The Blu-ray edition features his new version along with stereo, quadraphonic and 5.1 mixes in high resolution, and arrives on April 25. The remixed album will also be released on double 140-gram vinyl on May 23. Both editions come via Rhino and they’re available for pre-order now.
“When it arrived in January 1970, Chicago II became an instant sensation,” the label comments. “Principal composers James Pankow and Robert Lamm emerged as the band’s source of Top 10 hits, including Make Me Smile and Colour My World, as well as 25 or 6 to 4 – which has become one of the band’s signature songs.
“The album previously received mixes from the multi-track tapes, making it possible for Steven to bring out elements that were muffled or submerged,” Rhino explains. “This results in a version of Chicago II that boasts a clearness, punch and definition that it didn’t have before.”
Wilson adds: “Working with high-resolution 96K/24-bit files, I had every element from the recording sessions isolated, which meant I was able to rebuild the mix from the drums upwards, recreating as closely as I could the equalization, stereo placement, reverbs, other effects, and volume changes of each individual instrument or vocal — but at the same time looking to gain definition and clarity in the overall sound.”
He continues: “So rich was their creative seam at the time that, like their debut, and the album that followed this one, it was a two-record set. In fact, with unprecedented boldness, the run of double albums was only broken by their fourth, which was a quadruple(live set!
“I consider all of these albums to be classics, but perhaps Chicago II is the pre-eminent masterpiece. It’s got everything: moments of tender beauty to power riffs and scorched-earth jazz-rock, catchy melodies and gorgeous vocal harmonies.
Sign up below to get the latest from Prog, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!
“When I first heard it as a teenager, I was captivated by the mixture of jazz, blues, pop, classical, progressive and heavy rock styles, including both improvisational elements and intricate arrangements. How could that possibly hang together? But it does – and brilliantly so.”
(Image credit: Rhino)
Chicago: Chicago II
1. Movin’ In 2. The Road 3. Poem For The People 4. In The Country 5. Wake Up Sunshine 6. Ballet For A Girl In Buchannon 7. Make Me Smile 8. So Much To Say, So Much To Give 9. Anxiety’s Moment 10. West Virginia Fantasies 11. Colour My World 12. To Be Free 13. Now More Than Ever 14. Fancy Colours 15. 25 Or 6 To 4 16. Memories of Love 17. Prelude 18. A.M. Mourning 19. P.M. Mourning 20. Memories Of Love 21. It Better End Soon 22. 1st Movement 23. 2nd Movement 24. 3rd Movement 25. 4th Movement 26. Where Do We Go From Here
Bruce Springsteen has decided to unseal his musical archives, gifting fans an unprecedented release with Tracks II: The Lost Albums, a massive box set featuring seven full-length albums comprising 83 tracks, of which 74 have never seen official release. Scheduled for release on June 27, this expansive collection offers a striking journey through Springsteen’s career, capturing moments from his artistic evolution spanning 1983 through 2018.
For years, Springsteen devotees have speculated about the trove of unreleased material, occasionally teased by the Boss himself. Yet the sheer scope of “Tracks II” surpasses even the most optimistic fan expectations. I remember being completely blown away when I first heard the news of the original Tracks release in 98. I was one of those hardcore Springsteen fans who would dive deep into record stores in New York’s Greenwich Village looking for stuff that had never been released before but coudl be found on bootleg vinyl albums. I paid a lot of money for those records, often filled with horrible sound quality. In the ’70s and ’80s, Springsteen did not release a lot of music, so it was hardcore fans like myself who were always trying to find the stuff nobody ever heard. I really wish that he had released stuff like this back then when I was younger. Nonetheless, I’m happy it’s coming out now.
Organized distinctly into seven separate albums, each with unique musical and thematic characteristics, the set includes pivotal creative explorations such as the highly anticipated “LA Garage Sessions ’83,” consisting of 18 unreleased songs from the sessions that eventually yielded the blockbuster “Born in the U.S.A.” Fans have circulated bootlegs like “Fugitive’s Dream” and “Don’t Back Down on Our Love” for decades; now they finally receive official recognition.
