The former Beatles star has long owned a home in the area. They did a ragged update of “I Saw Her Standing There” at Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, but not before a raucous rendition of Neal Young‘s “Rockin’ in the Free World.” (The Instagram video compilation has the songs in reverse order.) Singer-songwriter Charlotte Lawrence, Watt’s girlfriend, sang along on the Young track.
Watt intersected with McCartney during sessions for the Rolling Stones’ 2023 album Hackney Diamonds, when McCartney appeared on “Bite My Head Off.” Watt has also worked with Ozzy Osborne, Pearl Jam and Iggy Pop. Next up? Yahoo! hints that Watt “will reportedly be involved in an upcoming McCartney album project – although details remain scant.”
In the meantime, McCartney is headed back out on the road. The next round of dates begins on Oct. 1 in Uruguay and continue across South America through mid-November. European and U.K. shows then kick off on Dec. 4 in Paris. These dates continue until Dec. 19 at the O2 in London.
The previously unreleased Wings live performance One Hand Clapping is also coming to theaters. The set was recorded in 1974 at Abbey Road Studiost, but went unreleased. After being widely bootlegged, One Hand Clapping finally appeared in album form last summer. The accompanying film, originally shot on videotape, has been restored at 4K. It’s set to premiere on Sept. 26.
Beatles Live Albums Ranked
Beatles live albums didn’t really used to be a thing – then they started arriving in bunches. Let’s count them down.
KISS legend Gene Simmons and band performed a fundraising concert at the West Herr Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda, NY on August 19.
Check out fan-filmed video below of KISS classic “Deuce” and a cover of the iconic Motörhead song “Ace Of Spades”:
Setlist: “Deuce” “War Machine” “Are You Ready” “I Love It Loud” “Ace Of Spades” “House Of Pain” “Shout It Out Loud” “Parasite” “Cold Gin” “Calling Dr. Love” “Rock And Roll All Nite”
In a special ceremony held in front of City Hall on Sunday, August 18, Mayor Restaino of Niagara Falls and Mayor Austin Tylec of North Tonawanda presented Simmons with a “Key To The City” for both municipalities.
Additionally, Mayor Restaino announced that a downtown street in Niagara Falls will be named “Gene Simmons Boulevard” to acknowledge Simmons’ significant investment in the local business community.
According to Niagara Frontier Publications‘ Joshua Maloni, Simmons keynoted a press conference outside of the Tops of the Falls Restaurant on Goat Island. After speaking about his Rock Steady Sodas partnership with Paul and John Janik and Chris Haick, he traveled to City Hall, where he was given two keys to the city: One from Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino, and a second from North Tonawanda Mayor Austin Tylec.
Simmons was in town to mark the sale of the one millionth bottle of his MoneyBag Sodas, and to headline a fundraiser at the historic West Herr Riviera Theatre.
Niagara Falls Schools Superintendent Mark Laurrie served as master of ceremonies at the press conference. He said, “We’re so honored. I’m so honored to be part of this celebration on this beautiful day. What a beautiful backdrop we have, and what a beautiful place Niagara Falls is. Niagara Falls rocks, and we’re so glad that you’re with us. We are so proud to have a worldwide icon like Gene Simmons with us, and MoneyBag Sodas, and all of the great things that they’re doing.”
City of Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino said, “The setting couldn’t be more perfect to celebrate this tremendous partnership and to welcome Gene Simmons to the wonderful City of Niagara Falls. You know, these types of partnerships – these things that come together when you have people like Gene Simmons wanting to lean in with a product that they believe can really make a difference in the market – then you have magic happening. And so, we’re proud to be able to host this event for today. We certainly welcome Mr. Simmons and the band to our community.”
Assemblyman Angelo Morinello said, “Mark stole one of my words: Today is iconic. We have the falls behind us. We have Gene Simmons. We have the Janik brothers: third-generation Niagara Falls family. If you look at the history of the Janik family, and Gene Simmons, you’ll see a lot of similarities: hard work, vision, putting in the effort to make things better.
