Rock News for Saturday 23rd October, 2010

Well, been trying to work on more review updates and it's been tough to get the time, but they are coming! :)

Meantime, deeply saddened by the news that it's looking highly lightly that my beloved Portsmouth Football Club may finally unable to fight off being closed down. Seriously praying for a miracle today. Here's hoping.

Anyway, that's of no interest to all of you my good friends, so on with the news updates!

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL FANTASY CAMP ROCKS NEW YORK CITY IN JANUARY 2011 WITH SPECIAL GUEST COUNSELOR

ROGER DALTREY OF THE WHO

The World-Famous Rock Camp Featured in Mark Burnett’s New VH1 Classic Series

Shatters all VH1 Classic Viewership Records with Series Premiere

Fall “Weekend Warrior” Camps Led by Allman Brothers Co-Founder Dickey Betts

Kicked Off this Weekend in Philadelphia

New York, NY (October, 2010) — Can you imagine playing lead guitar for front man Roger Daltrey of The Who in front of a live, screaming and standing-room-only crowd at an iconic rock venue? For many people, this is a lifelong fantasy; at Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp, it becomes reality.

From January 12th to 17th in New York City, rock enthusiasts and amateur musicians from all walks of life will have the opportunity to interact with, learn from, jam with and perform alongside their idols as part of the rock camp that became the centerpiece of VH1 Classic’s new series – also called Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp – which debuted October 16th as the most watched series premiere in network history.

Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp New York City will feature several of the rock star counselors from the Mark Burnett produced VH1 Classic show, which, according to the New York Post’s Michael Starr, “far exceeded VH1’s expectations.” With the help of special guest counselor Roger Daltrey, one of the most iconic lead singers in rock ‘n’ roll history, rock greats the likes of Grammy Award-winning mega-producer Phil Ramone, Tommy James, Simon Kirke of Bad Company, Rudy Sarzo of Quiet Riot, Kip Winger of Winger, renowned singer/songwriter Mark Hudson, and many others, will be transforming campers from rock hobbyists into arena maestros.

“There is a rock star within everyone, and with the help of some of the world’s most celebrated musicians, Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp brings that rock star to the surface for an empowering experience that stays with campers their entire lives,” said Rock Camp founder/CEO David Fishof. “As shown on the VH1 Classic series, the camp brings real people together with rock legends for a one-of-a-kind rock ‘n’ roll immersion. Where else can an amateur musician learn from and jam with living legends like Roger Daltrey? Our New York camp will be one of our best yet.”

From the minute campers arrive in New York, their rock ‘n’ roll adventure begins. Campers will form their own bands; spend over 10 hours a day in-studio jamming and creating original music under the guidance of a famous rock counselor; meet and jam with Roger Daltrey; take a variety of specialized master classes conducted by rock icons; break bread with industry insiders; and play BB King's in Times Square before a jam-packed audience.

There are three packages – the four-day Rock Star package, and six-day Headliner and Recording Star packages – allowing campers a variety of options to tap into their inner Robert Plant. The most comprehensive package – The Recording Star – includes two extra days of recording time in a renowned studio with a professional engineer, allowing campers to leave with a series of professionally-mixed and produced songs complete with the rock star seal of approval.

This fall, in conjunction with the VH1 Classic series, Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp is criss-crossing the nation, bringing a series of “Weekend Warrior” Camps to a town near you. The tour, led by Allman Brothers legend Dickey Betts, kicks off today for a weekend in Philadelphia, and then continues in San Francisco (Nov. 5-7), Dallas (Nov. 12-14) and Chicago (Nov. 19-21). Betts will be joined on tour by Mark Farner (formerly of Grand Funk), Mark Hudson, Rudy Sarzo, Kip Winger, Sandy Gennaro, and numerous special guest rock stars in each city. Hudson, Sarzo and Winger are all featured on the TV show.

“Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp is the hottest show on VH1 Classic for a reason,” added Fishof. “We’re rocking in the New Year with one of our most exciting and star-studded camps ever.”