Perhaps the most intriguing inclusion is the “Streets of Philadelphia Sessions,” an experimental project from Springsteen’s early ’90s period, directly influenced by his Academy Award-winning single “Streets of Philadelphia” from Jonathan Demme’s acclaimed film. Initially shelved due to Springsteen’s concerns about lyrical resonance and audience connection following reflective works like “Tunnel of Love,” this 10-track album intriguingly incorporates drum machines and hip-hop-inflected production, marking a rare stylistic departure.
Additional albums like “Faithless,” which stems from an unrealized film project, and the country-flavored collection “Somewhere North of Nashville,” illustrate Springsteen’s wide-ranging artistry and willingness to push boundaries beyond his familiar heartland rock. “Inyo,” with evocative titles like “Ciudad Juarez” and “The Aztec Dance,” suggests a creative embrace of the cultural landscapes along America’s southern border, while “Twilight Hours” ventures into lush orchestration and classic pop sensibilities rarely associated with Springsteen’s canon. The collection concludes with “Perfect World,” a compilation he describes as a spontaneous assemblage rather than an intentional album.
The timing of this extraordinary release naturally prompts reflection on Springsteen’s motivations. At 75, he may feel an urgency to present a fuller picture of his storied legacy, offering devoted fans a deeper insight into his creative processes and previously hidden artistic avenues. While some critics argue that Springsteen’s outspoken political views have alienated segments of his fan base, potentially diminishing the enthusiastic reception such a collection might have once garnered, the overwhelming volume of unreleased content remains undeniably compelling.
On a closing note, we must remember the fact that Bruce Springsteen sold his publishing rights recently which sort of fuels many questions about this release. Was it always Springsteen’s attention to release this material even if he still owned the publishing rights or, is it because of the sheer amount of money that he was paid for those rights that the new owners trying to capitalize on? Nonetheless, whatever the reasons, and I tend to believe that if Bruce didn’t want this material out, it wouldn’t be out there, I am really happy and looking forward to hearing seven new Bruce Springsteen albums.
Check out more Bruce articles on ClassicRockHistory.com Just click on any of the links below……
Brian Kachejian was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx. He is the founder and Editor in Chief of ClassicRockHistory.com. He has spent thirty years in the music business often working with many of the people who have appeared on this site. Brian Kachejian also holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from Stony Brook University along with New York State Public School Education Certifications in Music and Social Studies. Brian Kachejian is also an active member of the New York Press.
“I’ve seen people younger than him in wheelchairs on stage, he probably doesn’t want people to see him that way.” Ritchie Blackmore’s wife Candice Night says the guitarist had a heart attack 18 months ago, won’t be onstage in Europe any time soon
(Image credit: Minstrel Hall Music)
Ritchie Blackmore, the legendary former Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist, suffered a heart attack 18 months ago, and is unlikely to return to European stages anytime soon, according to his wife Candice Night.
Night, who has been with Blackmore, 79, for 36 years, 17 of those as husband-and-wife, was interviewed by TotalRock from the couple’s home in Long Island, and discussed the possibility of the pair returning to Europe to play shows with Blackmore’s Night, their Medieval and folk-rock project.
Night revealed to interviewer Dawn Osborne that the pair have six shows lined up on America’s East Coast, but added, “As far as flying anywhere right now, Ritchie has actually been told by his cardiologist not to get in a plane.”
The singer, who first met the legendary musician when she was interning at a radio station, continues, “He had a heart attack about a year and a half ago: he’s got six stents. I can’t believe he’s going to be 80 on April 14t which is crazy – he doesn’t look it, still doesn’t act it – but eventually medical things wind up catching up with you. So we’ve gotta make sure we keep him happy and healthy. And he’s dealing with gout and some arthritic things. And, of course, his back has always been an issue for years. So it’s getting harder for him – it’s tricky.
