Blood On The Dance Floor

Michael Jackson: Blood On The Dance Floor

Written by Joe Viglione

Friday, 26 June 2009 13:13

An essay on the importance of Michael Jackson No disrespect to Michael that his music was not on my radar screen until his passing; immersed in the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock my attention was - and still mostly is - "Scream Louder" (Flyte Tyme Remix), track six, utilizes the "Thank You Fa Lettinme Be Mice Elf Agin" Sly & The Family Stone riff, Jackson Collectibles Jackson Five Soulsation CD http://www1.gemm.com/item/JACKSON--FIVE/SOULSATION/GML1418484807/ Captain Eo memoribilia APTAIN EO OFFICAL JAPANESE-ONLY T-SHIRT,UNWORN VERY RARE BLACK MICHAEL,JACKSON http://www1.gemm.com/item/MICHAEL-c-JACKSON/CAPTAIN--EO--OFFICAL--JAPANESE-d-ONLY--T-d-SHIRT-c-UNWORN----VERY--RARE----BLACK--WITH--COLOURED/GML1428111201/ Jackson 5 Picture Disc http://www1.gemm.com/item/JACKSON--FIVE/14--GREATEST--HITS--COLLECTORS--EDITION/GML700271439/ First Ever Recordings http://www1.gemm.com/ddc/search.pl?&disp_ad_format_mode=0&artist=JACKSON+FIVE&price_above=.001&&title=FIRST+EVER+RECORDING+OF+JACKSON+5&price_above=.001&

Last Updated on Friday, 26 June 2009 18:56

---

Sly Woodstock Experience

Sly and the Family Stone Woodstock Experience

Written by Joe Viglione

Saturday, 27 June 2009 17:16

Sly and the Family Stone's "Woodstock Experience" takes the classic "Stand" album and a/b's it with the complete August 17, 1969 Woodstock performance by this innovative, eclectic, maddening artist. That Michael Jackson would administer his publishing and utilize his riff on one of his own songs, along with Janet Jackson using another riff for "Rhythm Nation" speaks volumes. Good thing he bought those rights! You can read about Sly & The Family Stone at Woodstock by clicking this link FULL REVIEW AND PREVIEW OF IAN HUNTER'S MAN OVERBOARD http://www.gemmzine.com/j/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=172:man-overboard-and-the-ian-hunter-collection&catid=31:artist-reviews&Itemid=28 Happy Fourth of July from GEMMZINE. We're working on a stack of new articles all 4th of July, like an interesting "Louie Louie" vs. "Layla", the Garage Band vs. technicians like Eric Clapton. Also a staggering overview of current and great past renditions of "Sunny" by Bobby Hebb found here: http://tinyurl.com/sunnycovers OK, OK, I'm going to take a little time to get to a barbecue on Saturday, the 4th of July, and go catch the Red Sox game at a restaurant around the corner right now, but I will be posting stories all Holiday weekend, so keep checking back on Gemmzine for full-length reviews of Ian Hunter, Half Pint Live In Hollywood, a Sky Saxon Tribute, another Michael Jackson tribute (but of course) and much more, much much more! Joe Viglione 8:04 PM Friday night