Learn more about Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp, tour dates and pricing at http://www.rockcamp.com/

About Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp: Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp was founded by David Fishof in 1997 as the ultimate music experience for the amateur or aficionado, pairing music lovers of all levels together with rock icons for a first-hand immersion in the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. Camp attendees move from spectator to band member, sharing the stage - and limelight - with rock icons for an once-in-a-lifetime experience. More details available at http://www.rockcamp.com/

Judie Tzuke on Weekend Wogan this Sunday

A brief note from the Judie Tzuke camp (Thanks Jamie!), to let UK folks know that Judie is a live guest on Weekend Wogan, this Sunday live on BBC Radio 2. She will be performing three songs.

Here is a link to the show:

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vf707

If you can't catch it live, it should be on the BBC iPlayer for a week.

Keep up with Judie Tzuke for all things at:

http://www.tzuke.com/

www.myspace.com/tzuke

Def Leppard's Phil Collen launches new website

Adding updates about his current TV 'touring' schedule, Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen has kicked off his new website, with the following news.

Phil To Guest on VH1 Classic’s – “That Metal Show” on Nov 6th

Phil joins hosts Eddie Trunk, Don Jamieson, and Jim Florentine on season six of the VH1 Classic hit original series “That Metal Show”. ‘The show is bigger and badder than ever with a new one-hour format, giving viewers more time to get up close and personal with their favorite metal artists’. Phil is joined by Frankie Banali, of Quiet Riot fame, in the second half of the show.

www.vh1classic.com/browse/video/109196/That_Metal_Show/index.jhtml

and ...

Phil to Appear on LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON on Nov 12th

Catch Phil LIVE on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Friday, November 12th at 12:35/11:35 Central on NBC. Phil will be sitting in with Jimmy’s house band, The Roots, for the entire show!

http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/

To keep up with his new site where he's covering everything from his music to his bodybuilding(!?) and workouts inbetween go to:

www.philcollenpc1.com/

Lynch Mob adds new US dates in 2011

George Lynch and his Lynch Mob band of merry men have been touring all over the world in support of their return album 'Smoke and Mirrors' and right now they are making their way to Europe.

The bands next live date being at the UK's premier melodic and hard rock annual Firefest Festival in Nottingham, England on October 30th and after that they'll be making their way to Bulgaria, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain and beyond, through November.

Guessing the band will be taking some down time after that before 2011 kicks in and then the band will start all over again, kicking off in January on the 21st at Hollywood's Key Club, followed by some other dates in Arizona, Michigan and then New York.

(Source: www.pollstar.com/resultsArtist.aspx?ID=86014&SortBy=Date)

I'm sure more dates will be added and then hopefully we'll see a new album from the band.

http://www.georgelynch.com/

www.myspace.com/georgelynch

Rock News for Friday 22nd October, 2010

Hi folks, yes back on again today after nothing for you for Thursday and feeling totally wiped out last night too!

I want to thank all my loyal followers of the site for clearly 'spreading the word,' as Thursday - even without any update! - got the most views I've had in a long time! :)

LOL! Actually maybe it was all you regulars just checking back again and again to see if anything was posted?! Whatever the case, thanks for your continued support, I really appreciate it.

Without further ado, here's what I found for ya! Here's kicking off this weekend with some rockin' updates!

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of PRIME SUSPECT debut album on December 3rd 2010.

PRIME SUSPECT is a new melodic rock combo formed by Daniele Liverani, Tommy Ermolli and Dario Ciccioni, three Italian musicians who came to the attention of the Melodic Rock crowd thanks to their performances on the three KHYMERA releases. Liverani, the most experienced musician of the lot, had a long career in the Italian HR/HM scene releasing albums with the Prog Metal groups EMPTY TREMOR and TWINSPIRITS and also with the GENIUS Rock Opera in 3 chapters, showcasing an international all star cast of singers including Daniel Gildenlow (Pain of Salvation), Mark Boals, DC Cooper (ex Royal Hunt) and many more.

Since the KHYMERA last two albums saw the bulk of the songwriting from the brothers Tom and James Martin, Liverani started to put together some Melodic Rock tracks which could live on the quality of arrangement and performance of the previous KHYMERA releases. "The awesome songwriting of the Martin Brothers for the Khymera albums I've been arranging and producing inspired me a lot and that's why I decided to accept the challenge of writing some original material in the more Melodic Rock style” says Daniele Liverani presenting the new album. “I would say that Prime Suspect is a combination of what I've been learning with Khymera and my personal style and I have been thrilled with the result... It's been very refreshing to work on this record, and it's been awesome as usual to work all the musicians involved, that provided great performances and the right sound for this new challenge".

