How sad is this?

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/09/15/pink-floyd-founding-member-rick-wright-dead-at-65/

Rick Wright, keyboardist and a founding member of Pink Floyd, died today after a battle with cancer. He was 65. “The family of Richard Wright, founder member of Pink Floyd, announce with great sadness that Richard died today after a short struggle with cancer,” Wright’s spokesman said. “The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this difficult time.” Wright, along with Syd Barrett, Roger Waters and drummer Nick Mason, laid the foundation for Pink Floyd, with Wright’s organ work one of the trademarks of the band’s debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. With the addition of David Gilmour and the subtraction of Syd Barrett, Wright’s responsibilities with Floyd expanded, writing and singing on two songs on the band’s second album A Saucer Full of Secrets. Among Wright’s most well-known works as a member of Pink Floyd are co-writing credits on “Us & Them,” “The Great Gig in the Sky” and the Atom Heart Mother gem “Summer ‘68.” In a sidebar to a feature last year, David Fricke said of “Us & Them,” “Rick Wright composed the floating-chord piano figure at the heart of this song during the sessions for Zabriskie Point. Director Michelangelo Antonioni rejected it, allowing Wright to resurrect the theme for this Dark Side highlight.” Wright remained a member of Pink Floyd until a rift with Roger Waters resulted in his exit after The Wall. Wright later rejoined the band when David Gilmour took over the reins after Waters left the band. Wright was also on hand when the band reunited in 2005 for the Live 8 concert in London. Recently, Wright had joined David Gilmour’s solo tour.

Maybe "Can´t Wait Too Long"?

From BW.COM:

Brian WIlson Returns to Southbank Centre with Newly Commissioned Suite

For Six Nights Only in September 2007 at The Royal Festival Hall

Having called London's Royal Festival Hall his "spiritual home away from home," Brian Wilson, legendary writer, producer, arranger and performer of some of the most unforgettable and inspirational music in rock history, returns in September 2007 for six nights with a concert repertoire highlighted by the world premiere of a brand-new work. Commissioned by Southbank Centre as part of its opening season, Wilson reveals that the piece "is called That Lucky Old Sun (a Narrative), and as he describes it, "will consist of four ‘rounds’, with interspersed spoken word."

In addition to that premiere, there will be quite a few other surprises in the concerts: Brian will be digging even deeper into his remarkable song catalogue and with his formidable ten-piece band, will be presenting a number of his classic compositions that he has never performed live as well at least one song in honour of a very important anniversary.

Glenn Max, Producer, Meltdown Festival & Music Programmes at Southbank Centre says: ‘Despite his status as a 'pop genius' and his countless musical achievements, Brian has always had to struggle courageously against adversial forces and a historic lack of support from the industry and those around him. I'm very proud to be part of an organisation that has consistently backed Brian's most creative work. He deserves this.’

Brian Wilson previously performed at the Royal Festival Hall in January and June 2002 and in February 2004, when the South Bank was home to the world premiere of Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE. The January 2002 dates were his first ever performances as a solo artist in the UK and at those shows, Wilson performed nearly two-dozen of his greatest hits including the much celebrated recording, Pet Sounds in its entirety.

The four January 2002 concerts sold out immediately and were greeted with such acclaim that when Wilson was invited to perform at the Queen’s Jubilee Concert in June of that year, he returned to Royal Festival Hall for two more SRO nights. Among those who attended Brian’s Festival Hall performances were, Paul McCartney, Roger Daltrey, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello, Richard Ashcroft, and others. The gigs were cited as the "Concert of the Year" by most UK critics. Brian Wilson and the Royal Festival Hall were honoured with the 'Live Event of the Year Award' (2002) by Time Out Magazine.

In February 2004, for the first time in his 40-year career, Wilson performed his mythical unreleased masterpiece, Smile, live at the Royal Festival Hall, propelling that symphonic work to global acclaim, a gold record in the UK and worldwide sales approaching one million. Those 2004 concerts included classic Beach Boys and Brian Wilson favourites as well as selections from his most recent solo album Gettin’ In Over My Head (Rhino 2004), his first 21st -century studio album.

Born and raised in California, Wilson co-founded The Beach Boys with his two younger brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and school friend Alan Jardine. They became the most successful American rock band in history.

