Category Archives: music

Celebrity/musician deaths, music

RIP: Jeff Hanneman 1964 – 2013

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Today’s a sad day in the world of music, especially for the metal industry. The iconic thrash metal band, Slayer, has lost their founding member and longtime guitarist. I am a fan of Slayer. I absolutely love them. I own several of their albums in my Itunes library. They are good to listen for my workouts at the gym and doing outside cardio. I own their latest album, “World Painted Blood”. I also own their albums “Season of the Abyss”, “Reign In Blood”, and maybe a few others; I forgot the names of them. I also have the Big 4 DVD with Slayer performing on it. I’m devastated of this passing; kind of heartbroken about this one.

In 2011, Jeff left Slayer to cut down on full-time touring because he started to have health problems but he did play at Metallica’s Big 4 show, though. It was a disease called nercrotizing fasciitis. Even though he has died of liver failure, it is not known if this is related to that disease. I don’t want to jump to conclusions on anything.

Slayer has always been a favorite metal band of mine as well. That band can be pretty addicting to listen to and you always found yourself going back to listen to their music. That’s how I always been. I never got to saw them live but always wanted to though. Now, I wonder if Slayer will continue on without him. They probably will ’cause they continued to tour without Jeff because of his health problems. If they decide to break up and call it quit in honor of him, that would be understandable.

In my opinion, Jeff Hanneman is irreplaceable. The guy was a genius metal guitarist. He could play both lead guitar and rhythm guitar amazingly. There are no other metal guitarists like him these days. Jeff Hanneman is Slayer. While the other guys in the band are great musicians too, Jeff would be the one to pay attention to the most. My condolences go out to the band Slayer, Jeff’s family/friends, the fans and the rest of the metal community. Jeff Hanneman was 49 years old.

I LOVE THIS FUCKING BAND AND THIS BLOWS!!! \m/

Kev

Local music, music

Thought: Should guitar solos in songs be planned out beforehand or improvised???

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There was an interesting discussion in facebook yesterday when this certain musician ask other musicians how long a guitar solo should be. Some argued that guitar solos in songs should be short and they should be written out beforehand. They claim that long solos really bore the listener. I replied back to the facebook posting that guitar solos should be improvised. I said, if you’re the type of player who plans out how long a guitar solo should be or if you write out the guitar solo note for note, then you’re doing it wrong. It’s just my opinion. Why don’t you ask famous guitarists (for example: Jimmy Page, Neil Young, Randy Rhoads, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, etc.); how long a guitar solo should be? They would just look at you with a “What the fuck” look and say, “I don’t know”. When these guys play guitar solos the famous ones, they usually can’t tell how long a guitar solo should be. Most guitar solos in some of the most famous rock songs were improvised and winged out.

This is just proof that nobody cares about improvisation in this day and age of music. Whether the guitar solo should be 30 seconds, a couple of minutes, several minutes, 15 minutes or longer, a guitar solo should  be improvised. It makes things unpredictable and interesting that way in a song. I’m in favor of long guitar solos ’cause I’m so used to listening to Led Zep, Hendrix, and a lot of jam band stuff.

I’ve always believed that if you’re the type of guitar player who will write out a guitar solo then you’re not an actual musician, in my humble opinion. When recording in the studio, it’s understandable that you have to make guitar solos kind of short ’cause a compact disc only has a certain amount of time for it but live; however, you can make the guitar solos go on for as long as you want. There are no rules in lead guitar soloing when a lot of guitarists mistakenly believe there are. Long guitar jams on stage won’t bore the audience as long as you can keep them interesting and fresh. To keep long solos playing live interesting requires good phrasing and sounding musical.

A lot of bands jam on stage for a long time during the same song because they can’t help themselves. It’s called jamming. The song stops whenever it feels like it, ya know? It’s all part of improv when musicians work with each others minds. Letting the mind and the fingers do the talking; that’s how it’s supposed to be done. If you’re the type of player who will write out a solo beforehand, you just don’t have the confidence to be creative and artistic. Improvising a solo is the way to go. It’s about hearing the solo in your head and getting it out of you.