After a few demos, the three musicians started looking for a suitable singer who could gel with the material written and the search was over when Olaf Senkbeil, fron the german band DREAMTIDE, came into the picture. The icing on the cake was offered by the Swedish songwriter Christian Wolff (On The Rise, Johnny Lima, Mecca) who contributed with two songs “What Do You Want” and “It Could’ve Been You” for the amazing final result. "Basically there's a lot of classic melodic rock inside the tunes" tells Liverani "but the sound is very modern and powerful with a touch of experimentation that comes from my Progressive experience. That's an interesting combination that hopefully the listeners will find interesting and entertaining"

A brilliant debut album which offers a contemporary and European sounding / flavoured Melodic Rock, which is granted to appeal to the fans of KHYMERA, LAST AUTUMN’S DREAM and class AOR music.

“Prime Suspect” tracklisting includes:

What Do You Want; I’ll Be Fine; Change This World; I Never Knew; I Would Like To Reach The Sun; It Could’ve Been You; Hear Me Calling; Deep In My Heart; So Strange; Watch Me.

The songs “What Do You Want” and “Change This World” can exclusively be listened in full in streaming on the Frontiers Web radio. Tune in at: www.frontiers.it/webradio

New music from Alan Parsons

OK, don't go getting too excited ... Yes, there is new music available from Alan Parsons ..., BUT ..., it's only a new single available exclusively through i-Tunes.

The main / lead off song is titled "All Our Yesterdays" and is backed by another newie in "Alpha Centauri."

For more information go to: www.alanparsonsmusic.com/

Heaven and Hell "Neon Nights" Official Release & Listening Party!

The official release and viewing party for Heaven and Hell's new CD/DVD "Neon Nights" will take place on Friday November 12th at Duff's Brooklyn, 168 Marcy Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Free CD's & DVD's to be distributed courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment!

To pre-order your copy of "Neon Nights" visit: www.amazon.com/Neon-Nights-Years-Heaven-Wacken/dp/B0043E8YAC/ref=sr_1_1

Source: www.iommi.com/

Newman brief update for Firefest

FIREFEST!

The largest melodic rock festival in the UK is almost upon us, and Newman are so excited to be included on the bill this year. We think it's going to be a killer weekend and it will be great to catch up with friends old and new over the three days. The guys will be there over the whole weekend so please come up and say hi !!

As we have been doing at all the festivals this year, we'll be running our "Festival Special" where you'll be able to pick up "The Art Of Balance" and "Decade" for a great price of £15.

We will also have "AOB Tour T Shirts" for sale at the show, however, if you can't wait that long or you want to wear one on the day to support the band, they are available now from the shop here -www.newmansound.com/Shop.htm - or on the link below. Thank you, and see you all in Nottingham, Steve, Paul, Dave, Nic, and Shaun

Official website: www.newmansound.com/



Rock News for Wednesday 20th October, 2010

I sincerely apologize, but after scouring websites and receiving a distinct lack of new press releases, this is all I have for you for today folks.

NELSON Releases First Music Video in 15 years

AOL & NOISECREEP - 24 HOUR EXCLUSIVE PREMIER TODAY!

“YOU’RE ALL I NEED TONIGHT”

FROM NEW “LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE” ALBUM

HOLLYWOOD, CA (October 20, 2010) –Never before seen music video YOU’RE ALL I NEED TONIGHT from NELSON’S forthcoming album “Lightning Strikes Twice” premiers live on AOL Music and Noisecreep today at 12pm EST - http://www.noisecreep.com/ or http://www.music.aol.com/

YOU’RE ALL I NEED TONIGHT is the first music video created by Matthew & Gunnar Nelson in over 15 years. It is the first single to be released from the critically acclaimed new album “Lightning Strikes Twice” from Frontiers Records scheduled for release in Europe on November 5th, and in the U.S. in February 2011 from Frontiers Records USA. “Lightning Strikes Twice” is a sequel to NELSON’s classic multi-platinum debut album, “After the Rain”.

