. Tickets are $149.50, $79.50 and $49.50. CAll (248) 377-0100 or visit www.palacenet.com.

The Beatles: Rock Band On Sale Date Released It was announced nearly five months ago, but The Beatles: Rock Band -- the first time the Fab Four's music will be available in the digital realm -- now has an on-sale date. The game will roll out Sept. 9 for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii platforms. A song list has not yet been released, but manufacturers announced Thursday (March 5) that The Beatles: Rock Band will let users "experience The Beatles extraordinary catalogue of music through gameplay that takes players on a journey through the legacy and evolution of the band's legendary career. In a recent Entertainment Weekly interview Paul McCartney said that "it will feature different periods of the band -- you get early days, Liverpool, then psychedelic, and on from there." Giles Martin, son of longtime Beatles producer George Martin and co-producer of the Grammy Award-winning "LOVE" project with Cirque du Soleil, is serving as music producer for the Rock Band game. The manufacturers are promising "exclusive content" for fans who pre-order The Beatles: Rock Band. The pre-order date will be announced "in the coming months." They've also created instruments for the game modeled after those played by McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, although the game will be compatible with existing Rock Band instruments and peripherals. The game along will carry a $59.99 list price. A version with standalone guitars will run $99.99, while the Limited Edition Premium Bundle will cost $249.99.A web site devoted to the game has been set up at www.thebeatlesrockband.com.

Neil Young To Release New Album April Neil Young has confirmed an April 7th release date for his next album, "Fork in the Road," which features 10 songs inspired by Lincvolt, the fuel-efficient car project in which he and a team of engineers and designers retooled a 1959 Lincoln Continental to run on alternative energy. Song titles include "Fuel Line," "Get Behind the Wheel," "Hit the Road" and the first single, "Johnny Magic," a tribute to his Lincvolt partner and biodiesel pioneer Johnathan Goodwin. A special edition of "Fork In The Road" will come with a DVD featuring three music videos and a live concert video of Young performing the Beatles' "A Day In The Life." Lincvolt is reportedly finished and a documentary is being made about its cross-country trip to Washington, D.C. "Fork in the Road" was recorded by Young and his live band during breaks in their extensive 2008 touring schedule, previewing several of them later in the year, and the group is expected to be on the road to promote it this year. "Fork in the Road's" release, however, does push back Young's long-awaited (and long-delayed) "Archives, Vol. 1" live set, which is now expected out this fall. In other Young news, the singer-songwriter recently posted a letter on his web site to YouTube, addressing a financial conflict between his record company, Warner Reprise, and the online video site. Young reminds the company that Warners was an early supporter of the site and urges YouTube to standardize its licensing practices to compensate all artists equally: "YouTube has a responsibility to respect the artist it facilitates and resist punishing them to make a business point...Reprise and Warner Bros. artists deserve what artists from other labels are getting."

Liverpool College Establishes Beatles Master Program LIVERPOOL COLLEGE ESTABLISHES BEATLES MASTER PROGRAM You can now get a Masters of Arts degree in the Beatles -- in England, at least. Liverpool Hope University has created a 12-week graduate program in "The Beatles, Popular Music and Society," which includes class work, research and a dissertation. Mike Brocken, the program's director and senior lecturer, said in a statement that, "There have been over 8,000 books about the Beatles but there has never been serious academic study and that is what we are going to address. Forty years on from their break-up, now is the right time and Liverpool is the right place to study the Beatles." More information if available at www.hope.ac.uk.