This is the kind of lead guitar player I want to be, and I’m trying all I can to improve my lead guitar chops to a more professional level. If you’re the type of player who is able to successfully play a solo you hear in your head and get it out of you, that’s the way it should be done. Solos should be played with feeling and emotion. I’m trying to get there. If I ever get a band of my own, we’re gonna be an improvising kind of rock band for sure.

Nobody really believes in playing actual guitar solos anymore whether in local music or national. I understand that some musicians need to write out guitar solos sometimes but only do it when absolutely necessary. Don’t over do it.

Kev

movies, music

“Man of Steel” soundtrack set for release on June 11th…

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ManofSteelSoundtrack

I usually don’t pass along all of these press releases and spam-mail I’ve been getting in my inbox, but I thought this one would be worth posting. The Hans Zimmer score for the film “Man of Steel”, will be getting released for a Deluxe Version; two-disc soundtrack. This movie will be a John Williams-less score, so you will not hear the main theme for this movie at all. This will be completely new music for Superman. From what I heard so far, it is amazing. So maybe this movie can do good without John Williams, after all?

Here’s the press release of the Soundtrack below (I’ll also post the link for the pre-order, if interested):

—————————————————————————————————————————

MAN OF STEEL TWO DISC SOUNDTRACK FEATURING ORIGINAL MUSIC BY HANS ZIMMER SET FOR RELEASE JUNE 11th

Limited Deluxe Edition Soundtrack Also Available

 

Man of Steel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Available For Pre-Order

LOS ANGELES, CA – April 30, 2013 – On June 11, 2013, WaterTower Music will release two configurations of the Man Of Steel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The album will be available in standard form as well as a limited edition deluxe version at all physical and digital retailers. Academy Award®, Grammy®, and Golden Globe® – winning composer Hans Zimmer composed the music for this highly anticipated project, joining forces for the first time with director Zack Snyder.

“The challenges of creating a Superman score are daunting because Superman is so iconographic,” said Snyder. “I really feel like what Hans created is perfect. Subtle and stirring, epic and commanding. Honestly, Hans crushed it.”

Fans will have the ability to choose between the standard two disc, 18-song soundtrack, and a limited, deluxe edition of the soundtrack. This deluxe edition will be housed in a special embossed steel case, contain 24 score selections, and give fans the ability to access multiple videos showing an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the music. Both the standard and deluxe editions will include the epic track “Man of Steel (Hans Original Sketchbook)” which clocks in at over 28 minutes long. This exclusive track is performed solely by Zimmer, and allows listeners to experience firsthand his initial experiments with the film’s music, which ultimately lay the foundation for the film’s final score.

Those fans who purchase the CD version of the deluxe edition will have the opportunity to download all 24 songs in DTS Headphone: X, which reproduces a cinematic multi-speaker surround sound experience using only the user’s headphones. DTS Headphone: X presents a whole new way to hear mobile entertainment over headphones. The technology garnered rave reviews from the likes of The Wall Street Journal, and Cnet, among others at this year’s CES convention.

Additionally, a double, 180 gram vinyl configuration of the soundtrack is slated for a summer release.

In addition to his orchestral arrangements, Zimmer, no stranger to stepping outside the confines of traditional film scoring, has assembled two unique musical entities to contribute music to Man of Steel. The first, a “drum orchestra,” which was brought together for the album, is described by soundtrack co-producer Peter Asher as “some of the best drummers in the world all playing simultaneously in a space designed for a symphony orchestra – using not only rock drum kits but tympani and field drums as well.”

The membership of this elite assembly consists of many of today’s top musicians including John JR Robinson, Jason Bonham, Josh Freese, Pharrell Williams, Danny Carey, Satnam Ramgotra, Toss Panos, Jim Keltner, Curt Bisquera, Trevor Lawrence Jr., Matt Chamberlain, Ryeland Allison, Bernie Dresel, Vinnie Colaiuta and Sheila E. Their contribution, under Zimmer’s musical direction, creates a towering and powerful musical accompaniment to the film.