YOU’RE ALL I NEED TONIGHT captures the melodic rock signature NELSON sound and harmonies from the twin lead front men and songwriters performing at the top of their game. A-list stage performance led by Matthew Nelson and featuring backing musicians Juke Kartel, provide the perfect compliment to the powerful lead vocals of Gunnar Nelson, whose stellar vocal performance ignites the screen.

Video trailer here: http://www.nelsonkicksass.com/  OR www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKq8NaSnzOE  

NELSON went back to their roots in Hollywood and music television shooting the music video in September. The video provides a simple, stripped down, clean white background – with no fancy effects or staging -- only guitars and harmonies. “Gunnar and I felt we needed to let the music speak for itself which is why we went for simplicity”, says Matthew. Adds Gunnar, “Music videos with all their embellished imagery brought NELSON and their songs to the attention of the world back in 1990. Now we hope it’s the song and the music itself that will bring the attention back to NELSON. ”

NELSON’s single YOU’RE ALL I NEED TONIGHT is now available for digital audio download purchase from Frontiers Records online at Amazon.com, iTunes and Napster.

http://www.thenelsonbrothers.com/indexa.html

http://www.frontiers.it/

Magnum - The Visitation, more updates on the forthcominmg release

On a music scene which laments with increasing vehemence a lack of consistency and artistic standards, Magnum are a band who possess these very qualities. For almost 40 years, they have been among the most consistent leading lights in rock history and continue to impress with their unique style, a mix of powerful energy, deep melodiousness and perceptive lyrics. At the same time, Magnum’s songs immediately captivate their audience and lose none of their fascination, even after repeated listens.
“I’d even say that many of our songs reveal all their strong points only after you’ve heard them a few times,” guitarist/songwriter/producer Tony Clarkin explains, adding: “Our brand-new compositions in particular feature a large number of harmony and rhythm changes, I feel they should definitely be heard a few times so you can discover their many details.” Clarkin is referring to the latest Magnum release, The Visitation, due out on Steamhammer/SPV on 17 January 2011 (Germany: 14 January; US & Canada: 25 January) and without a doubt one of the strongest albums in the band’s history to date.

The five Magnum members, Tony Clarkin, Bob Catley (vocals), Mark Stanway (keyboards), Al Barrow (bass) and Harry James (drums), have invested all their passion, skill and great experience to come up with an optimum result. “I feel we haven’t brought out one really weak album, yet none of our previous recordings featured a better production than The Visitation,” Clarkin announces proudly. “This release sounds more rock-oriented and at the same time more personal than anything we’ve recorded so far, and it definitely features the widest range of stylistic directions and atmospheres. What makes it so special is the fact that the music’s arrangements match the atmosphere and the lyrics’ statements. Every cog turns perfectly within the wheelwork.”

Magnum prove repeatedly on The Visitation that their lyrics are anything but superficial or mediocre: ‘Mother Nature’s Final Dance’ has the musicians decry the destructive way we treat our environment. “Just look at what’s going on in the world at the moment, toxic red mud polluting a whole village in Hungary, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico – terrible. It’s always a mix of greed and lack of responsibility which leads to these kinds of tragedies.” The rock number ‘Freedom Day’, a kind of paean of praise to self-determination, is equally profound. Clarkin: “We live in freedom in Europe, but looking at a lot of South-American or African countries, you see oppression, you see people living under the brutal reign of a dictator. That’s why we say: let’s fight for freedom.”

The cover artwork, which was again created by graphic designer Rodney Matthews, reflects the lyrics of ‘Door To Nowhere’, which has Magnum look back at their own childhood. It would hardly be possible for a track to be more typical of this band than this number with its dynamic guitar parts, gritty arrangements and charismatic vocals.

 The Visitation will be available in four different formats: as a standard version, in a limited-edition DigiPak featuring a bonus DVD, in a limited-edition 2-LP boxed set, and for download. Starting early March 2011, Magnum will embark on a two-month European tour which will see the band present, along with songs from The Visitation and popular classics, tracks which haven’t featured on their live playlist for a number of years. So the party is about to begin!

Tracklisting
Black Skies, Doors To Nowhere, The Visitation, Wild Angels, Spin Like A Wheel, The Last Frontier, Freedom Day, Mothers Nature's Final Dance, Midnight Kings, Tonight's The Night.
Official band website:
www.magnumonline.co.uk/

Brief Rock News Update for Tuesday 19th October, 2010

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of VEGA's debut album "Kiss of Life" on December 3rd in Europe.