“You know, I read a little bit about Gene Simmons. They looked at the fact that people were coming away from alcohol, but they still wanted experiences. And the meeting with the Janik brothers brought together that vision. Individuals still want to go out, but they just don’t want to have alcohol. There are establishments opening, and they are ahead of the curve.
“Gene, your vision is just spectacular.”
Simmons said, “I’ve always believed in a very simple idea about America. We have astonishing beauty in the country. We have amazing cities – and we can point to Niagara Falls all day long as world-class. Very few things on the planet even get close to this. But the magic of America is its people, the entrepreneur spirit.
“Next time you’re in the air, 30,000 feet away – it was invented by two brothers, two brothers in Kitty Hawk of all places, not in New York, not in L.A., not in the major cities. When you take a look at all the great advancement in human technology, and all the things that make our lives better, it’s never from New York or L.A.; it’s always from small towns with people who have big dreams, who make our lives better. Edison and his team were in New Jersey, not in New York; and Alexander Graham Bell, and so on – they’re not in major cities.
“It always starts with people. I always bet on the horse, not on the cart. Always bet on the horse.”
Japanese power metal act Lovebites recently announced Memorial For The Warrior Souls, a live Blu-ray/2DVD/2CD set which features the live show from Hitomi Memorial Hall. The set will be released on August 28 via Victor.
A limited edition of the set will include a rerecorded edition of the band’s debut EP plus new songs – titled Lovebites EP II. A lyric video for new and second track of the EP – “Soul Defender” – is available below.
All of the songs from the latest full-length album Judgement Day, which was ranked at position #5 on Oricon weekly chart, was made after bassist Fami joined the band, therefore Lovebites EP II is the true first work by the current lineup. As its title suggests, this second installment of the band’s 2017 debut, The Lovebites EP, is a truly “Lovebites 2.0” album from the band that has continued to update their selves since its debut. While The Lovebites EP featured a photo of a denim battle jacket, the cover art for Lovebites EP II features a photo of a white leather jacket in the band’s signature color, adorned with gold studs and band logo patch, creating a striking impact.
In creating the five completely new songs that will be included, the band listened to their 2017 debut, The Lovebites EP, over and over again. It was a magical work of four simple, yet very different types of songs, each with its own distinct personality, yet somehow consistent when viewed as the EP as a whole. With a renewed sense of that initial impulse, the now grown-up Lovebites have succeeded in swallowing the atmosphere of the songs from their debut and creating this work that is unbalanced in a good way, yet miraculously balanced.
The limited edition A comes with the Re-Lovebites EP, a 4-song CD re-recorded from The Lovebites EP with the current lineup. (*The English version of “Bravehearted” is used.) The B and C come with a Blu-ray and DVD, respectively, consisting of a music video of the lead track and a making-of video showing the filming of the music video.
On the other hand, the latest live Blu-ray/2DVD/2CD Memorial For The Warrior Souls are a complete recording of the live performance at Showa Women’s University Hitomi Memorial Hall in Tokyo on September 24 during the Judgement Day Tour held in 2023. The video was edited completely differently from the livestreamed performance on that day, allowing the viewer to see the detailed movements and facial expressions of each member.
The live audio has also been mixed by Mikko Karmila and mastered by Mika Jussila at legendary Finnvox Studio. And it includes five songs from their fourth album Judgment Day that have never been performed live before. The BR & DVD include a bonus one-hour documentary that follows the band on their seven-city tour of Fukuoka, Sendai, Sapporo, Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo, and Yokohama. Fans outside of Tokyo will also be able to relive their memories of the shows.