“But, hey, I’ve seen people younger than him in wheelchairs on stage doing what they do,”: she adds. “So I think he probably doesn’t want people to see him that way. I see the other perspective – from a fan’s perspective, I would think people would just be happy to be under the same roof with him and listen to him play whatever he comes up with. So, we kind of have this discussion, or argument – I’ll say discussion – all the time. But he was just recently at his cardiologist and they said, ‘Let’s put traveling by plane on hold.’ So, hopefully we’ll get that all straightened out and that’ll change. But I’ll let you guys know if it does.”
Blackmore will appear on Night’s forthcoming solo album, Sea Glass, on a song called The Last Goodbye. Sea Glass is set for release on earMUSIC on April 25.
Watch the full interview below:
Candice Night on new solo album ‘Sea Glass’ featuring Ritchie Blackmore with Dawn Osborne/TotalRock – YouTube
Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!
A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne’s private jet, played Angus Young’s Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.
“I’ve played this music to myself and often close friends for years now.” Bruce Springsteen is almost ready to share Tracks II: The Lost Albums, featuring seven records and 82 previously unreleased songs, 74 never-before-heard
(Image credit: Columbia Records)
Bruce Springsteen has announced details of a remarkable box set featuring 82 previously unreleased songs.
Tracks II: The Lost Albums is a set of seven complete, unheard, Springsteen records made between 1983 and 2018, boasting 74 never-before-heard songs. It will be released on Columbia Records on June 27.
“The Lost Albums were full records, some of them even to the point of being mixed and not released,” says Springsteen. “I’ve played this music to myself and often close friends for years now. I’m glad you’ll get a chance to finally hear them. I hope you enjoy them.”
“I often read about myself in the 1990s as having some ‘lost period,’” he adds in a promo video for the box set. “Not really. I was working the whole time.”
The collection includes the lo-fi LA Garage Sessions ’83, which is described as “a crucial link between Nebraska and Born In The USA
.
” while the Streets Of Philadelphia Sessions feature experimental drum loop and synthesizer sounds>
“The ability to record at home whenever I wanted allowed me to go into a wide variety of different musical directions,” Springsteen explains.
The set is available in limited-edition nine-LP and seven-CD formats, including original packaging for each record, with a 100-page cloth-bound, hardcover book featuring rare archival photos, liner notes on each lost album from essayist Erik Flannigan, and a personal introduction on the project from Springsteen himself.
Bruce Springsteen – Tracks II: The Lost Albums Trailer – YouTube
The complete track listing for Tracks II: The Lost Albums is:
LA Garage Sessions ’83
1. Follow That Dream 2. Don’t Back Down On Our Love 3. Little Girl Like You 4. Johnny Bye Bye 5. Sugarland 6. Seven Tears 7. Fugitive’s Dream 8. Black Mountain Ballad 9. Jim Deer 10. County Fair 11. My Hometown 12. One Love 13. Don’t Back Down 14. Richfield Whistle 15. The Klansman 16. Unsatisfied Heart 17. Shut Out The Light 18. Fugitive’s Dream (Ballad)
Streets of Philadelphia Sessions
1. Blind Spot 2. Maybe I Don’t Know You 3. Something In The Well 4. Waiting On The End Of The World 5. The Little Things 6. We Fell Down 7. One Beautiful Morning 8. Between Heaven and Earth 9. Secret Garden 10. The Farewell Party
Faithless1. The Desert (Instrumental) 2. Where You Goin’, Where You From 3. Faithless 4. All God’s Children 5. A Prayer By The River (Instrumental) 6. God Sent You 7. Goin’ To California 8. The Western Sea (Instrumental) 9. My Master’s Hand 10. Let Me Ride 11. My Master’s Hand (Theme)
Somewhere North of Nashville1. Repo Man 2. Tiger Rose 3. Poor Side of Town 4. Delivery Man 5. Under A Big Sky 6. Detail Man 7. Silver Mountain 8. Janey Don’t You Lose Heart 9. You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone 10. Stand On It 11. Blue Highway 12. Somewhere North of Nashville
Inyo1. Inyo 2. Indian Town 3. Adelita 4. The Aztec Dance 5. The Lost Charro 6. Our Lady of Monroe 7. El Jardinero (Upon the Death of Ramona) 8. One False Move 9. Ciudad Juarez 10. When I Build My Beautiful House
Twilight Hours1. Sunday Love 2. Late in the Evening 3. Two of Us 4. Lonely Town 5. September Kisses 6. Twilight Hours 7. I’ll Stand By You 8. High Sierra 9. Sunliner 10. Another You 11. Dinner at Eight 12. Follow The Sun
Perfect World
1.
