Rolling Stones: Bringing the Biggest Bang to DVD

I am not sure what planet I have been living on or if there was never a press release for this, but when I got a standard email from Best Buy today I nearly flipped my lid. The Rolling Stones are set to release a new 4 DVD set exclusively at Best Buy on June 12th entitled The Biggest Bang and from the looks of the contents, it's appropriately titled.

People love to make jokes about the Stones in regards to their age and how absurd it is that a bunch of sixty-year old men are still touring and living the rock n' roll lifestyle. The truth is the Stones were as good as they have ever been. I witnessed a sub-zero show in Chicago last October and it was the best I have ever seen them. It was no mistake that this was the first thing posted to this blog. If you were not fortunate enough to catch a little Stone magic and won't be in Europe this summer, you should definitely buy this 4 DVD set for a nifty price of $30. That is what I call "Satisfaction".

The Biggest Bang DVD contents

Disc 1: Zilker Park, Austin, Texas
Opening (intro)
1.You Got Me Rocking
2. Let's Spend The Night Together
3. She's So Cold
4. Oh No, Not You Again
5. Sway
6. Bob Wills Is Still The King
7. Streets Of Love
8. Ain't Too Proud To Beg
9. Tumbling Dice
10. Learning The Game
11. Little T&A
12. Under My Thumb
13. Get Off My Cloud
14. Honky Tonk Women
15. Sympathy For The Devil
16. Jumpin' Jack Flash
17. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
18. Brown Sugar

Bonus Features:
1. Austin Mini-Documentary
2. “I Can't Be Satisfied” from Milan, Italy
3. Jukebox Feature

Disc 2: Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Opening (intro)
1. Jumpin' Jack Flash
2. It's Only Rock 'n Roll
3. You Got Me Rocking
4. Wild Horses
5. Rain Fall Down
6. Midnight Rambler
7. Night Time Is The Right Time
8. Happy
9. Miss You
10. Rough Justice
11. Get Off My Cloud
12. Honky Tonk Women
13. Start Me Up
14. Brown Sugar
15. You Can't Always Get What You Want
16. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

Bonus Feature: Rio de Janeiro Documentary

Disc 3: Rest Of The World
Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan
Opening (intro)
1. Let's Spend The Night Together
Sapporo (segue)
2. Rain Fall Down
Tokyo Dome (segue)
3. Rough Justice
Cherry Blossoms (segue)

Shanghai Grand Stage, Shanghai, China
Opening (intro)
1. Bitch
2. Midnight Rambler
3. Gimme Shelter
4. This Place Is Empty
That's What I Do (segue)
5. It's Only Rock 'n Roll
China, A Slow Process (segue)

River Plate Stadium, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Opening (intro)
1. Worried About You
Football Chant (segue)
2. Happy
3. Miss You
Ronnie & Audience (segue)
4. Paint It Black
5. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

Featurettes:
1. Bonnie Raitt featurette “Shine A Light”
2. Eddie Vedder featurette “Wild Horses”
3. Dave Matthews featurette “Let It Bleed”

Duets:
1. “Shine A Light” featuring Bonnie Raitt
2. “Wild Horses” featuring Eddie Vedder
3. “Let It Bleed” featuring Dave Matthews
4. “Wild Horses” featuring Cui Jian

Jukebox Feature

Disc-4
Salt Of The Earth A Bigger Bang Tour Documentary

Bonus Songs:
1. “Get Up, Stand Up”
2. “Mr. Pitiful”

Bonus Features:
1. If It Ain't Got That Swing featuring Charlie Watts
2. “Hurricane” featuring Keith Richards
3. Outlets Of Emotion featuring Ron Wood
4. Busking featuring Mick Jagger

Say It Ain't So Joe!

Joe Perry has always been the epitome of cool. Just look at him. Now, let me state, I have no issue with an artist whether you are a painter, writer, musician, actor or director trying to gain exposure. Some people do...but I don't. As long as it's done correctly. Appearing on American Idol gives me mixed emotions. It's hard to deny the power of the show and the exposure one can get from appearing on it. However, in case people haven't noticed, it doesn't help sell music. For a show that has upwards of forty-million viewers, less than ten percent of that audience actually buys music. Granted there is Carrie Underwood but I credit her success to the country music market and not American Idol. Plus, I'll admit to finding Kelly Clarkson to be a supreme guilty pleasure. Should she even be a guilty pleasure if I truly enjoy her sophomore album 'Breakaway'? Regardless, I didn't have an issue with Joe appearing with THE American Idol.