Another distinctive group the composer assembled was a gathering of eight of music’s finest pedal steel guitarists who play classical string section parts. This collective, consisting of Chas Smith, Marty Rifkin, Skip Edwards, Boo Bernstein, Peter Frieberger, Rick Schmidt, JD Maness, John McClung, was described by Asher as, “a uniquely new metallic orchestra” added its own distinct and soaring musical stamp to the soundtrack.

The Man Of Steel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is currently available for preorder at Amazon and will be available for preorder on iTunes starting May 7.

 

SOUNDTRACK TRACK LISTING

  

Disc 1 – Flight

  1. Look to the Stars
  2. Oil Rig
  3. Sent here for a Reason
  4. DNA
  5. Goodbye My Son
  6. If You Love These People
  7. Krypton’s Last
  8. Terraforming
  9. Tornado
  10. You Die or I Do
  11. Launch
  12. Ignition
  13. I Will Find Him
  14. This is Clark Kent
  15. I Have So Many Questions
  16. Flight
  17. What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?

 

Disc 2 – Experiments from the Fortress of Solitude

  1. Man of Steel                                (Hans’ Original Sketchbook)
  2. Are You Listening, Clark?             (Deluxe Edition Only)
  3. General Zod                                (Deluxe Edition Only)
  4. You Led Us Here                         (Deluxe Edition Only)
  5. This Is Madness!                         (Deluxe Edition Only)
  6. Earth                                          (Deluxe Edition Only)
  7. Arcade                                       (Deluxe Edition Only)

Hans Zimmer has scored more than 100 films, which have, combined, grossed over 19.6 billion dollars at the worldwide box office.  He has been honored with an Academy Award®, two Golden Globes®, three Grammys®, an American Music Award, and a Tony® Award. In 2003, ASCAP presented him with the prestigious Henry Mancini award for Lifetime Achievement for his impressive and influential body of work. He also received his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December 2010.  Some of his most recent works include the History Channel’s miniseries The Bible; the Christopher Nolan-directed films Inception, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises; and Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Upcoming titles include Ron Howard’s Rush, Gore Verbinski’s The Lone Ranger and Steve McQueen’s Twelve Years a Slave.

Zack Snyder directed Man of Steel from a screenplay by David S. Goyer from a story by Goyer & Nolan, based upon Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster and published by DC Entertainment.  Charles Roven, Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas and Deborah Snyder are the producers, with Thomas Tull, Lloyd Phillips and Jon Peters serving as executive producers.  The film stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Christopher Meloni and Russell Crowe.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Legendary Pictures, a Syncopy Production, a Zack Snyder Film, Man of Steel.  The film will be released in 3D and 2D in select theaters and IMAX®, and is slated for release on June 14, 2013.  It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

About Headphone: X

DTS Headphone: X enables content owners (e.g., movie studios, music labels or retail) to capture the acoustics of a high quality audio production studio and control the manner by which they are reproduced at the consumer end. Content providers can rest assured that the sonic reproduction presented to the listener can match the mix they so carefully crafted.

About WaterTower Music:

WaterTower Music, the in house music label for Warner Bros., has been releasing recorded music since 2001.  Distributed through InGrooves Fontana, WTM has released over 150 titles, including the film soundtracks to “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Project X,”, “Rock of Ages,” “Hairspray,” “Sex and the City,” “Elf,” “The Notebook,” and “Love and Basketball” among others.  Its 2013 schedule includes “42,” “Pacific Rim,” and “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.”

music

Report: Black Sabbath extends North American tour… but can Tony handle it???

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Originally, Black Sabbath had 4 or 5 shows to their tour but now they added a bunch more shows. Sadly, the band is not playing NY State… yet… but who knows, maybe they’ll add a NY show soon? To you NY Sabbath fans, the closest we’ll get to see them are either the Philadelphia or Boston shows.