I’m Not Sleeping 2. Idiot’s Delight 3. Another Thin Line 5. The Great Depression 6. Blind Man 7. Rain In The River 8. If I Could Only Be Your Lover 10. Cutting Knife 11. You Lifted Me Up 12. Perfect World
Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!
A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne’s private jet, played Angus Young’s Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.
“Our manager gave us each $1000 and put us on the plane, economy class. We later found out we had received $250,000 for the show: he kept it all.” The true story behind Black Sabbath’s biggest show ever
(Image credit: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
“We’re just gonna go on and play our music, man,” Ozzy Osbourne tells a young woman reporter from ABC TV. “We don’t go on and blow the stage up… we just go on and play our music man. Because that’s what it’s about.”
It’s the afternoon of Saturday April 6, 1974, and standing on the tarmac at Ontario International Airport, the 25-year-old singer seems remarkably relaxed ahead of what will be Black Sabbath‘s biggest show ever. To be fair, this is partially due to the high grade cocaine Osbourne and his bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward had been snorting aboard the helicopter transporting them to San Bernardino County, but it was also due to the fact that, having had their spot on the the inaugural California Jam line-up confirmed just days earlier, Sabbath didn’t have the luxury of over-thinking.
By any metric, the festival was a big deal. A 12-hour rock concert, co-headlined by British giants Deep Purple and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and featuring rising stars the Eagles and Earth, Wind & Fire, the event at the Ontario Motor Speedway track was to be broadcast across America by ABC Television and, with tickets priced at £10 in advance, it aimed to attract the largest paying audience ever gathered in one place for a concert. By the day of the show, 250,000 tickets had been sold.
Just three years on from their first American gig at a rundown Staten Island theatre, Black Sabbath’s slot third from top on the bill, was both an acknowledgement of their popularity among American hard rock fans, and an indicator of their reputation as one of the must-see live bands of the era.
Just 48 hours earlier the quartet had been at home with their families in Birmingham, under the impression that their booking agent had removed them from the bill as a dispute between the co-headliners as to who should close the show threatened to derail the entire endeavour. It was only when the promoters informed Sabbath’s manager Patrick Meehan that the quartet’s non-appearance would result in a $250,000 lawsuit that Tony Iommi was tasked with waking his disbelieving bandmates in the dead of night to inform them that they needed to be in Los Angeles on the next outgoing flight.
“We didn’t want to do the show, but our manager forced us to,” Osbourne admitted to Musician magazine in 1994. “He sent us over to America on economy class on the Friday.”
“Because we hadn’t seen one another for a couple of months, we hadn’t rehearsed,” Ozzy told me in 2015. “I remember we had to do a run-through of our set in a hotel room with the guitars unplugged, without any amplifiers.”
“So then to fly in at the last minute to the biggest venue we’d ever seen was a bit nerve-wracking,” Tony Iommi told me that same year, recalling the gig that he described as “a bit hairy” in his autobiography Iron Man. “I remember being terrified, because it was being broadcast live on TV and radio across the States, and we knew that what we did on that stage was going to be documented and shown for the rest of our lives.”