“Call For Justice” “We Are The Resurrection” “Judgement Day” “When Destinies Align” “My Orion” “Signs Of Deliverance” “Rising” “Dissonance” “Above The Black Sea” Piano Solo “Lost In The Garden” Drum Solo “Stand And Deliver (Shoot ‘Em Down)” “Don’t Bite The Dust” “M.D.O.” “Edge Of The World” “Soldier Stands Solitarily” “The Hammer Of Wrath” “We The Unite” “Under The Red Sky” “Call For Justice (Reprise)”
“Unchained” from the EP:
Lovebites will perform a handful of dates in the U.S. this September.
Dates:
September 6 – Atlanta, GA – ProgPower USA 8 – Dallas, TX – The Echo Lounge & Music Hall (Venue upgrade) 10 – Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex (Venue upgrade) 12 – San Francisco, CA – Café Du Nord
The official Ozzy Osbourne coloring book has arrived via Fantoons. The Prince Of Darkness’ only official coloring book holds 72 pages of art, worthy of the Ozman’s artistry and sense of humor.
Revisit his entire solo discography through intricate illustrations by the award-winning Fantoons animation studio.
The unique book features Ozzy and the universe he built throughout his unmatched career. Purchase on Amazon.
Fantoons is an Animation Studio and Book Publisher based in Los Angeles, California. Other bands they have created coloring books are Iron Maiden, Frank Zappa, Rush, and Tenacious D. Find more at fantoons.tv.
Dreamless Veil, featuring members of Inter Arma, Artificial Brain, and Psycroptic, will release their debut full-length, Every Limb Of The Flood, on September 20 via Relapse Records.
Today, the trio shares the album’s second single, “Saturnism”. Stream the single here, and listen below:
Pre-order Every Limb Of The Flood on LP/CD/Digital via Relapse.com here.
Dreamless Veil Is an extreme metal band composed of Artificial Brain guitarist Dan Garguilo, Inter Arma / Artificial Brain vocalist Mike Paparo and Psycroptic drummer Dave Haley.
The band’s debut, Every Limb Of The Flood, is a blackened concept album that follows the travails of Grief, a character who awakens from extended debauchery and begins the slow and torturous process of trying to disappear completely.
Through tracks such as “A Generation of Eyes”, “Saturnism”, and “Cyanide Mine” Vocalist Mike Paparo and co. task the listener to consider what it would be like for an individual to fully disappear. Dreamless Veil delves into this murk through eight tracks – dramatic swells, melodic crescendos, and abrasive blast-beat poundings make way to more introspective moments ultimately resulting in pure horror.
Paparo explores the concept of corporeal disintegration with pained shrieks and disembodied bellows, resulting in one of the most unchained performances of his storied career. Lyrics for the record show, but don’t tell. Dreamless Veil’s concept alludes to misery leading to grotesquery – the opener “Dim Golden Rave” throws the listener into an ambiguous time and place: “Grief, spiritless, collapses against the filth-ridden street”. The second track, “A Generation of Eyes” follows this narrative by invoking Neil Young, quoting him to the extent of “rust never sleeps.” What ensues is a grief so powerful it decomposes from within. The end result manifests in the album closer “Dreamless” – the body is now fully discarded, hinting at a possible enlightenment through a horrible, gruesome process.
Sonically, Every Limb Of The Flood is a caustic, corrosive journey. Critically acclaimed drummer David Haley flexes some of his most creative drum work to date, dragging the listener through wild tempo changes, breakneck speeds that come to sudden halts, while guitarist Dan Gargiulo (Artificial Brain) interweaves disorienting guitar madness.
Recorded by Brett Bamberger (Revocation) Every Limb Of The Flood was mixed by Gargiulo and mastered by Colin Marston (Gorguts, Krallice, and more.)
Every Limb Of The Flood tracklisting:
“Dim Golden Rave” “A Generation Of Eyes” “Saturnism” “The Stirring Of Flies” “Cyanide Mine” “Every Limb Of The Flood” “Glossolalia” “Dreamless”
“A Generation Of Eyes”:
Dreamless Veil Is:
Dan Gargiulo – Guitars, Bass, Synth and Vocals Dave Haley – Drums Mike Paparo – Vocals
Mastodon have announced 15th anniversary deluxe editions of their Crack The Skye album, due for release on October 4.