Hopefully, Tony Iommi can handle this long tour ’cause as some of you he has lymphoma cancer. Can Black Sabbath go through all these shows successfully without anything happening to Tony? They could play a few shows, and all of a sudden, Tony has an emergency situation which will force them to cancel the rest of the tour. That could happen. We’ll wait and see if they can pull this tour off.

This could be the final Black Sabbath album and tour. I can’t blame the guys for wanting to do so much with Sabbath ’cause they want the band’s career to end on a positive note before Tony dies. Despite Bill Ward not being in the band, fans should support this band anyway ’cause of Tony’s cancer. Lymphoma is an impossible cancer to fight, so Tony may not actually have that much time left. That’s why the band is in a rush to get stuff done. It’s gonna be a sad loss when it’s time for Tony to go ’cause he is such an important person in music. There can’t be Black Sabbath without him so the band will probably call it quit after he dies. Sabbath was Tony’s band to begin with.

See the band’s tour listings, here.

Kev

movies, music

Report: Metallica’s 3D movie, “Through The Never” to hit Imax theaters…

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Metallica’s 3D live-concert movie, “Through The Never”, will be hitting Imax theaters all across North America, during the week of September 27th. The regular release of the film will be hitting theaters nationwide, Oct. 4th. The concert filmed in the movie was the three day concert in Vancouver, last August. The concert will feature: pyrotechnics, floating coffins, and planned malfunctions. Of course, I’m sure the concert will feature all kinds of unique stage lights and smoke machines to help give the 3D effects. Maybe the movie will even show backstage footage and interviews with the band, who knows.

More on the story, here.

As a die-hard Metallica myself, I’m really looking forward to this.The band is probably getting a lot of haters accusing the band of doing this for a quick cash-grab or being sell-outs, but angry fans call the band sell-outs on pretty much everything they do. After a 30 long year career, releasing 9 successful studio albums — yes, St. Anger, Load, and Re-load were very successful albums — , and being the biggest live-selling band in the history of music; the band deserves this film.

I’ve always stayed loyal to Metallica. Even stood by them for the “St. Anger”, “Load”, and “Re-load” stuff. I don’t feel ashamed of enjoying those albums ’cause they are good albums, if you give them a chance. Metallica is just like every other band, ya know? They just want to change and evolve. Bands don’t like staying in the same style of music so they need to be diverse and versatile. “St. Anger” may have been the band’s most hated album, but I’m probably one of the very few who actually loved it. It’s a pretty sick album if you actually listen to it. The album has some of James’s best rhythm playing and singing.

Love Metallica or hate them… they are the kings of metal, no matter what you think of them. I too am hoping they will start working on their 10th album if they’ll ever get to it. This band is not about pleasing everyone for sure. They’re not afraid to do what they want to do, not giving a shit about what anyone else thinks. That’s why Metallica still has my respect.

I’m looking forward to this movie and will be there to see it if it’s playing in my local mall.

Kev

music

Update on Ozzy & Sharon split…

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Ozzy just put out an official statement on his facebook saying that, he is not divorcing Sharon. Apparently, Ozzy has picked up alcohol and drugs again…

From Ozzy’s facebook page:

For the last year and a half I have been drinking and taking drugs. I was in a very dark place and was an asshole to the people I love most, my family. However, I am happy to say that I am now 44 days sober. 

Just to set the record straight, Sharon and I are not divorcing. I’m just trying to be a better person.

I would like to apologize to Sharon, my family, my friends and my band mates for my insane behavior during this period………and my fans. 

God Bless,

Ozzy

Isn’t it pretty ironic that Black Sabbath fired Ozzy for being a drunk and drug addict years ago, now he’s back with them again? Maybe Ozzy and Sharon are living in separate homes just for the safety of his family.  The guy is an asshole, admittedly, and he has a short temper. Always had.