The Beach Boys and Wilson are responsible for such spectacular works as Good Vibrations, I Get Around, Help Me Rhonda, California Girls, Wouldn't It Be Nice, Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder), God Only Knows and I Just Wasn't Made For These Times.

Listings Information:
Brian Wilson
Southbank Centre
Royal Festival Hall – 10, 11, 12, 14, 15 and 16 September, 7.30pm
Tickets £55 £45 £35
Ticket Office: 0871 663 2500 / www.southbankcentre.co.uk
 

The Police to reunite for Grammy awards Tue Jan 30, 5:08 PM ET
 
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070130/ap_en_mu/people_the_police_9

NEW YORK - The Police will reunite to perform at this year's  Grammys ceremony, the Recording Academy announced Tuesday. The award-winning group, which won five Grammys and turned out hits such as "Roxanne" and "Every Breath You Take," will open the event, 23 years after breaking up amid internal conflict.

 
The band, singer Sting, drummer Stewart Copeland and guitarist  Andy Summers, fused reggae with pop and rock, and last performed together in 2003 when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Sting fanned speculation of a Police reunion and tour when he told the Television Critics Association earlier this month that he and his former bandmates were "talking about" doing something to commemorate their 30th anniversary.

After the band split in 1984, he went on to more success as a solo artist and put out dreamy singles such as "Fields of Gold" and "Desert Rose." His latest album, a collection of 16th-century classical music called "Songs From the Labyrinth," was released in October.

Copeland examined his life in the Police in his music documentary "Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out," which premiered at last year's        Sundance Film Festival.

CBS will air the 49th annual  Grammy Awards ceremony live from Los Angeles on Feb. 11.

Finally...

I choose  Regatta De Blanc and Synchronicity. And you?

Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers plan to do some UK shows this summer. Here´s the source:


http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/...

1 January 2007

STING IN TALKS ON POLICE GIG

By ROBERT STANSFIELD

STING is in talks to reform The Police for a special tour to mark their 30th anniversary.


The group, who have not played together since 1984, are considering a series of summer concerts across the UK.


Rehearsal dates have already been planned, say music industry sources.


Singer Sting, 55, drummer Stewart Copeland and guitarist Andy Summers would perform their classic hits including Walking On The Moon and Every Breath You Take.


The concerts would coincide with record label A&M releasing some material from the band's back catalogue.


A source said: "They were intending to make an announcement in January after all the tour dates had been finalised.


"They are speaking to venues about playing in May and June."


A spokeswoman for A&M confirmed that "early discussions" with the band had taken place but said there were no firm dates for concerts.

Who´s going to watch it? After seeing the trailer i´m convinced that this will be a great movie.

Your thoughts?

Thanks, Old Rake!

I recently bought exactly these three classic albums you mentioned plus "Oil On Canvas", their ´83 live  swan song.

What a great band, each of them is a fantastic player. Especially of course Mick Karn on bass,  but each one is a great musician (Richard Barbieri on keyboards and Steve Jansen on drums are exellent).  And David Sylvain is unique, no question...

How are the two earlier efforts ( didn´t hear anything good about them so i skipped them) and their reunion effort "Rain Tree Crow" from 1991?

Your opinions on this group?

Last week someone introduced me to their song "Ghosts" from their final album "Tin Drum", what an unsusual song! Pretty amazing that tracks like these were hit singles in 1981....

Your thoughts?

Take a look at this "Pet Sounds" Blog...

www.petsounds.com

Just bought the new Slayer album "Christ Illusion", it´s their best since "Divine Intervention" and on par with their best releases from the 80´s and early 90´s (like "Hell Awaits", "Reign In Blood", "South Of Heaven", Seasons In The Abyss" and "Divine Intervention").

It sounds like they reduced everything to the max (you just can´t top the radical "Divine Intervention"),  clear great stripped-down production (Josh Abraham; executive producer: Rick Rubin), and (as always) great riffs plus incredible tempo changes. The track sequencing of the album flows very well and with Dave Lombardo back on the drums the group sounds very sure of itself.

I mean, 2001´s "God Hates Us All" was a good album and an improvement on "Diabolus In Musica" from 1998 but here we got something we can add to  their best work.

By the way: Anyone a Slayer fan here?   

Pete Townshend wrote yesterday in his diary on his homepage some details about the new, yet untitled "The Who" album, the first since "It´s Hard" from 1982.