The release will be available in multiple configurations: 2LP + Blu-Ray Deluxe Box, 2CD + Blu-Ray Deluxe, 2LP Deluxe Vinyl, 2CD Deluxe, and Digital Deluxe.
All versions feature the original album remastered plus the instrumental album, The Score, plus brand-new artwork designed by the band’s long-time collaborator, Paul Romano.
The Limited Edition 2LP & 2CD sets also boast a bevy of exclusive and essential extras like a Blu-Ray featuring high-res audio, animated 10th Anniversary Tour Visuals, Original Crack the Skye Film and extended & remastered Making Of documentary.
They also feature art extras like expanded booklets, 24×24 poster, custom magnets (2LP box) and sheet of stamps (2CD set).
Paramount+ has released the official trailer for the upcoming docuseries Nothin’ but a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of ’80s Hair Metal, which premieres exclusively on the streamer on Sept. 17.
You can watch the trailer below.
Nothin’ but a Good Time is based on Richard Bienstock and Tom Beaujour’s 2021 book of the same name, a 500-plus-page oral history that provides an in-depth look at the ’80s hard rock explosion. The docuseries promises the same, featuring Poison, Def Leppard, Guns N’ Roses, Quiet Riot, Skid Row, W.A.S.P., Great White and more.
“Go inside the ’80s hair metal phenomenon that enthralled generations of music lovers and still influences culture today,” the official description reads. “Directed by Jeff Tremaine (Jackass, The Dirt), the three-part series showcases the notoriously wild ’80s hard rock phenomenon and features interviews with those who lived it, including Bret Michaels, Stephen Pearcy, Nuno Bettencourt, Dave ‘Snake’ Sabo and Riki Rachtman, along with Corey Taylor and Steve-O, among many others.”
“I Feel Like I’m Gonna Die, So I Probably Shouldn’t Be Doing This Band”
“In the ’80s, it was an exciting time in music — it was amazing,” Michaels says in the trailer. “We bet on ourselves, and when it paid off, it was awesome.” But as anybody even remotely familiar with the ’80s hard rock scene knows, what went up inevitably had to come down.
“It was nothin’ but a good time?” former Guns N’ Roses and Great White manager Alan Niven says in the trailer. “Not the fucking life I lived.” Immediately afterward, L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns reflects: “I feel like I’m gonna die, so I probably shouldn’t be doing this band.”
Nothin’ but a Good Time is the second ’80s hard rock docuseries to hit Paramount+ in a little over a year, following last summer’s I Wanna Rock: The ’80s Metal Dream.
“I did a little concert for somebody in Hollywood,” Snoop recalled during a recent interview with Complex (watch below). “Paul McCartney was there. So I’d never met him before, but I’m a fucking fan of the Beatles.”
Despite having friends in common, including Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, Snoop and Macca had never talked. Perhaps that’s why the rapper was so shocked by what he heard next.
“I’m in the back smoking and they’re like, ‘Sir Paul would like to meet you,’” Snoop recalled. “So I’m like, ‘Oh, for real? Hold on.’”
Excited to come face-to-face with one of his idols, the hip-hop star went to extinguish his blunt. To Snoop’s surprise, McCartney stopped him..
“[He] walks in the room like, ‘Don’t put that down,’” the rapper recalled. “He gave me a hug and he meet me, and it’s like, ‘Fuck. Paul McCartney knows who the fuck Snoop Dogg is!’”
‘F— Snoop Dogg. This Is Paul McCartney’
When interviewer Jillian Superstar pointed out that Snoop Dogg is certainly a legend in his own right, the rapper was adamant. “No, you’re not listening to me. Fuck who Snoop Dogg is. This is Paul McCartney. He knows who I am. That’s the experience that I love, is when the people that you respect respect you.”