Last Updated on Monday, 06 July 2009 04:22

Ian Hunter Man Overboard

Man Overboard and the Ian Hunter collection

Written by Joe Viglione

Saturday, 27 June 2009 18:44

Track listing 1. The Great Escape 2. Arms And Legs 3. Up And Running 4. Man Overboard 5. Babylon Blues 6. Girl From The Office 7. Flowers 8. These Feelings 9. Win It All 10. Way With Words 11. River Of Tears IAN HUNTER Ian Hunter's Man Overboard CD "flies through the air with the greatest of ease", and if you skip over the live music from Strings Attached and Just Another Night: Live at the Astoria in London (both fine DVDs in their own right), the current release on New West picks up where Yep Roc's Shrunken Heads (2007) and Fuel 2000's Rant (2000) left off. The fusion of Americana and Brit Rock in The Great Escape opens what is not a "rock opera" or a concept album per se, though after many spins it begins to sound like an epic journey through the eyes of a young guy just getting familiar with the world. The first tale begins "On the night of my 21st birthday..." with a threat of physical violence ...and someone "looking for my blood"...the music almost secondary to the story Hunter is weaving...and the admonition "you gotta get away...especially when the other guy's bigger than you" is sound advice...but to leave his guitar behind! For shame! The tune ends rather abruptly giving in to "Arms And Legs" - one of the album's highlights- a great melody that could be called a progressive love song. True craftsmanship at play, this should be played on the Top 40 alongside "Ripoff" from Rant. "Girl From The Office" again returns this rock vet to some kind of early Rod Stewart phase, perhaps Gasoline Alley, and while the neo-Celtic overtones are pleasant enough I find this excursion a bit out of place here. "Flowers" draws from The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes" for its set-up, and it would fit nicely on The Rolling Stones...Flowers album, heck I almost want to hear "Out Of Time" or "Sittin' On The Fence" follow "Flowers". "We've all got dreams, but no one's listening" is an interesting thought but the fans are listening and listening intently and like another Brit rocker known for long essays, Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, Hunter plays the role of minstrel and poet with acute dexterity. "These Feelings" is another strong cut with production that rises above the formula Andy York seems to have framed for most of the sound here. It's those sounds on this track that bring the disc to another plateau and it is the more experimental stuff that adds to the stream of consciousness. Though connected to previous exploits this is a new direction for the artist, and thankfully it's not as severe as Jonathan Richman leaving the "Astral Plane" to sing about the "Ice Cream Man". I mean just reading that fact makes one still shake their head that Jonathan could go so deep off into the Neverland Ranch when we were quite content with him exploring life through perpetually inquisitive eyes and brash declarations like "I'm Straight". No, Hunter hasn't given us an album of nursery rhymes a la Jonathan, this is good stuff, and I'm sure it will grow on me but after many repeated spins I still find the feel of Rant and Shrunken Heads to be more in line with what I like personally - and what this long-time fan expects from Ian Hunter. "Win It All" is the poet waxing philosophical, a paternal collection of advice and encouragement without the militant order of Sly & The Family Stone's epic "Stand", though the sentiment is the same. The cynical side of Hunter is in full bloom with no cure in sight confirming, perhaps, that 2000s Rant and the follow-up, Shrunken Heads, were the prelude to this sort of diary, a Jack Kerouac character with cinema verite' thoughts, words that stream on endlessly in a coherent fashion, perhaps what Hunter was trying to say in The Ballad Of Mott without fully getting his point across. Here he gets the point across, eleven essays that have a similar musical theme and sound that puts the emphasis on the lyrics, vis-a-vis the song "Way With Words". The riffs are understated and the glossy production by Andy is not overkill, country flavors mixed in with the rock, but not as obnoxious and in-your-face as The Eagles The problem with this trilogy of albums is that Hunter's not only man overboard, he's sort of like a man without a country. From Fuel 2000 to Yep Roc to New West with MVD, Sanctuary, Angel Air and Sony re-releases in between, one wonders if - perhaps - Angel Air should be the home base with these other entities handling distribution. It is a dilemma for those who appreciate Ian Hunter and Mott The Hoople as this important artist who has a large following is relegated to cult status. Look, I'm no fan of John Cougar Mellancamp and "River Of Tears", as good as it is (and it is a standout) has too much "Pink Houses" from Mellencamp's Uh-Huh 1983 album (or maybe it's "Small Town" from 1985's Scarecrow) before it veers off into Mott territory by way of Willie Nile. I'd rather Marianne Faithful sit down and pen some tunes with Ian Hunter, take the Rant attitude and the Shrunken Heads vision and play to that dark audience that found early Mott so irresistable. Jefferson Airplane author Craig Fenton asked me if Man Overboard was a new release from a new artist would I go out of my way to hear it. Probably. But it's not a new album from a new artist, it's a statement from someone who is indellibly imprinted on the soundtrack of our lives, those of us who grew up through the 70s, 80s and 90s rock universe. Like Procol Harum's Grand Hotel there is much on Man Overboard that works, and it is solid through and through, but the indulgences are subtle and we've been spoiled by past glories like "Honaloochie Boogie" and "Roll Away The Stone". A little "White Light/White Heat" is always a good place to find reinspiration, and "Babylon Blues" on this disc understands that. A little less Mellencamp is just