Check this out: http://www.petetownshend.co.uk/diary/display.cfm?id=278&zone=pr

20 May 2006

My Work Is Done - Almost.......

In order to have an album released in September of this year I need to deliver my completed production by the end of June.

My part as a musician on the Who album is now complete. I have recorded twenty three tracks and selected and finished my part in seventeen, of which eleven are ready to release. The remaining six tracks only require vocals from Roger (or a vocal test to see whether he should replace my existing voacls) this week, and by Friday everything will be ready for me to mix in the first gap in the UK tour between Leeds and Brighton on the weekend of 17th/18th June and our return to play the Leeds O2 festival on 25th June. Originally I left this gap so I could give my son some support in his first big exams, and I will do that as well. But it is fortuitous I have this time.

The tracks line up like this: the complete Mini-Opera based on The Boy Who Heard Music consists of ten tracks (of which six are previewed on Wire & Glass the Maxi-Single to be released in June/July). The seven other tracks represent an even mixture of straight acoustic and conventional rock band tracks. As I've said before, this has been recorded as simply as possible, starting in my home studio on analogue tape, 8 tracks only, and moving on to my pro studios only for the final computer round up. It's an exciting sound to my ears. Not old-fashioned at all.

I will deliver finished masters to Polydor on June 28th.

Still not sure what to call it.

 

I only included his studio albums he released during his years with Island. So no early stuff or live releases, compilations like "Legend" etc. but the 1983 released "Confrontation".

I prefer "Catch A Fire" and "Exodus".

So what´s your favourite Clash record? For me it´s difficult to decide between "The Clash" (UK Version) and "London Calling", but i choose the latter one.

Any Clash fans here? In recent times i listen quite a lot to "London Calling" and "Sandinista!".

You thoughts about them?

As anyone of you listened to his newest effort "Morph The Cat" yet?

I think it´s one of the best he has ever done, alone or with Steely Dan. The sound is pretty similar to Steely Dan´s organic, bluesy "Everything Must Go" from 2003, but much more deeper, especially the rhythm section is fantastic, Freddie Washington is a great bass player and Keith Carlock is the tightest drummer around.

And the songs are superior to "Everything Must Go". I mean, "EMG" is a great album but i like the fact that Fagen´s solo efforts follow a concept, whereas Steely Dan´s albums (one of my favourite bands) always remind me of collections of "short story" songs kept together by production style, over-the-top musicial excellence and "similar mood". There are more rememberable hooks than ever and if the world was a better place, the first single release "H Gang" should be a massive hit.

Your opinions?

In the newest german edition of "Rolling Stone", Fagen´s "Morph The Cat" receives 4 1/2 out of 5 stars and a raving review. It goes something like that Donald Fagen created his real masterpiece.

It was about time...

Love em.
I'm a "Passion Of Lovers" fan, myself.
But I love every track.

"The passion of lovers is for death, said sheeeeeeeee..." Yup, great song!

Old Rake, which concert was better, the  one from 1998 or 2006? Where did you see "Bauhaus"?

Any "Bauhaus" fan out there?

The grandmasters of Gothic, my favourite songs are "Silent Hedges", "Kick In The Eye", "Terror Couple Kill Colonel", "She´s In Parties" and of course "Bela Lugosi´s Dead".

And "Ziggy Stardust"!

Hope to see them while they are on tour in 2006, what are your favourite songs/albums by Peter Murphy and co.?

http://www.coldplaying.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1426

Coldplay have hit out at claims they're to split

Speaking from the stage at last night's Brit Awards singer Chris Martin hinted the band would move out of the public eye once the promotion for current album 'X&Y' was complete.

"People are fed up with us and so are we," he said. "You won't see us at one of these for many, many years. We mean it."

However, the band's label have hit back at reports that this means the band are splitting up. A spokesperson told NME.COM: "Coldplay are not quitting. They are on the road until July, when their 16-month 'X&Y' World Tour ends in Japan. They will then continue working on new material."

The group's next single will be 'The Hardest Part', which is out in April.


http://www.coldplaying.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1431

EMI Shares Fall, Recover, After Coldplay Remarks at Awards

Shares in EMI Group Plc declined after the lead singer of the band Coldplay said fans won't see them for a "long time.'' The stock recovered most of the loss after EMI said the band was "not quitting.''