“We couldn’t really turn down such a high profile gig, however much I was enjoying my break back in England,” Geezer Butler recalled in his autobiography Into The Void, adding, “we knew we’d blow everyone else to death.”
(Image credit: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Such was the noise which greeted Black Sabbath’s arrival onstage that Bill Ward’s voice cracked as he attempted to cue in the band for set opener Tomorrow’s Dream, and he had to start the count a second time. But for the hour that followed, Sabbath barely put a foot wrong. “C’mon, let’s have a party!” Ozzy squealed ahead of Children Of The Grave, and California’s rock community were more than ready.
Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!
“I don’t really remember much about the day because I was coked out of my head,” Geezer Butler later told me. “We were all totally out of our skulls. But afterwards you think, Yeah, that wasn’t bad. We were a band that was given no chance, told to go and play ‘proper’ music, so days like that felt like we’d beaten all the odds.”
Interviewed after the show by the same ABC reporter who had greeted him at the airport, Ozzy Osbourne seemed genuinely awestruck by the reception the Birmingham band had received.
“I’m lost for words,” he admitted. “The kids just blow my mind, I can’t believe it man, really. It was just like an ocean of people, and when all the people’s arms were in the air… I’m just lost for words, baby, I really am.
“I’m just knocked out with it all. If every rock show, open air thing, could go half as good as this… this is what it’s all about.”
Black Sabbath – California Jam 1974 (Original ABC In Concert broadcast) – YouTube
As was so often the case with Sabbath, however, there was a rather bitter aftertaste to their triumph.
“Our manager gave us each $1000 and put us back on the plane, economy class,” Ozzy recalled to Musician magazine. “Many years later, we found out we had received $250,000 for the show. Our manager, of course, kept it all.”
(Image credit: California Jam)
A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne’s private jet, played Angus Young’s Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.
Bruce Springsteen is returning to his archives for a new box set called Tracks II: The Lost Albums, whichincludes seven unreleased LPs recorded between 1983 through 2018.
More than 80 songs are collected on the upcoming set, which will be released on June 27. Albums run from LA Garage Sessions ’83, the on-road ramp to Born in the U.S.A., to the more recent Perfect World.
“The Lost Albums were full records, some of them even to the point of being mixed and not released,” Springsteen said in a press release. “I’ve played this music to myself and often close friends for years now. I’m glad you’ll get a chance to finally hear them. I hope you enjoy them.”
You can watch a trailer for the set below.
Springsteen first teased the project in late 2022, soon after the release of his most recent album, Only the Strong Survive, which included covers of some of his favorite soul songs.
“People look at my work in the ’90s, and they go, ‘The ’90s wasn’t a great decade for Bruce. He was kind of doing this, and he wasn’t in the E Street Band,'” he noted at the time, adding that he spent some time “completely cleaning out the vault.”
“I actually made a lot of music during that period of time. I actually made albums. For one reason or another, the timing wasn’t right or whatever, [and] I didn’t put them out.”
The first volume of Tracks, a four-disc box set, came out in 1998 and included songs that covered Springsteen’s entire career up to that point. Starting with four 1972 demos of songs that later appeared on his 1973 debut, Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., and winding through unreleased cuts from Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Townand Born in the U.S.A. and concluding with an outtake from 1995’s The Ghost of Tom Joad, the set gathered many, but not all, of Springsteen’s leftovers.
Box sets dedicated to Darkness on the Edge of Town and 1980’s The River – from 2010 and 2015 – included dozens of outtakes from both albums’ lengthy sessions. The new Tracks II features recordings dating to 1983, soon after Springsteen released the solo Nebraska and began work on the superstar-making Born in the U.S.A.
What’s on Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Tracks II: The Lost Albums’?
The seven “lost albums” include LA Garage Sessions ’83, Streets of Philadelphia Sessions, Faithless, Somewhere North of Nashville, Inyo, Twilight Hours and Perfect World.