Kev

music

Brock talks about Ozzy & Sharon possibly divorcing…

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I was going to post about this yesterday, so I thought I would do this today. I hate celebrity gossip and divorce news, but considering Ozzy & Sharon are an important musical couple, I thought it was worth posting about. The reason these two matter in the music business is because they helped the metal industry become more popular and more mainstream. Sharon was the one who helped start Ozzfest with Ozzy, and she helped take his solo career to the next level. She was also the one who recruited Randy Rhoads, to be Ozzy’s guitarist. She did a lot to help the metal industry, love her or hate her. I was never a big fan of Sharon myself, honestly.

Ozzy first met Sharon at the age of 18, while her father Don Arden, was managing, Black Sabbath, at the time. When Ozzy was fired, from Sabbath, Sharon took over her father’s management company and began to manage Ozzy, to get his solo career going. Over the years, Sharon and Ozzy would fight constantly but they still managed to stay together, anyway. Both of them were addicted to alcohol and drugs in their younger years.

I believe Sharon used Ozzy, so she can get fame and fortune, herself. She succeeded with her goal, and now she’s the world’s most famous music mogul, and reality TV star. It all started from the beginning when they were kids. She manipulated her way into getting it. She had a goal that she wanted, for her own future, and she would use Ozzy to get there. Around the time, Sharon started dating Ozzy back then, she wasn’t a celebrity, and now look at her. She wasn’t a celebrity up until, “The Osbournes” TV show, which lasted only two seasons (which I watched both of them sadly). “The Osbournes”, also made her kids famous, Jack and Kelly. Ozzy and Sharon, also has a third kid together (Aimee), but she didn’t want anything to do with the show,  so she was smart enough to stay out of their fame. Ozzy hated the TV show idea at first, and he wasn’t gonna go with it, but Sharon talked him into letting it happen.

She was obsessed with getting rich and famous. She didn’t get there over night, though, it took her years to get there. That’s why she couldn’t stay away from Ozzy even though the two never really got along over the years. If Ozzy never dated Sharon, then Sharon would still be nothing now. The same for Ozzy’s solo career. If Ozzy never dated Sharon, then Ozzy wouldn’t have became a big solo artist.

I honestly stopped caring for Ozzy, after he did, “The Osbournes”, TV show. After that, his music career went downhill, and he is looked at as a celebrity, rather than a rock star. Even Ozzy himself admitted his mistakes with the TV show, and regretted it, through interviews over the years. He wished the show never happened. With all this being said, I hate Sharon Osbourne too. The woman is evil. Probably worse than, Yoko Ono. While I can’t stand most of the Osbourne family, the only one I like and admire is, Kelly. Kelly is actually pretty cool. Plus, Kelly’s music is actually good, and she’s not a bad singer. She’s an inspirational and heartfelt girl, but as far as Jack goes, he’s a big douche.

Ozzy is better off without her, and I hope he’s finally starting to realize that she is evil. Even though, I’m not a big fan of Ozzy anymore, I’m still looking forward to the new Black Sabbath album. I’ve always been a big fan of Black Sabbath during the Ozzy era.

Kev

music

Black Sabbath reveals track listing for new album, “13”…

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Black Sabbath (minus, Bill Ward), have revealed the track listing for their new upcoming album titled, “13”. The track listing is listed, here.

A lot of people are disappointed that the album have only 8 songs. If you really think that, then you must be a new fan of Black Sabbath. Almost every Black Sabbath album over the past 20 years, only had like 7 or 8 songs. Why? Because Tony and the guys always liked to jam. They’re not just about the songwriting parts. They’re about jamming and improvisation. The songs progresses as they go along. They still have that method of making music to this day. A CD can only have like 60 or 70 minutes worth of music, so they can only fit in songs that would fit the time enough perfectly.

Black Sabbath is also getting a lot of, “No Bill Ward, No Black Sabbath”, comments from the fans everywhere. To those who say that, also must be a newbie. I’ve said repeatedly that this is not the first time for Black Sabbath, their feud with Bill Ward. Bill has been difficult toward the guys for years. The guys in Sabbath has been trying to get together with Bill for the past 20 years or so, it’s just that he’s never interested. Why can’t people understand that Bill is just a greedy son of a bitch? He’s an egotist; all he cares about is the money. Stop blaming Sharon Osbourne for this ’cause that’s so absurd.