as helpful and let's hope Andy York dips into more avant garde areas with Hunter in the future. Mick Ronson's guitar crackled and made David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust phase the zenith of the Thin White Duke's artistic adventure. Bowie's loss was Hunter's gain and the fans are still rabid for music that goes back to that eternal well of good fortune. It's why the Jimi Hendrix catalog keeps gaining momentum and why the Mott The Hoople reunion is so anticipated. Mick Ralphs has that edge, and Andy York certainly must - playing with Nils Lofgren will do that for you. Man Overboard is very polished and very precise and, though it would be a marvelous debut for any new act, if I'm in the mood for Hunter music I'm more apt to put on Rant than the new effort. Let's really cut to the chase, if I were A & M records with Joan Baez in my office I would say "Where's my Diamonds & Rust", kind of like Garland Jeffries having to come up with "Wild In The Streets" (covered by the British Lions, ex Hoople boys). Man Overboard has some great moments, it's a very good album, and Hunter is giving us a full album of his interesting words...perhaps I'm just looking for a life preserver on this outing, a solid hit single that can bring it all together. Joe Viglione 3:06 AM July 5, 2009 (spending the better part of the past few days on this review) Post Script at 3:21 AM on an early Sunday morning: The Moon Upstairs will always trump John Cougar Mellencamp. Read Joe Viglione's reviews of STRINGS ATTACHED http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jbfqxqlaldte Ian Hunter and the Rant Band: Just Another Night, Live at the Astoria in London http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hjfpxq9sldte Rant http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jpftxqu0ldse #1 Ian Hunter MAN OVERBOARD My opinion on Man Overboard is not yet complete as I've only heard the 30 second soundbites on the web and the review copy is "in the mail", but soundbites indicate if we are going to look forward to a new project or if the review is going to be "work". Ian Hunter's new millennium recordings, "Rant", "Strings Attached", "Shrunken Heads", are all parts of a fabric, a tapestry as Carole King would say, and the path Hunter is on is one that I appreciate and enjoy. So Man Overboard is one of the key albums I'm actually excited about, looking forward to this month, and the soundbites reveal more episodes that will, no doubt, expand the Hunter catalog and satisfy his fan base. Some artists mature like fine wine, "Sunny" author Bobby Hebb, former (latter-day) Velvet Underground keyboard player Willie "Loco" Alexander, Jackie DeShannon (check out her 2000 CD "You Know Me"), Gavin Sutherland (of Sutherland Brothers & Quiver) - find his "Diamonds And Gold" cd - all artists who avoid the pedestrian and mundane to deliver highly effective and creative works. What these performers have in common with Ian Hunter is a desire to generate their art without the thought of selling 3 million copies. Now with Mott The Hoople's Brain Capers as one of my all-time favorite manic rock & roll discs there's no doubt I have a bias towards Hunter's music, but that being said his initial solo albums and the final Mott The Hoople albums were not my cup of tea. Sure, I got them all but they didn't call to me the way Lou Reed's "Sally Can't Dance" and "Coney Island Baby" spoke volumes (and Lou himself is said to detest Sally Can't Dance, perhaps his finest pure pop record). Ian Hunter is an important artist functioning in this post-hit record world of an industry that is falling apart. It is a travesty that tiny labels are distributing this important art - from Jackie DeShannon's astounding efforts to Willie Alexander's perpetual fountain of brilliance. The cover of Man Overboard with the roller coaster (or is it a bridge? A man at a crossroads near a river, hard to tell from the small photo) - and the title - appear to offer something special. The musicianship is spot on, you can hear that much from the 30 second clips, and Hunter - compared to Dylan throughout his career - says things to me that Bob Dylan just doesn't care to communicate anymore. Which is why I adore the Dylan back catalog as much as I look forward to these new chapters from Ian Hunter. I'm quite sure my essay on "Man Overboard" will be quite lengthy. For right now read my thoughts on the re-release of the essential Brain Capers. Joe V. 10:38 PM Saturday night, June 27, 2009. The expanded Brain Capers. It doesn't come with the black mask, though that iconic symbol is the last page inside the 20 page booklet. "Death May Be Your Santa Claus" grooves out of the speakers with the fun that made Mott The Hoople one of our favorite bands. Sure, "All The Young Dudes" was very important in getting the band's trademark established, but this opening track was, to me, what this group was truly all about,at least for being one of my all-time favorite bands and - one of the greatest albums of all time. This is the real deal, kids, so after you've explored the beauty of "Ready For Love" and "One Of The Boys" and the Bowie-produced Columbia (Ok, ok, Sony) release, go to this rock & roll Bible and learn how to make great, unbridled sound that rules. The live versions of "Midnight Lady" and "The Journey" (nine minutes and forty-five seconds) are a plus, and the booklet gives great insight...though I can't find where the live takes are from? on this 2003 Angel Air re-release. The bonus tracks aren't on the American Rhino Records version so get ahold of the British CD. Here's the Angel Air site: http://www.angelair.co.uk/sjpcd160.htm Buy Brain Capers on Gemm.com http://www1.gemm.com/c/search.pl?field=GEMM+SEARCH&wild=brain+capers+&Go!.x=0&Go!.y=0&Go!=Search&picklang=%2Findex.cgi%3Flang%3DEN%26clickflag%3D1%26 THE BEST OF IAN HUNTER http://www1.gemm.com/ddc/search.pl?&disp_ad_format_mode=0&artist=HUNTER%2CIAN&price_above=.001&&title=BEST+OF+IAN+HUNTER&price_above=.001&