McCartney has dabbled in hip-hop, most memorably teaming with Kanye West and Rihanna on the 2015 single “FourFiveSeconds.” Asked if he’d ever consider doing a collaboration with the former Beatle, Snoop responded immediately.
“Fuck yes, in a heartbeat,” the rapper declared. “‘Ebony and Ivory’? What, ‘The Girl Is Mine’? What you want to do?”
Paul McCartney Albums Ranked
The Beatles always defined him, but McCartney’s story didn’t end there.
Feature Photo: Randy Miramontez / Shutterstock.com
Most of us know that feeling of being crazy in love. It usually doesn’t end well. We typically first experience it in high school or, for some, even middle school. It’s that one person you dream about but who seems so far out of reach, and almost always is. Then eventually, if one is lucky, as they get older, they find that one person who may finally give them a look back, and possibly even more. Then it all starts—that crazy in love feeling that turns your world upside down. For very few, it will last a lifetime, but for most, it ends up… well, you know what I mean.
Nonetheless, there are always those songs that seem to understand exactly how you feel during those times in your life when nothing else seemed to matter except that one special person who you simply went radio ga ga over.
# 10 – Crazy Love – Van Morrison
When Van Morrison sang the lyrics, “I can hear her heartbeat from a thousand miles / Hear the heavens open every time she smiles,” you knew he was quite smitten with her. It doesn’t get much more poetic than that when falling in love. Van Morrison’s celebratory song about being crazy in love was released on his Moondance album, which came out in 1970. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Helen Reddy, who had a big hit with it, Aaron Neville, Robbie Robertson, and a wonderful version by Bryan Ferry.
Sammy Hagar keeps it lyrically pretty simple on this one, and that’s okay because it’s such a great rock and roll tune. Songs don’t have to have complex lyrics to be great rockers. Sammy makes his point throughout the entire song and the chorus, but there are times when you realize he’s pretty downright serious about this girl, especially when he sings, “Lead me to forbidden doors, you know I’m yours, yeah you’ve got it, yeah I want it, don’t you know it, baby.” The song was the lead single from his fantastic Three Lock Box album.
# 8 – Landslide (And every other Stevie Nicks song) – Stevie Nicks
“Landslide” is an interesting one because of its ambiguity in the lyrics, which makes it such a work of art. Stevie Nicks is a treasure—her music, her heart, her soul, her voice, her looks, her style—everything about her has caused millions of people to fall in love with her. Yet, she’s someone who’s never married, someone who’s had many affairs, someone who seems to have loved very deeply. Who really is Stevie Nicks? All we know about her is through her music, which is brilliant.
“Landslide” may be a song about being crazy in love with someone, but what we truly believe it to be is a song about being crazy in love with music. For many, the love of music becomes a sacrifice to all else. A musical career can be so consuming that there isn’t enough left for somebody else. You may think there is, you may try, but for those who are captured by music and whose hearts won;t allow them to do anything else, they eventually find themselves alone, no matter how famous they may be.
Tom Waits’ cover of the legendary Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim song “Somewhere” may not be for everyone, but it remains one of the most beautiful love songs ever written. The beauty of this song also lies in its tragedy. “Somewhere” (with its famous line “There’s a place for us”) was the love theme in West Side Story, the modern-day adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Written in 1957 for the Broadway musical West Side Story, the song eventually made its way to the silver screen in 1961, becoming part of one of the most beloved films of all time.
The song has been covered by many artists, but no one has done it quite like Tom Waits. Released as the opening track on his Blue Valentine album, Waits delivered one of the most passionate and genuine vocals of his career.