But then this happened...
Can someone tell me how this is supposed to help Joe Perry's career? What is he plugging. I probably could have forgiven him a year ago when he had just released a solo album, but I can pretty much guarantee that jamming with Sanjaya is not a good career move.

“(You Want To) Make A Memory”

When I first heard clips of Bon Jovi’s latest single “(You Want To) Make A Memory”, I was floored they were picking what I thought was a mid-tempo ballad as their first single. I often think picking a ballad as a lead-off single to be a grave mistake. Not only that, it often hurts your credibility with rock fanatics. Even more shocking the title track of the new album, “Lost Highway” was NOT picked as the lead single. “Lost Highway” is an infectious track that showcases what this band does best and may be one of the best tracks the band has ever committed to tape.

Despite my objections, I have found “Memory” slowly seeping into my own memory bank. I saw this record as a sell-out when I first heard about it last year. However, as I continue to listen to “Memory” time and time again, it occurred to me that maybe…just maybe, they are not selling out but pushing the envelope further than anything they have done since ‘These Days’. If this were a Springsteen track, critics would be wetting themselves and congratulating the Boss on a sublime and ethereal track that digs below your skin. There is something wholly familiar about the intro acoustic guitar strum, which is as simplistic as anything I have ever heard, yet it’s completely original and new found territory for Bon Jovi at the same time.

“(You Want To) Make A Memory” is the most daring single the band has released since “This Ain’t A Love Song” which was also a departure for the band as their lead single off of ‘These Days’ in 1995. Amazingly, both of these songs had a new light shone upon them during American Idol. I don’t like AI in any shape or form, but I begrudgingly watched when Bon Jovi was on. “Love Song” was easily the night’s top performance and I applaud the AI contestant who dug deep into the band’s catalog to find this gem. Sadly the band has not performed this song live since their 1996 tour. One can only hope that new found interest in this song will lead to the band dusting it off and adding it to their set lists on a semi-regular basis. Most people do not realize this, but the song did reach #14 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

Bon Jovi’s performance on the second night was a transcendent experience as it (like most Bon Jovi songs) exceeded its studio counterpart. My good friend Rene summed the performance up beautifully in an email exchange I had with him;

What I love about his song, is, they avoided every Jovi cliché', and actually sound like another band at the same time. When they performed it on AI, Sambora's harmonies made it soar; as his singing usually makes all such shared mic time.

I had so many reservations about the band going on Idol and performing what I initially thought would be a throwaway track. It just goes to show that sometimes the best music takes time to reveal itself to you and when it does, it’s a striking revelation.

Check out the video for “(You Want To) Make A Memory” here.
See the American Idol performance of “(You Want To) Make A Memory” here.
See the American Idol performance of “This Ain't A Love Song” here.

Electrelane & Mia Clarke Show Their Mojo

I took my seat last night at the Chicago Theatre expecting to yawn my way through the opening act for Arcade Fire; Electrelane. At first, I was unimpressed as I joked with my wife that this was nothing more than "Art Rock" appealing to few. However, my initial impressions were totally off base. I can't say I'm running out to the record store to buy their catalog, but they did leave an indeliable impression on me I won't soon forget. The sound like a mix between the early Velvet Underground and a more delicate version of Sleater Kinney.

The band is a tight knit all female unit from Brighton, England. Despite their musical chemistry, one member enraptured me and I fixated on her for the majority of the performance; guitarist Mia Clarke. Mia is not an ordinary guitarist. Her playing style rotated between subtle and roaring. Imagine Rory Gilmore infused with the spirit and talent of Jimi Hendrix, Angus Young and Kim Gordon. She looked poised and pleasant with her sun dress on strumming her guitar like a student, but then from out of nowhere she would screech and attack the instrument in ways I have never seen before. It was sexual and intoxicating. I may very well head to the Empty Bottle on Tuesday night to see them again. You should too.

Some great pics of the band can be found here.

Counting Crows Touring With Live, Collective Soul

Billboard has an interesting news post today that can be found here. I love the Crows and find them to be vastly underrated, but taking 5+ years in between albums and then going out on a summer tour of minor league baseball stadiums seems like a waste of time. I understand these artists make the majority of their bank from touring...but come on, stay focused and get an album out.