Last Updated on Sunday, 05 July 2009 19:35

Gary Gold on Elvis and Michael

Elvis and Michael: Gary Pig Gold on The Kings Of Rock & Roll

Written by Gary Pig Gold

Sunday, 05 July 2009 15:39

THE KINGS ARE DEAD. LONG LIVE THE KINGS. by Gary Pig Gold In light of the death of one particular piece of royalty of late, I began to think of some unfortunate and indeed terrifying similarities between he and his only worthy predecessor. Of their lives. Careers. Of “personal physicians” and, ultimately, of premature, tragic, wasteful demise. Yes, I can still vividly remember August 16, 1977 and its lurid ramifications. And you know, I never thought I’d be watching this particular horror movie rerun yet again, but here we are. So I suggest attempting to make the best of the situation by recalling the man who set the template for all Pop(ular) Kings who have attempted to follow. Okay, okay. I hear you crying, “Why Elvis? I mean, Why should ANYBODY, ANYWHERE care anymore?” Well, in a word or 1020 I believe, here’s why! Ready? First of all, if it hadn’t been for Elvis, we simply wouldn’t be sitting here reading this right now. Really! Think about it: If you like and/or make pop, Elvis – indirectly or not – is the reason why. Into those Beatles or their ilk instead, for example? Fine, then… BE that way. But just remember there would have been no Beatles without John Lennon, and John’s on permanent record as admitting to the world that, and I quote, “Before Elvis, there was nothing.” NOTHING. Huh! He’s right, of course. Sure, there was Hank and Chuck, not to mention Jimmie Rodgers and Jimmy Reed, Bill Haley and James Brown, and of course Bill Monroe and Ray Charles. In other words, two mighty musical rivers they called Country and Rhythm ‘n’ the Blues, flowing strongly – but separately – cross their chosen ways o’er this great wide land of ours. Indeed then, it was only a matter of time before those waters were foreverafter intermingled to surge forward as one unstoppable force, deep, strong and pure. But for those who simply think it was Elvis’ first recordings for the tiny Sun label in A.D.1954 (downright bizarre, and for their time near-blasphemous, readings of Arthur Crudup’s “That’s All Right” and the aforementioned B. Monroe’s “Blue Moon Of Kentucky”) which bridged those two waters – just the inevitable musical accident waiting to happen, as it were – then think again: Elvis’ first record was, in fact, the sweat-soaked, blood-stained result of unimaginably fraught MONTHS spent searching for that ever-elusive, brand new, and (this was the scary part) colorless “sound.” A sound that would, given time, somehow change the very world we live in from that moment hence (or, as Sun mastermind Sam Phillips has been said to have said, “if I could find a white man who had the Negro sound and the Negro feel, I could make a million dollars.”) Just listen to RCA’s compilation of these and Elvis’ other recordings from ’54 and ’55 called Sunrise: Two indisputably essential discs which reveal just how painstakingly Phillips guided Elvis and his brilliant accompanists, Scotty Moore and Bill Black, towards that tantalizing, all-encompassing, hitherto uncharted “sound.” These are recordings which should – nay, MUST be heard by all, as they form no less than the blueprint upon which every musical thought of the past half century is inextricably based. Too bad Sam missed out on his million dollars though. Then again, something’s missing here, isn’t it? Again, you (and I) may well ask: WHY ELVIS? Why not (off the top of our head) Jerry Lee? Johnny Cash? Carl Perkins or even Sid King for that matter? All these were artists possibly the equal of Presley, each also slumming around the American Southlands during the early Fifties, recklessly exploring similar musical hybrids. But, you see, it was ELVIS – and He alone – who ultimately succeeded where these and countless others failed (or simply became legends as opposed to gods). Because Elvis, like the All American Boy he lived and died as, absolutely slogged and fought – night and day for years, it’s now apparent – for his richly deserved fame and fortune. And against every conceivable form of adversity, both musical AND social, it’s extremely important to remember. Sunrise certainly captures on tape one side of his struggle to be King, yes, but Elvis damn well wore his fingers, and his band, to the very bone in order to break out of the South (off of Sun and onto RCA too, by the way) in his quest Upwards and Onwards towards global stardom and damn-near universal immortality. Yep, here’s one boy who unfailingly “yes ma’am”ed and “no sir”ed all the right people, deigned to sing at a hound dog (not to mention kissed Ed Sullivan’s black and white ass) in order to get himself, and his legs, onto TV – and in doing so, spread his beautiful madness irreparably and irrevocably around the globe …only to seemingly toss it all away and spend the entire 1960’s doing time on the silver screen while his protÈgÈs in all their manifest forms (Bob Dylan, the British Invasion, Jimi Hendrix even) took over the public airwaves. For a while anyways, that is: One hour of Prime Time just before Christmas of ’68 was all it took for Presley to forever regain his throne. Of course, as all martyrs to their various causes then and today must, Elvis Presley ultimately sacrificed himself and his career upon the unforgiving altar of public opinion, taking that one last dive off his Memphis toilet just as a slew of his ex-bodyguards were nailing him to the cross with a sordid little book called “Elvis, What Happened?” For most out there, all that soon remained of Elvis was the bloated, sap-bellied, pill-saturated National Enquirer coverboy who seemed content to sweat, mumble, and at times even “moo” his way into the realm of truckstop immortality (witness, if you must, videos of his final concerts of 1977: gut-wretching and ultimately heart-breaking footage of apocalyptic artistic decline. Less painful by far, however, is Peter Guralnick’s supremely authoritative book on post-Army Elvis entitled “Careless Love: The Unmaking Of Elvis Presley”). Ahh, my. In the bitter end then, there’s really not that much left to say when looking at this man’s life and career, from Tupelo to Hollywood to the inevitable bathroom floor, other than God Bless gawddamn America, right? Here’s ONE guy who not only dreamed, but actually did it all, and in the holy name of apple pie, motherhood, and Uncle Sam to boot. Or was that Colonel Tom? Sorry… I almost digress. But, dernnit, God Bless Elvis, too! He really WAS The One. And with all apologies deservedly due the late Prince Michael, there’s never been another like him. There never will be. In fact, there honestly doesn’t HAVE to be anymore, does there? He did – and, most importantly sang – it all. For me. Even for you. Think about it. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to remember Mr. Sam Phillips either: “Without whom,” as I believe the epitaph should still go. Gary Pig Gold's home page is here: http://www.garypiggold.com