Well, you knew we had to include this REO Speedwagon classic on the list. Talking about dedication to somebody—are there any more dedicated lyrics than when Kevin Cronin sings, “When I said that I loved you, I meant that I loved you forever, and I’m gonna keep on lovin’ you?” However, there are plenty of thorns in the rosy picture Cronin paints in the chorus, as his wife was not as faithful as he had hoped. Still, his love never fades for her, which is pretty amazing if you’ve ever been through something like that. They named the album perfectly.
Not all love songs need to be spelled out so clearly. Bernie Taupin’s lyrics are filled with ambiguity and, at the same time, beautiful cinematic imagery that is easy to understand yet bathed in artistic brilliance. The simplicity of lines like “Oh, how it feels so real, lying here with no one near, only you, and you can hear me” are contrasted with more vivid imagery like “Jesus freaks out in the street, handing tickets out for God, turning back, she just laughs, the boulevard is not that bad.” Putting it all together was the phenomenal melodies, chord changes, and stunning musical performance by Sir Elton John, turning it all into gold.
Paul McCartney’s solo song “Maybe I’m Amazed” was originally released on his debut solo album McCartney. However, it did not become a major hit until it was released on Wings Over America. The live version of the song was very successful commercially. It was evident that this song was written about his wife, Linda, which made it even more special because it felt so genuine. McCartney seems to express his disbelief at being loved by such a wonderful and beautiful woman whom he adores. This song is deeply heartfelt, and if you’ve followed McCartney’s career and seen how he kept Linda by his side in his band, it is clear that he was just crazy in love with her.
Heart’s “Crazy on You” was released on the band’s debut album, Dreamboat Annie. It was the second single released from the album, following “Magic Man,” which went completely viral and turned the band into a household name rather quickly. There may be no better phrase for a man to hear from a woman than when she states that she wants to go crazy on him—it’s putting it rather bluntly. This song is all about the madness in the world, the chaos surrounding them, from the streets to the kids. There may never be time, but in the middle of the night, when all is quiet, it’s time to go crazy…
# 2 – Since I’ve Been Loving You – Led Zeppelin
You don’t even have to know or understand any of the words Robert Plant is singing in this one because just by the sound of his voice, you can tell he’s madly and crazy in love. It all sounds pretty painful, but of course, that’s what love is all about—pain, pain, pain. “Since I’ve Been Loving You” is, without a doubt, one of the greatest songs Led Zeppelin ever released. The song was originally recorded for the band’s debut album, Led Zeppelin I, in 1969.
This song sums up perfectly what being crazy in love is all about. First off, as we said in the introduction, being crazy in love can happen with someone you’ve never even spoken a word to. That’s where this song actually came from. In multiple interviews, Ray Davies said he wrote this song after seeing a beautiful girl dancing and becoming completely overwhelmed by her looks and everything about her. He became infatuated. The lyrics are brilliant. We’ve heard them so many times, but we probably never really listened to them: “Girl, you really got me goin’, you got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’ now. Yeah, you really got me now, you got me so I can’t sleep at night.” It’s all there—the guy can’t do anything anymore because this girl has frozen his brain. That’s what being crazy in love is all about. You lose all sense of reality, intellect, and common sense, and you just don’t care… until he or she breaks your heart!
Oceans Of Slumber have released “The Given Dream”, the third single from their dark, cinematic sixth album, Where Gods Fear To Speak, out September 13 via Season Of Mist. Listen below.
Says the band: “Let us escape this facade of perfection together. Move away from the inescapable pull of manicured lifestyles, perfect lives, and the given dream.”
“Let us go to the shore There the waves will kiss our feet With mysterious sadness The stars will shine down on us”
– Aleksey Pleshcheyev
Where Gods Fear To Speak can be pre-ordered / pre-saveed at this location.
Tracklisting:
“Where Gods Fear To Speak” “Run From The Light” “Don’t Come Back From Hell Empty-Handed” “Wish” “Poem Of Ecstasy” “The Given Dream” “I Will Break The Pride Of Your Will” “Prayer” “The Impermanence Of Fate” “Wicked Game”