I have seen the Crows be electrifying live and bore me to tears as well so seeing them live again holds zero interest for me. At some point, an artist needs to continue to release new music to stay relevant. The only act who got away without doing this was the Who. Sadly, when the Who finally did release their excellent Endless Wire album from last year no one paid attention. I don't want the same thing to happen to artists like the Counting Crows and Metallica. One needs to continue to evolve and create to be relevant. I am hoping that the Crows album is in the can before their hit the road later this summer. I can't imagine them creating an album that would make the six-year wait worth it.

Bruce Springsteen in new Jesse Malin video "Broken Radio"

For the last four years one of my favorite artists has been Jesse Malin. He's a street fighting musician whose last three albums may be the most consistent records of this decade. He is about to get the biggest exposure of his career with his new video for "Broken Radio". Not only did Jesse get Bruce Springsteen to duet with him on the track, but he somehow convinced him to do a video with him as well.

The result can be found here.

Jesse is currently in Europe promoting his most recent album, Glitter In The Gutter and will be back in the US in early June. Check the show out and support Jesse by buying his album.

Tintin Comes to Tinsletown

When I landed in JFK airport on my way back from Brussels the other day, I saw this headline when I was waiting in the airport for my final destination of Chicago.

Check the link here and here.

This was eerie in ways I can't even explain. When in Brussels I went to the comic museum and a large part of their comic culture has to do with their obsession with Tintin. It's the Belgian equivalent of Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny and Superman in America. Normally I would look at this news inquisitively but must admit great excitement upon hearing that Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg would direct the films. After spending a week in the land of lace and chocolate it was almost as if two worlds merged upon my re-entrance back into the US.

Tintin never took off in the US, but I'm looking forward to seeing what magic they can work. It'll be interesting to see if this catches on in the US, but I'll be rooting for them.

Basking in Brussels

It has been a while since I posted but that has been because I have been in Europe checking out the history, museums and Good Charlotte. No I am not joking and I promise to write more about it shortly as I just landed back on American soil. Watch this space in the coming weeks as I plan on revamping my content and also the speed at which I post.

More later when I catch up on my sleep and finish going through my mail...

Butch Walker: Flying High Again

Butch Walker
Chicago, IL
House of Blues
April 10, 2007

The world is littered with performers who all want to be rock stars, however few artists ever reach this plateau. One that has is Butch Walker. In a day and age riddled with one-hit wonders that can’t fill a club, Walker is a revelation. For my money, Will Hoge and Butch Walker are the two most vivid and lively performers on concert stages today. Walker exudes a personality big enough to warrant attention in a football stadium. This past July, he released his most adventurous album to date Butch Walker and the Let’s Go Out Tonites, an record big on T-Rex guitar riffs. It was a departure from his norm and Walker’s first album I didn’t find immediately digestible upon first listen. Over time, I have grown to appreciate the glorious throw back distorted harmonies.

It was his second stop in Chicago in support of this record and right from the first note performed, Walker and his band appeared very comfortable on stage and with the new material. Last summer’s performance, while a wild joyride and full of moments of grandeur, felt a tad forced as he attempted to bring the club show to an arena level. At his second performance at the House of Blues, nothing felt forced; this time around the show excelled with a minimalist approach, four band members, Walker’s charisma and a stunning array of lights. There may have only been 1,400 in attendance, but I don’t think anyone told that to Butch Walker as he performed as if it was 14,000.

The evening started off with “Uncomfortably Numb” which was performed with an unrelenting and ferocious power. For the next 100-minutes, Walker and his four-piece band soared through the set like a 747 trying to make up for lost time. “Alicia Amnesia” was a pleasant surprise which featured the entire band in a refreshing plugged in performance returning the song to its anthemic glory. Without any new album to promote, Butch Walker appeared a thousand times more confident than he did last summer. The set list showcased what Walker does best. With each album, producing gig, performance and tour Walker broadens his palette never settling for the status quo. If you have any doubt, listen to the unvarnished sounds of “Too Famous To Get Fully Dressed” or “Taste of Red”, which show Walker pushing the envelope. He’ll never be satisfied delivering the status quo. He’s constantly expanding horizons while brazenly gearing his shows for the audience.