Last Updated on Monday, 06 July 2009 14:56

alice cooper

Along Came A Spider - Alice Cooper Show Preview 2008

Written by Joe Viglione

Sunday, 05 July 2009 16:12

Direct link to this article: http://tinyurl.com/alongcamealice NEW SINGLE FROM ALICE IN 2009 "Keepin' Halloween Alive." SEE OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE FROM SHOUT! FACTORY BELOW MORE ALICE COOPER REVIEWS TO POST SOON HERE'S JOE VIGLIONE'S CONCERT PREVIEW FROM 2008 Official Alice Cooper site By Joe Viglione Posted Oct 23, 2008 @ 01:50 PM Boston — Maybe it’s the witches of Salem that beckon Alice Cooper to find his way to this region just about every Halloween week. On Saturday, Oct. 25, Alice makes his annual pilgrimage to the Boston area, closing out his concert tour in the Bay State at the Orpheum Theater. In support of his new release, “Along Came A Spider,” the theatrical rock star will, no doubt, keep a few surprises in reserve for his faithful audience. “Along Came A Spider” isn’t a belated soundtrack to Morgan Freeman’s 2001 film of the same name, it’s simply the resilient Alice Cooper delivering another solid outing of hard-edged pop music with a terrific track, “Vengeance Is Mine,” getting spins on You Tube and MySpace video. “To forgive is divine/but vengeance is mine” is an interesting bit of poetry from a fellow who is a devout Christian offstage and a total madman when the makeup is applied. Insane asylums, hypodermic needles and spiders — lots of spiders — are part of the fright stuff in Cooper’s repertoire ...or arsenal. Way back in 1965 the young Vincent Furnier (the singer’s real name) called his band The Spiders, continuing the fascination with arachnids on 1969’s “Easy Action” LP with the song “Return Of The Spiders,” and taking it all to another level with “The Black Widow” on 1975’s “Welcome To My Nightmare.” That disc featured horror film star Vincent Price (an idea Michael Jackson pounced on, nabbing Price for his 1982 classic “Thriller” LP), giving another twist to the music and truly opening the hard-rock performer up to the fans of the sci-fi/fantasy genres, a base that appreciates its heroes moving into other media. The fact that Eric Singer, ex of Kiss, plays drums on this new release is not just trivia — Kiss certainly followed in Cooper’s show biz footsteps, and that band’s own group of followers, the Kiss Army, are as rabid as “Star Trek” — or horror film — fans. As actor and sometime singer Billy Bob Thornton says in the You Tube documentary entitled “Along Came A Video,” “There wouldn’t be a Kiss, or a Marilyn Manson or any of those people (without Alice Cooper).” Thirty-three years later the “Along Came A Spider” disc could be considered a sequel, of sorts, to “Welcome To My Nightmare,” a driving collection of songs revolving around a short story Alice wrote about a serial killer. “Killed By Love” is a ballad that, if heard on the radio, would stand on its own outside of the morbid context of this release, just as “Only Women Bleed” took on its own life as a 45, launching from the “Nightmare” album but not getting entangled by it. The curious thing about “Only Women Bleed” is that it opened up an entirely new career for the heavy metal artist — putting his softer-rock pop music on the same stations with Helen Reddy and Barry Manilow. “You and Me,” “I Never Cry” and “How You Gonna See Me Now” sound like a totally different artist than the destructive dynamo found on the concert stage, a fact only exposed when an announcer said the name of hard rock star Alice Cooper, not Kenny Rogers, after playing one of these popular titles. And his latest outing is a nice addition to the Cooper collection. “The One That Got Away” is good pop/rock, while “I’m Hungry” revisits a riff from his old nugget “Is It My Body.” The coup for the Coop this year is that ex-Guns ’n’ Roses guitarist Slash is on the new disc at the same moment his old band is about to release its long-awaited lost-in-limbo album. The singer also has one of the better syndicated radio programs, “Nights With Alice Cooper” (nightswithalicecooper.com), which broadcasts in this region Saturday nights on WZLX, 100.7 FM It would be nice if WZLX would pre-empt the radio show this Saturday night and broadcast Alice live from the Orpheum Theater. Now that would be a treat. While Freddy Krueger and Friday the 13th’s Jason Vorhees splash blood and gore, Alice Cooper plays a more sympathetic serial killer on “Along Came A Spider” ... someone Morgan Freeman as forensic psychologist Alex Cross would put away with a sense of pity. OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE FROM SHOUT FACTORY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 5, 2009 ALICE COOPER AND SHOUT! FACTORY ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE "KEEPIN' HALLOWEEN ALIVE" AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON iTUNES "Cooper-oke" Video Contest Runs Through October 31st Los Angeles, CA - Alice Cooper, the King of Halloween, has a brand-new single celebrating his eternal love for the infernal holiday: "Keepin' Halloween Alive." Alice Cooper's "Keepin' Halloween Alive" is available for purchase exclusively on iTunes, as a single, or as a Digital 45 with the "Cooperoke" vocal-free version and a bonus digital booklet. Fans are encouraged to join in on the fun by entering the "Keepin' Halloween Alive" Cooper-oke Video Contest, in which they upload videos of themselves singing their own karaoke versions of "Keepin' Halloween Alive." Three winners, chosen by Alice Cooper, will have their videos posted on AliceCooper.com and elsewhere, and will be awarded one of three cash prizes: First Place: $1,000, Second Place: $500, and Third Place: $250. All videos must be submitted no later than midnight PDT, October 31st, 2009. Entry details, contest rules and more info available at http;//www.nightswithalicecooper.com . Alice delivers "Keepin' Halloween Alive" with the garage-punk snarl he is best known for, ensuring that it will soon be a Halloween classic. "At home my family all gathers around an old spooky tree decorated with skulls