Coldplay picked up two honours at last night's Brit Awards, the U.K.'s answer to the Grammy Awards, and singer Chris Martin suggested from the podium that the group would lay low.

"You won't see us for a long time,'' he said. "We mean it.'' He also said, "People are fed up with us -- and so are we.'' His comments prompted a front-page headline today in the London Evening Standard newspaper reading, "Coldplay Quit,'' with an article saying the band will "quit the music scene for up to two years.''

Shares in London-based EMI declined as much as 8 pence, or 3.2 percent, to 245 pence, before closing at 249.5 pence in London after EMI said the band would continue.

"The shares were hit by the Coldplay thing,'' said Conor O'Shea, a media analyst at Teather & Greenwood in London. "They made some ambiguous comments at the Brit Awards, and the market took it badly because Coldplay is the most successful act EMI has at the moment.''

Coldplay's comments at the Brit Awards weren't the first time the band has affected EMI's share price. The shares dropped 16 percent on Feb. 7, 2005, after the company said Coldplay's third album, "X&Y,'' would be delayed beyond the end of EMI's fiscal year ended March 31. The album was released in June and became a global smash, debuting at the top of the Billboard album chart in the U.S. and topping many charts around the world.

The band won awards last night for best British album for "X&Y'' and best British single for "Speed of Sound.''

'Not Quitting'

"Coldplay are not quitting,'' EMI said in a statement, read by a spokeswoman. "They are on the road until July when their 16-month world tour ends in Japan. They will then continue working on new material.''

It's not uncommon for bands to take breaks after a string of hit albums and concert tours, usually for a short period before fans move on to the latest hot act.

One EMI artist, Kate Bush, took a longer respite, releasing her first new album in 12 years last year, a double compact disc called "Aerial.'' Fans stuck with Bush: she was nominated this year for best British solo artist at the Brit Awards, though the honor went to another EMI act, Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall.

I only wondered about David Fricke´s statement in the liner notes that both Usher and the "Byrds" wanted to achieve something like Brian during the "Smile period".

O.k., the liner notes where written in 1996 or 1997, and as we see after the release of "BWPS", nobody except some few really had a correct idea about what Brian envisioned when he created "Smile" in 1966/67.  But Fricke is on the other hand a well-informed person and befriended with Roger McGuinn, so i wonder WHAT actually were these guys trying to achieve with "TNBB" and what did they think what Brian tried to create during that time.

So it would be interesting to know if Gary Usher for example participated at one of the "Smile"sessions and knew what was going on in 1966/67  (or was his relationship with Brian not that close during that period of time?).  And the "Byrds" were friends of Van Dyke Parks so maybe he also told them something about the project.

The Gary Usher project with obvious SMiLE parallels is Present Tense by Sagittarius, so maybe that should be the subject of this thread?

Is this album worth a listen? And does anyone know about an retrospective kind of interview by Gary Usher about those years and especially "TNBB"?

In the "Byrds" thread on this message board, there is much praise of  the band´s early 1968 effort "The Notorious Byrd Brothers", which is also my favourite Byrds album.

In the reissue liner notes, David Fricke ("Rolling Stone") mentions that  producer Gary Usher (no introduction needed on this message board) and the band tried to envision something similar to those things "Brian Wilson did in his Smile period".

My questions are: How close were the relationship between Usher and Brian during the "Smile" sessions and were the Byrds (possibly via Van Dyke Parks or Gary Usher) informed about the things Brian and the Beach Boys were working on?
And do you see any similarities between "TNBB" and "Smile"?

No real running order at all, but here we go:

Amadeus
Goodfellas
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Vanilla Sky
Jerry MacGuire
Almost Famous
Top Gun 
Grease
The Sound Of Music
Star Wars Episodes I-Vi
Once Upon A Time In The West
2001
Lawrence Of Arabia
Lost Highway
Days Of Thunder
Jarhead
Dead Man
Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
Saturday Night Fever
54
Diva
Pulp Fiction
Jackie Brown
Kill Bill Vol.1 + 2
Breakfast Club
Easy Rider
Wonderwall
A Hard Day´s Night/Help!/Yellow Submarine
Head!
The Matrix
The Omen
The Exorcist
Quadrophenia

... and many more.....

No other opinions? Where are you "Steely Dan" fans? I mean "The Nightfly" and "Kamakiriad" were great solo efforts by Donald Fagen. No one excited? 

The times they are a-changning...