Black Sabbath is the type of band that when a member leaves, either quit or been fired, they’ve always been the, “the show must go on”, type. So yes, the show must go on. So the band says, “Fuck, Bill Ward”, and they’re moving on without him. Despite Bill Ward, not being part of this reunion, it’s still gonna be a sick and heavy album. I’m looking forward to hearing it!

That’s what a band gets for staying together for this long. Fans will get all kinds of misinformation from them, in this day and age. The band unfairly gets blamed for Bill bailing out, when they have nothing to do with it; this was all Bill’s doing himself. The band are always willing to have Bill play with them whenever he wants, Bill just needs to stop being a greedy asshole. Fuck Bill. Let him go. This is still gonna be a cool album, and I’m looking forward to it!

Kev

music

Kurt Cobain died 19 years ago today…

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Every year, when Kurt’s birthday or date of death comes around, I would post about it for a few reasons. First of all, I’m a huge fan of Nirvana’s music. Secondly, I respected Kurt as a musician, singer/songwriter and live performer. Every year when ever his birthday or date of death is here, Kurt and Nirvana would get so much negativity from the fans. They would talk a lot of negative shit about his personal life and problems. They would also criticize the music of Nirvana. I like to treat Nirvana positively. That’s why I refuse to post in music forums and music posts in facebook ’cause so many music fans are assholes, and a lot of them are so misinformed about the music business.

Why does the media and the press get all over Kurt’s birthday/date of death when it comes around? It’s because the man is a legend and was an icon in music. They don’t do it for no reason.

Nirvana’s music has always meant so much to me. I remember when I was a kid in high school, I just couldn’t wait to go home, flip on the TV to wait for a Nirvana video to come on MTV. Then the album, “Nevermind”, came and I went right out and bought that. I’ve been hooked to that album ever since and still LOVE it to death. I still have the same copy I bought years ago too. Never got rid of it. Nobody stole it from me. It’s still sitting on my CD shelf.

Kurt was a genius songwriter, and live performer. While he was a great studio musician, it was his live performing that mattered. Kurt was a showman on the stage, and Nirvana shows were pretty intense. People like to pay tribute to Kurt whenever his birthday/date of death comes, ’cause it’s about celebrating the music of Nirvana. It was never about his problems with drugs and his suicide. It was about the music.

Nirvana was a big part of that made me want to become a musician and songwriter myself. Oddly enough, I was just a teenager myself, when “Nevermind” first came out, and that was the time that hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, was everywhere. The song is only 4 chords all the way through, but that’s all you need to make a hit song.

Kev

music

Will Bowie go on tour in support for, “The Next Day”??? So far, it’s looking pretty unlikely…

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It has been a couple of weeks already since the release of Bowie’s new album, “The Next Day”, which is a phenomenal record by the way, and so far, the man has never confirmed a tour yet. Will he go on a short tour or even play a one off show in support of the new album? Pretty unlikely, sadly. He may not be retired from making new music, but it’s looking like he is done with touring for good.

I think Bowie came back after a long 10 year wait is because he came back by popular demand. If it wasn’t for fans begging him to return, then he wouldn’t have came at all, I’m sure. He came back with a new record to keep his longtime fans happy. I bet he didn’t think people still love him to this day and he thought wrong. That’s why he came back, ’cause he realized that he still had the popularity.

I wish Bowie would do a one off show for a possible live album/DVD release. Maybe he does have plans in doing that? Ya never know. We’ll have to wait to see what happens. I think he’s still capable of performing live again just fine. It’s just that the man puts his family first which is commendable. He came out with a new album because music is his life and he just can’t give it up. At least, he’s still making music, though. That makes me happy!

I finally picked up Bowie’s “The Next Day” on CD yesterday, along with Orianthi’s new album.

Kev