and bones in the living room, and we exchange gifts," says Cooper. "It's our holiday. We even all have matching black-and-orange Halloween sweaters! I wanted a theme song for people like me, and for us Halloween never ends. In the chorus I say, 'I'm keepin' Halloween alive, baby, 3-6-5'... and I mean it!" "Keepin' Halloween Alive," was co-written and co-produced by Cooper with Piggy D. (a member of Rob Zombie's band), who played rhythm guitar/backup vocals. Dave Pino (Powerman 5000) is featured on lead guitar, and David Spreng (Engineer for Bob Dylan, The Bravery) mixed the track and played drums. Of the recording, Cooper says, "We played it live as a band to capture the vibe. It was the easiest work I think any of us have ever done, not to mention a blast!" In addition to releasing the new single, Cooper is busy hosting his "Nights with Alice Cooper" radio program, now syndicated on more than 100 stations worldwide, and staying on the road with his Theatre of Death world tour-tour dates below. For more information on "Nights with Alice Cooper" please visit http://www.nightswithalicecooper.com . Nights with Alice Cooper airs on over 100 radio stations worldwide and is produced and distributed by United Stations Radio Networks, Inc., the nation's leading independently owned and operated radio network. United Stations distributes and produces multiple format specific services to nearly 4500 rated radio stations across the U.S. in every mass-appeal format including the target format for Nights with Alice Cooper, Classic Rock. The New York-based company was founded in 1994 by radio pioneers Dick Clark and Nick Verbitsky. Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their careers sharing their music, television and film faves with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory's DVD offerings serve up classic, contemporary and cult TV series, riveting sports programs, live music, animation and documentaries in lavish packages crammed with extras. The company's audio catalogue boasts GRAMMY(r)-nominated boxed sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable "best of" compilations. These riches are the result of a creative acquisitions mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. For more on Shout! Factory, visit www.shoutfactory.com Dragon Town review by Joe Viglione on AOL Dragontown continues the assault of Alice Cooper's gift to the new millennium that was Brutal Planet. Considered a third chapter of a trilogy initiated by 1994's The Last Temptation, this shadowy production plays like hardcore in slow motion. Read more here: http://music.aol.com/album/dragontown/494938 EASY ACTION The author of the book Alice Cooper, Steve Demorest, accurately calls this "the great undiscovered" Cooper album. Pretties for You is a difficult record, and Love It to Death is a classic, but this pre-Bob Ezrin album, created with help from Neil Young producer David Briggs, might be the perfect picture of an evolving Alice Cooper Group. "Mr. & Misdemeanor" has Cooper beginning to define his nasty trademark vocal style: "Here's new pretties for you/nobody likes me but we adore you." Read more here: http://mog.com/music/Alice_Cooper/Easy_Action BRUTAL PLANET SNAKES & DEAD BABIES BILLION DOLLAR BABIES (the band!) Alice Cooper Theatre of Death tour dates: Fri, Oct 2 Clearwater FL Ruth Eckerd Hall Sat, Oct 3 Pompano Beach FL Amphitheatre Sun, Oct 4 Ft Myers FL Mann Perf Arts Center Mon, Oct 5 Daytona Beach FL Peabody Auditorium Weds, Oct 7 Montgomery AL Performing Arts Center Fri, Oct 9 Marksville LA Paragon Casino Resort Sat, Oct 10 Biloxi MS Beau Rivage Casino Sun, Oct 11 Houston TX Verizon Wireless Theatre Mon, Oct 12 Dallas TX Palladium Fri, Oct 16 Lake Tahoe NV Harrah's Tahoe South Shore Room Sat, Oct 17 Wendover NV Peppermill Casino Mon Oct 19 Idaho Falls ID Civic Auditorium Weds, Oct 21 San Francisco CA The Warfield Fri-Sun, Oct 23-25 Las Vegas NV Orleans Hotel & Casino Tues, Oct 27 Fresno Saroyan Theatre Weds, Oct 28 Los Angeles CA Nokia Theatre Fri, Oct 30 Indio CA Fantasy Springs Casino Sat, Oct 31 Valley Center CA Harrah's Rincon Open Sky Amphitheatre Weds, Nov 18 Kocise, Slovakia Cassosport Hall Thurs, Nov 19 Bratislava, Slovakia Sports Hall Pasiersky Fri, Nov 20 Plzen, Czech Republic CEZArena Tues, Nov 24 Manchester, England Apollo Weds, Nov 25 Glasgow, Scotland Clyde Auditorium Fri, Nov 27 Newcastle, England City Hall Sat, Nov 28 Sheffield, England City Hall Sun, Nov 29 Swindon, England Oasis Tues, Dec 1 Wolverhampton, England Civic Hall Weds, Dec 2 Plymouth, England Pavilions Fri, Dec 4 Nottingham, England Royal Concert Hall Sat, Dec 5 Brighton, England Centre Sun, Dec 6 London, England Hammersmith Apollo Tues, Dec 8 Kerkrade, Netherlands Rodahallen Weds, Dec 9 Schwerin, Germany Sports & Kongresshalle Fri, Dec 11 Espoo, Finland Arena Sat, Dec 12 Oulu, Finland Teatria Mon, Dec 14 Gothenburg, Sweden Lisebergshallen Tues, Dec 15 Vasteras, Sweden Bombardier Arena Dragon Town review by Joe Viglione on AOL Dragontown continues the assault of Alice Cooper's gift to the new millennium that was Brutal Planet. Considered a third chapter of a trilogy initiated by 1994's The Last Temptation, this shadowy production plays like hardcore in slow motion. Read more here: http://music.aol.com/album/dragontown/494938 EASY ACTION The author of the book Alice Cooper, Steve Demorest, accurately calls this "the great undiscovered" Cooper album. Pretties for You is a difficult record, and Love It to Death is a classic, but this pre-Bob Ezrin album, created with help from Neil Young producer David Briggs, might be the perfect picture of an evolving Alice Cooper Group. "Mr. & Misdemeanor" has Cooper beginning to define his nasty trademark vocal style: "Here's new pretties for you/nobody likes me but we adore you." Read more here: http://mog.com/music/Alice_Cooper/Easy_Action BRUTAL PLANET SNAKES & DEAD BABIES BILLION DOLLAR BABIES (the band!) Direct link to Neal Smith interview with Gemmzine: : http://tinyurl.com/sexualsavior KILLSMITH Sexual Savior The Return of Alice Cooper Group drummer Neal Smith