The most surprising aspect of these performances was how the alluring melodies from Letters continue to reveal themselves to me nearly three-years after its release. I live for artists who wear their hearts on the sleeves. Peter Gabriel did this with his 1992 masterpiece Us as did Bob Dylan with Blood On The Tracks, two of the bloodiest break-up albums ever. Letters deserves to be spoken in the same breath as the emotional wreckage of past relationships shines through with alluring melodies and succinct arrangements. Letters will be a classic cult album decades from now. On this particular evening, “#1 Summer Jam”, “Maybe It’s Just Me” and the show closer “Lights Out” were performed with divine ardor. “Mixtape” is a song that author and writer Rob Sheffield (of Rolling Stone and Spin) would love; it’s a perfect pop song which takes on another life when seen in concert with an epic jam of eruption and emotion. If Sheffield had heard the song before I’m sure he would have found a place to quote it in his excellent book Love Is A Mixtape. One of the reasons Butch Walker has an audience that is so devoted is because they profoundly relate to his songs. They feel a connection to this material and it’s more than just background noise; it’s something they desperately believe in. This is why Walker continually sells out clubs across America while one-hit wonders can’t even give tickets away.
The remainder of the set featured orgasmic heart wrenching epiphanies alongside cherry-picked rarities pleasing even the most devout fan. A number of rarely performed solo songs and a few choice Marvelous 3 songs were dusted off as well. “Indie Queen” sounded glorious with its larger than life sound and is a perfect example of why Walker is an in-demand producer. Inventive arrangements of “Far Away From Close” and “Over Your Head” brought giddy excitement to Walker’s passionate followers. I often wonder why other acts don’t cover these songs as they are instantaneously etched in your head. The evening’s biggest surprise was the subtle and sublime “Stateline”, which was a hidden track at the end of Letters. I haven’t listened to the album’s final track, “Thank You Note” in a long time and as a result of this show, I re-discovered not just “Stateline” but the last few songs on Letters as well.

Seeing Butch Walker live is like having great sex; it’s sweaty, sultry, elevating, making your heart skip a beat, drenching and providing you with a profound and deep connection. The second it is over, you immediately want more. Walker’s seductive melodies are a hypnotizing presence that makes you forget about your troubles while at the same time forces you to look in the mirror and question what you need to do to improve your life.

Walker has one of the most devout and religious followings around. Just three years ago, he was playing to a few hundred people in Chicago and this most recent performance at the House of Blues was near capacity of 1,400. Do the math and that is an increase of over 1,000 in fewer than three-years, which is astounding. It’s even more amazing considering Butch’s record sales. I have seen acts with platinum records only draw a third of this capacity. This speaks volumes of his charisma and live show. Walker continually gives back to his audience. It is almost as if Butch is flash-frozen in time of an era long gone when performers did not leave the stage until both band and fan were soaked in sweat. Unlike many performers who tour as a way to boost their ego, Butch Walker is acutely aware of his rock n’ roll lineage. To understand a fan, you have to be one and Walker clearly is one. He loves music and wants his audiences to walk away from these performances with it forever forged in their hearts, minds and souls.
Photos courtesy of Billie Jo Sheehan and ButchWalker.com

Reign Over Springsteen

In March, I caught the latest Adam Sandler film, Reign Over Me in theaters before it died a slow death at the box office. Now, I want to say there are some extreme plot issues with this film, yet despite all of this, I found the film completely engaging. Whether or not it's realistic or not, I felt for these characters. It's not a great film by any means but director Mike Binder creates some truly profound moments within the film that have stuck with me in the last month and overshadows the plot holes. I wanted to write a more in depth review of this film, however, I couldn't beat the one written by fellow Chicagoan Capone of Ain't It Cool News which can be found here.

The thing Capone picks up on so beautifully is the use of a specific Bruce Springsteen song in the film. It's one of the best uses of a Springsteen song ever on film and I think Capone really composes beautifully on its use in the film. Check it out.

Bon Jovi takes 'Highway' to 'American Idol'

As the world preps for Bon Jovi on American Idol, here is a pretty good article on the band and their inspiration for their new album, Lost Highway. I may be cynical from time to time, but after reading the article, I just hope the actual album is as good as the inspiration and what they drew from when writing and recording it.

As for the band's appearance on American Idol, I still have mixed feelings about it and won't fully pass an opinion until I (gulp) sit down and actually watch the episode. Yes, I'll probably bite the bullet and watch this episode. Wish me luck.