VEGA is a band that formed in may 2009 from the union of former KICK vocalist Nick Workman with the successful and respected song writing partnership of Tom and James Martin (House of Lords, Ted Poley of Danger Danger, Khymera, Sunstorm to name but a few), VEGA is a new band but rest assured they are about to take the Melodic Rock world by storm!

Their debut album “Kiss of Life” has been produced by John Greatwood (engineer for Tom Lord Alge of QUEEN fame) and mastered by the one and only Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69) and features 12 rock songs which mix classic Bon Jovi and Def Leppard, with a pinch of U2 and Journey. "We wear our love of 80’s rock music on our sleeve, but we also have injected our love of modern rock music to it" says Tom Martin. "We aren’t trying to rehash anything: the sound we have achieved is 100% VEGA. We didn’t want to try and guess what people expect and get it wrong. Normally when we write songs we have the control over the lyrics/melodies but this time with Vega we left Nick to this part because we really rate him as a songwriter and he did a fantastic job with this on Kick's albums, so we knew he could make our sound more unique and make it a bit different from the AOR songs we write".

Tom and James met Nick 10 years ago when KICK was supporting Thunder on the first of their farewell tours. In the time that followed, the guys had always wanted to work with Nick, and opportunity came when the two brothers and drummer Dan Chantrey met Nick for a second time at a U.K. rock festival. Conversations about movies and music finally moved on to the all important question….."When are we going to work together?". The answer ended up being the next day, and VEGA was born. The chemistry between the guys was obvious and two brothers became four!

VEGA wrote 25 songs in the coming months and chose the best songs for recording. No expense was spared and a top UK recording studio was booked and in John Greatwood a producer with numerous UK and European top 10 albums and singles was on board! Following recording and mixing in October, Dennis Ward stepped up to the plate to put the final touches to the album, mastering it in his studio in Germany.

Get ready to experience the band live! "We do have a couple of gigs confirmed and others that we are waiting on" says singer Nick Workman. "We will support Danny Vaughn at Dudley JB’s on December 10th, the week the album comes out. As we were going to be rehearsed for that it would be silly not to do another gig, so we booked a date at The Yardbird’s the night before to blow out the cobwebs!! It’s going to be a lot of fun to play these songs live"

You can expect VEGA to be on many people's best of list of 2010 even if the album will be released almost... out of time !

"Kiss of Life" tracklisting includes: Into The Wild; Kiss Of Life; One Of A Kind; Staring At The Sun; Too Young For Wings; A.N. Other; Headlights; Hearts Of Glass; Stay With Me; Wonderland; What It Takes; S.O.S. - Kiss Of Life (videoclip)

The songs “Into The Wild” and “Kiss Of Life” can exclusively be listened in full in streaming on the Frontiers Web radio. Tune in at: www.frontiers.it/webradio

Enjoy the "Kiss of Life" videoclip clicking on the image below

VEGA:

Nick Workman: vocals

Tom Martin: guitars

James Martin: keyboards

Dan Chantrey: drums

Weblinks:

www.myspace.com/vegaofficial

http://www.frontiers.it/

www.myspace.com/frontiersrecords

Chad Smith confirms no touring with Chickenfoot in 2011

The man behind the drumkit in Chickenfoot, for all gigs to date Chad Smith, has confirmed on http://www.musicradar.com/ that he won’t be able to join his Chickenfoot band buddies in 2011 in support of the band’s second album due to other commitments with his main employers, the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

He told the site, 'Things are good, if good means exceedingly crazy and busy, then they're very good.'

He went on to add, 'I just finished some great shows with the 'Foot, I'm making a Chili Peppers record, and now I've got the Meatbats' latest and greatest album ready to come out. I've said this before, but I either need to clone myself or grow another set of arms so I can keep up with all of my bands and projects. I can't believe I'm getting ready to go on a Meatbats tour in a few weeks.'

You can read the full story here:

http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/chad-smith-on-new-bombastic-meatbats-red-hot-chili-peppers-chickenfoot-284879

Former Thunder band members pull out of 'The 80's Rocked' tour ... And the others too!