Last Updated on Monday, 05 October 2009 14:28

Dave Clark #71 Artie Kornfeld #72

Dave Clark

Written by Joe Viglione

Wednesday, 08 July 2009 19:58

Last Updated on Wednesday, 08 July 2009 20:02

---

Artie Kornfeld

Written by Joe Viglione

Wednesday, 08 July 2009 06:53

---

Paul Revere & The Raiders Retrospective

Written by Gary Pig Gold

Wednesday, 08 July 2009 06:26

PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS "The Essential Ride ‘63-’67" by Gary Pig Gold In a world where even a Monkees fan can rise and proclaim his or her loyalties without fear of too much recrimination, how can it be that such a fiery, rock-happy crew like the Raiders is still so universally poo-pooh’d… or, worse still, ignored completely? Let’s see: It can’t just be those colonial uniforms the band persisted on wearing almost until Altamont, and it certainly can’t be their statistic-boggling string of Top Ten hits (which, coincidentally, not only inspired producer Terry Melcher to dump The Byrds, but literally kept Columbia Records afloat in those years before their “Bridge Over Troubled Water”). And on the subject of hip credentials: this Essential Ride’s previously-unreleased exercise in gastro-chemical erotica, “Crisco Party”, wouldn’t even make it into a Chris Rock routine in this p-c age! All in all, the Raiders were one of the toughest, most hard-working and, yes, most inanely attired bands America has yet to produce, and if they are never inducted into any Halls of Fame, weep not. This here’s one band who don’t need an R ’n’ R Museum because, hell, somewhere out in Branson this very night, Paul Revere’s latest batch of Raiders are about to tear into their “Where the Action Is” medley, and damned if there won’t be a dry ear in the house. http://www.paulrevereraiders.com/ http://www.GaryPigGold.com PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS "Mojo Workout!" by Gary Pig Gold I’ve long claimed that, with just the slightest of peeks beneath their revolutionary war stage get-ups, the Raiders are revealed to be one of America’s greatest-ever hard pop combos (and Mark Lindsay in particular one of his nation’s rockinest, sockinest frontspeople!) Let their incredible string of hit singles prove me out there, but then lest we also forget the band’s pre-fame terrorizing of the Pacific Northwest as well, the essence of which has been fully recaptured here on these earliest, gnarliest recordings for Columbia Records. Sure, the Sonics and the Wailers were proto-Seattle and all that, but I doubt even they would dare even PERFORM, let alone commit to tape, such an aural audacity as these here Raiders’ legendary "Crisco Party / Walkin’ The Dog" medley. http://www.paulrevereraiders.com/ http://www.GaryPigGold.com MARK LINDSAY "Video Dreams" by Gary Pig Gold As the lead singer for Columbia Records’ first-ever million-selling rock group, Mark Lindsay was undisputedly the closest America had dared come by ‘65 to producing its very own Mick Jagger. Today, over thirty years since leaving Paul Revere & The Raiders far behind, Mark’s voice, I’m most happy to report, has not only survived intact, but amazingly retains every single ounce of the swagger and venom it did ‘way back when. Even the most casual of listens to this album will certainly prove that, but "Video Dreams" offers much more: “Ambush”, “Club Dead” and the title track each demonstrate the man’s hook-writing abilities are alive and well as well. Yet another stand-out, “Out Of Control”, is precisely the kind of solid tune Tom Petty sure could use right about now, and fortunately only one song, the “Indian Reservation”-tinged “Broken Radio”, bothers to hint at the Raiders’ illustrious achievements of yesteryear. My only complaint regarding this otherwise fine album is that the production and particularly arrangements overall seem terribly mired in a sort of mid-Eighties big-hair mentality, and this is indeed a shame as a talent the size and stripe of Mark’s deserves much more sympathetic and, yes, contemporary support. With a, say, Bill Lloyd behind the board, the voice behind several of the Sixties’ greatest records bar none could easily - and rightfully - stake a claim at driving his art and his career oh so confidently into Century 21. "Video Dreams," among other things, demonstrates Mark Lindsay is primed and certainly ready for little less. http://www.marklindsay.com http://www.GaryPigGold.com