Former Thunder band members who were part of the line up that called themselves, 'The 80's Rocked' that featured Danny Vaughn (Tyketto), Carl Sentance (Persian Risk - Geezer Butler Band - Krokus), Dave Bishop, (Sabbat, Loudman, Whole Lotta Metal), Jon Pease (Vandal - Jealousy), Chris Childs (Thunder - Paul Young), Harry James (Magnum - Thunder - Terraplane), recently issued the following statement:

The 80s Rocked - A Band Announcement

After a great deal of soul searching, I am very sad to announce that the rest of the band and I have decided to pull out of The 80s Rocked Tour. I’m not at liberty to go into the detail as to why, as there could be legal ramifications if I do.

We are told by the organisers that the tour will still go ahead, with another band stepping in to take our place.

We have no more information on this, so if you have questions or queries, I can only suggest you contact management at http://www.the80srocked.co.uk/ or via the Facebook page.

We would like to send our most profound apologies to fans and ticket buyers for any disappointment and inconvenience caused by our non-appearance. This is not a decision we made lightly, we simply felt we had no choice.

Thanks

Issued at: http://www.thunderonline.com/site/

Check out the promo video for the line up here:

Official site for the band: http://the80srocked.co.uk/#

Stan Bush - Dream the Dream album review

Stan Bush – Dream the Dream album review

Released on: Frontiers Records (Europe), LA Records (USA)
Release date: Available now everywhere.

So OK class, who can tell me who Stan Bush is? Someone shouts, 'Wasn’t he the guy with the hit single from the original animated Transformers movie?' Yes, that would be correct, but … Someone else calls out, ‘Don’t you know anything? The song was 'The Touch' and it's a great rock song! Stan Bush has also released 13 albums including his Best of back in 1999. He even won an Emmy Award in 1997 for ‘Best Original Song’ with ‘Til I Was Loved By You’ and he’s done countless tracks for movies and TV shows.’

OK, so that wasn’t / isn’t a true scenario but it most certainly could and probably should be and all this by the way, has been going on since 1983’s release of his first album, ‘Stan Bush.’

This guy seriously writes class melodic rock / AOR, call it what you will in a not dissimilar style to say great guitarist / singer songwriters Jeff Paris and even Michael Bolton (On his day ...), before the latter guy totally wimped out and sold his soul to whatever form of cabaret would pay him best. Sad for M.B. bt not so for Stan Bush who still has much to offer.

Here’s the thing, if you like Stan Bush already or Toto, Journey, Foreigner, Newman, Survivor, Jeff Paris and similar acts, chances are you’ll most likely enjoy this release.

Stan Bush can really write great songs, he sings well even at times here getting up where Bobby Kimball reaches and that speaks volumes!

I have really enjoyed listening to this album and keep going back to it, in between other stuff I’m trying to address reviews on.

So, here’s the breakdown!

Opening track ‘Never Hold Back’ is just sweet up tempo AOR, smoothly crafted melodic hook laden rock, although can’t help thinking ‘that’ little riff in there reminds me of AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck,’ but other than that the song provides a great vocal performance and musical bliss. Nice opener.

Mid paced ‘I’m Still Here’ once more continues the AOR joyride. Steady basic yet punchy chords heavily surrounded by multiple layers of sound, back up Stan’s great vocals. To ignore this release is crazy. I love it!

‘Don’t Give Up On Love’ almost reminds me of Bad English with the intro, then the verse is a chug along steady laid back slow pop rocker before launching into a huge chorus and yes, I will say it, Stan reaches peaks ala Bobby Kimball here at times. Some really nice guitar work here and throughout the album so far.

Now I’m sure artists absolutely hate when I draw comparisons to other acts and I really don’t mean it in any derogatory sense whatsoever. I simply try to give fans of this style of music what kind of vein the style of album is as a guideline. It is the case for me with next track, ‘Two Heart’s.’ Can you imagine Bobby Kimball sharing lead vocals with Stan Bush and fronting Foreigner, with an up tempo pop rocker. It’s just great stuff, it really is and provides an album of classic AOR / Melodic rock to please almost any fan of this style of music.

Stan has gone and produced another great power ballad in the track ‘In My Life,’ that’s written in the same style as the song he wrote, that House of Lords had some minor success with in ‘Love Don’t Lie’ and it’s full of all the same textures. Wonderful!

‘Love Is The Road,’ although starting as more of a mid paced pop rocker, has an excellent if brief little solo break in it and the song is full of ‘Na na na’s' and ‘woah woah woah’s' choruses …, so it’s clearly chart oriented.

With next track, ‘If This Is All There Is,’ the song starts with a little nod to Bryan Adam’s ‘Run To You,’ but it grows from there with a few edgy riffs and some punchy power chords into the chorus and of course huge vocals. Love the little all too short dirty bridge about midway through, before the song comes back the big choruses and then that dirty guitar sound is back towards the end and Holger Fath totally rips things up on guitar as the song plays out, in a similar style to something like Steve Lukather would pull off. Love it!

I’ve seen some reports that although this is a good album, it’s nothing new … Well, I’d say that depends on two things perhaps, a) how much you’ve listened to Stan Bush before and b) how much you like this style of music and don’t want it to go away!

Title track and epic ‘Dream the Dream’ is next and this is immense! Stan, you are the man! This track just builds and simply grows and gets very involved and yes, that includes some really excellent playing again in the solo. Keep this up Stan, sounds good to me.

‘More Than A Miracle’ is steady, punchy little number with the production mix sounding dare I say, even a little Queen like in places and then some. Nice change / bridge mid way through and then back again.

A more modern janglely rock sound starts ‘Your Time’ next and has a very much more up to date radio friendly sound, I guess that could, should get Stan some current radio airplay. It’s another up tempo pop rocker that deserves to be heard for sure.

Back to the more traditional Stan Bush sound in ‘All That I Am’ that’s borderline AOR power ballad meets pop rocker, with some almost Beatles like moments in the bridge. It’s still good by me!

Closing the album, Stan revisits his best known work, in ‘Sam’s Theme (The Touch)’ but it’s oh ..., so different …

Very strange but interesting … Starting very laid back before then crunching riffs kick in for the chorus, but in a very different way to the original. It’s almost dare I say, like Linkin Park …!

It’s been rearranged and sung very differently and at first I didn’t know what to make of it, but you know what Stan has done here isn’t that far away from what Winger did to surprise people with their latest album ‘Karma’ and how they mixed up some great AOR with some more darker edgy stuff. Well Stan has done just that with this track. It’s grown on me and I can’t blame Stan for wanting to do this.

Overall for me, this for me is an album that I have enjoyed and still enjoy popping on in the car, in between trying to listen to and appreciate other things in for review. For me this is something that’s great to hear in the car and would cool to hear live, but what chance on that front – Playing live shows. – is obviously down to the main man, Stan Bush and how well no doubt the album is received.

According to the sleeve notes, Stan sings all the lead and backing vocals and has again left the guitar work to Holger Fath.

Is that right, no guitars for you Stan? Come on Stan, rip it up a little yourself too on the next one! Share the guitar work with Holger next time, it'll be more killer still! Holger Fath by the way also once again provided all the keyboard work here and produced the album for Stan, as he's done before! - These two seem brothers in arms now. The rhythm section is made up of the much traveled Matt Bissonette on bass and the drums handled by Matt Laug.

I really do recommend this album and I think it is great listening!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Official Stan Bush website: http://stanbush.com/

Rock News for Monday 18th October, 2010

Peter Frampton guests on Nights With Alice Cooper for this week

Well, who would've thought it? Yes, sure they are both classic rockers, but both live and on album, follow very different paths, sound wise.

I guess since Peter Frampton came out and jammed with Alice Cooper this past summer at a show in Harris Park, London, Ontario, they must've struck up a new bond! Who knows?!

Anyway, for this week ahead, Peter Frampton has offered to step into the hot seat of, 'Nights with Alice Cooper' only this week they'll be with Peter Frampton!

Here's what Alice has posted on his website as a taster for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday's planned broadcasts.

Monday-10/18/2010

He’s Peter Frampton and he’s your special pre-Halloween surprise guest host this week, while Alice gets ready for Halloween! Tune in for the Grammy-winning guitar great’s maiden voyage! He’ll have tough trivia on Ozzy, a Cooper’s Cover of the Beatles, bizarre facts about meteorites and Popes and a Lockdown Rockdown cover from ZZ Top! Then it’s Chuck Berry for This Day in rock, a rare song from one of Mr. Frampton’s legendary bands and the story behind it, plus a cool Halloween giveaway with Rob Zombie and Coop at http://www.nightswithalicecooper.com/! It’s radio the way YOU want it, only here on the special Frampton-esque Nights with Alice Cooper!