Last Updated on Friday, 10 July 2009 00:01

---

The Kings - Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley...and The Rolling Stones

Written by Joe Viglione

Sunday, 05 July 2009 16:23

vs Remember to click on the photos and DVD covers to find tons and tons of Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Beatles, Bee Gees, Wolverine/Marvel products and rarities in Gemm.com itself It is Michael Mania, but what about the original King, Jackson's ex-father-in-law? Michael Jackson 24/7. Why didn't Sirius have a Michael Jackson round-the-clock channel? In all seriousness I think the media coverage is deserving. As frustrated as I was with Jackson's excesses, overspending and lack of discipline (not to mention his failure to keep Quincy Jones onboard as his full-time producer - someone who understood the artistry) there is no doubt that Michael Jackson was tremendously talented ...a very gifted individual. With Motown releasing an "unplugged" version of "I'll Be There" the week of Michael Jackson's passing we're sure there will be more Motown repackaging...stay tuned to Gemmzine.com for more facts, details and observations. Gary Pig Gold essays on the importance of both artists Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson GEMM is working on our search engine on http://www.gemm.com Make sure you use quotes on Gemm.com for artists like "Michael Jackson", "Elvis Presley" and "Alice Cooper" and you'll get a different set of results. Stay tuned to this page for more information on GEMM. Our newsletter is going out this month, July, and if you'd like to be added to the mailing list write to gemm[@]joeviglione.com Remember to click on the photos and DVD covers to find tons and tons of Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Beatles, Bee Gees, Wolverine/Marvel products and rarities in Gemm.com itself R.I.P. Drake Levin (August 17, 1946 – July 4, 2009) of PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS Remember to click on the photos and DVD covers to find tons and tons of Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Beatles, Bee Gees, Wolverine/Marvel products and rarities in Gemm.com itself Levin played on discs by Lee Michaels, Cosmic Travelers, Brotherhood (1968), Friend Sound and others We'll have a proper tribute to Drake soon. Paul Revere reviews from Gary Pig Gold here ALLEN KLEIN, MANAGER OF THE BEATLES AND THE ROLLING STONES, PASSES AWAY Allen Klein, the head of ABKCO, passed away on Saturday, July 4, 2009. I met Allen twice at his office on 1700 Broadway, 41st Fl. in Manhattan while I was in business with the late Jimmy Miller, producer of over 100 songs by The Rolling Stones. A full essay will be published soon on our MusicBusinessMonthly.com newsfeed and is currently linked here. Also there's a link to the HuffingtonPost http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/05/allen-klein-former-beatle_n_225828.html Here's an interesting article on Jody Klein and The Rolling Stones remasters in High Fidelity http://www.highfidelityreview.com/news/news.asp?newsnumber=390941 Joe V. 11:31 PM Sunday ROLLING STONES BOXED SET IN THE WORKS? Remember to click on the photos and DVD covers to find tons and tons of Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Beatles, Bee Gees, Wolverine/Marvel products and rarities in Gemm.com itself While Allen B. Klein released "Hot Rocks", "More Hot Rocks" and "The Singles" collections, The Rolling Stones remain the only major recording artist that doesn't have something along the lines of The Beatles Anthology or boxed sets as enjoyed by fans of The Beach Boys, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane...heck, even WOODSTOCK has its own boxed set. Right now you can pick up Rolling Stones collectibles on http://GEMM.com but a boxed set, Gemmzine believes, will happen sooner than later. Stay tuned. Remember to click on the photos and DVD covers to find tons and tons of Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Beatles, Bee Gees, Wolverine/Marvel products and rarities in Gemm.com itself

Last Updated on Sunday, 13 September 2009 20:37