Tuesday-10/19/2010

He’s your surrogate night-freak Peter Frampton, serving up good radio for bad people, just like YOU. This evening Peter’ll play a great Cooper’s Cover of the Ramones, a This Day in Rock honoring the Yardbirds, funny trivia on Judas Priest, AND email requests for Zeppelin and the MC5! Then it’s a Tuesday Bluesday tune from Little Feat, one of Peter’s own Live and Kicking songs and the story behind it, AND the Gruesome Twosome contest at http://www.nightswithalicecooper.com/. It’s a freak-fest of magnificent magnitude, only here later on Nights with Alice Cooper…featuring the guest host with the most, Peter Frampton!

Wednesday-10/20/2010

Alice Cooper is busy preparing for his next week of radio and big Halloween special, so he asked Peter Frampton to stand in… and Peter, competitor that he is, says he plans to outdo Alice! Peter’ll have Lita Ford covering one of Alice’s songs; a This Day in Rock featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd, plus insider Skynyrd stories from Peter himself! Then it’s trivia and tales about the Doors, your requests for Jo Jo Gunne and Dokken, and a chance to win Frampton’s latest, ‘Thank You Mr. Churchill” CD! Then it’s a Songs We Just Don’t Understand from Blue Oyster Cult, and the Zombie/Cooper contest at http://www.nightswithalicecooper.com/ It’s the fantabulous Peter Frampton hosting an extra-special Nights with Alice Cooper!

For more details, go to: http://nightswithalicecooper.com/

Jeff Scott Soto jams with Y&T in London

It seems Jeff Scott Soto (Yngwie Malmsteen, Journey, Talisman, Soul SirkUS), hooked up with Bay Area rockers Y&T at the California bands London show on Saturday night. He joined the band - as it seems he has before! - to sing perhaps one of the fans favourites tracks, 'Meanstreak.'

Video footage that has been posted on YouTube can be seen here. Sadly audio quality isn't the greatest:

Y&T have just been playing a number of successful dates in the UK on their 'Facemelter' tour, sadly minus original member and bassist, Phil Kennemore who's been undergoing treatment for metastatic cancer.

For more details on Phil and a fund that Y&T have set up to help cover the mans medical costs, go to:

www.meniketti.com/philfund.html

The band will continue the rest of it's European tour, starting in Paris, France on Wednesday 20th October.

For more on their future tour dates go to:

http://www.meniketti.com/tourdates.html

Stan Bush to feature on 'Rock Band Network'

It seems by popular demand, Stan Bush’s timeless hit “The Touch” is now available for the Rock Band Network! If fans demand it, it seems like another Stan song might make its way to RBN as well! The official page for “The Touch” on RBN can be seen right here:

www.rockband.com/songs/UGC_5004281

In other Stan Bush related events, on the back of his very good latest album 'Dream the Dream' - More coverage on that here soon! - he hopes to visit Europe in January, maybe Australia in June and most likely at the annual 'BotCon - Transformers Convention' next summer, which happens June 2nd - 5th, 2011 in Pasadena, California. He also performed there this past summer.

www.botcon.com/BotCon10/con10guests.cfm

Keep up with Stan Bush at: http://stanbush.com/

Klaus Meine posts a message after two Scorpions shows are cancelled

It seems the Scorpions farewell world tour for their latest 'Sting In The Tail' album, has been taking its toll on lead singer Klaus Meine, as the band just had to postpone two shows. One in Athens, Greece and one in Sofia.

Klaus has just posted this message through the Scorpions website:

Dear Fans, thank you so much for all those "get well messages" from around the world ..... We postponed Athens and Sofia until the end of this month .... Now that I'm feeling better, I'm very much looking forward to continuing our "Get Your Sting And Blackout World Tour" this Thursday in Moldavia and singing my heart out in the upcoming shows for all of you .....

See you soon, yours, Klaus Meine

PS.: Thank you Athens & Sofia for understanding & your support ......

For all Scorpions information: www.the-scorpions.com/english/