You can see the track listings for the albums below. It will be available as a seven-CD, nine vinyl LPs and digital sets. An abridged version of the collection, Lost And Found: Selections from The Lost Albums, will be released on the same day and feature 20 songs from the various LPs.
Several songs familiar to Springsteen fans show up throughout the albums, including the B-side “Johnny Bye Bye,” an early version of “My Hometown” and “Stand on It” and “Janey Don’t You Lose Heart,” B-sides that appeared on the first Tracks volume.
You can hear “Rain in the River,” from Perfect World, below.
Bruce Springsteen, ‘Tracks II: The Lost Albums’ Track Listing LA Garage Sessions ’83 1. Follow That Dream 2. Don’t Back Down On Our Love 3. Little Girl Like You 4. Johnny Bye Bye 5. Sugarland 6. Seven Tears 7. Fugitive’s Dream 8. Black Mountain Ballad 9. Jim Deer 10. County Fair 11. My Hometown 12. One Love 13. Don’t Back Down 14. Richfield Whistle 15. The Klansman 16. Unsatisfied Heart 17. Shut Out The Light 18. Fugitive’s Dream (Ballad)
Streets of Philadelphia Sessions 1. Blind Spot 2. Maybe I Don’t Know You 3. Something In The Well 4. Waiting On The End Of The World 5. The Little Things 6. We Fell Down 7. One Beautiful Morning 8. Between Heaven and Earth 9. Secret Garden 10. The Farewell Party
Faithless 1. The Desert (Instrumental) 2. Where You Goin’, Where You From 3. Faithless 4. All God’s Children 5. A Prayer By The River (Instrumental) 6. God Sent You 7. Goin’ To California 8. The Western Sea (Instrumental) 9. My Master’s Hand 10. Let Me Ride 11. My Master’s Hand (Theme)
Somewhere North of Nashville 1. Repo Man 2. Tiger Rose 3. Poor Side of Town 4. Delivery Man 5. Under A Big Sky 6. Detail Man 7. Silver Mountain 8. Janey Don’t You Lose Heart 9. You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone 10. Stand On It 11. Blue Highway 12. Somewhere North of Nashville
Inyo 1. Inyo 2. Indian Town 3. Adelita 4. The Aztec Dance 5. The Lost Charro 6. Our Lady of Monroe 7. El Jardinero (Upon the Death of Ramona) 8. One False Move 9. Ciudad Juarez 10. When I Build My Beautiful House
Twilight Hours 1. Sunday Love 2. Late in the Evening 3. Two of Us 4. Lonely Town 5. September Kisses 6. Twilight Hours 7. I’ll Stand By You 8. High Sierra 9. Sunliner 10. Another You 11. Dinner at Eight 12. Follow The Sun
Perfect World 1. I’m Not Sleeping 2. Idiot’s Delight 3. Another Thin Line 4. The Great Depression 5. Blind Man 6. Rain In The River 7. If I Could Only Be Your Lover 8. Cutting Knife 9. You Lifted Me Up 10. Perfect World
Bruce Springsteen Albums Ranked
From scrappy Dylan disciple to one of the leading singer-songwriters of his generation, the Boss’ catalog includes both big and small statements of purpose.
Following the overtly political Blue Hearts and three years of solo touring, Bob Mould is back with Here We Go Crazy, a pop-flecked firecracker that flies as close to his work with Sugar as anything he’s released since that band ended.
With the album embracing the simpler side of rock’n’roll, and Mould set to return to the live arena with a full band, the US punk legend is on a mission to bring a little light to 2025.
How was 2024 for you?
Pretty good. I got a little derailed at the beginning of the decade, and started getting back on the road in late 2021. Then I got to a point where this record started to make itself known. I followed the very simple signposts that led me to a very simple record.
Simple how?
The songs are very short, very immediate, there’s not as much production enhancement. It was trying to get back to basics with very straightforward songwriting.
What were those signposts?
Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!
One of the things that hit me was getting that connection with the audience back again. The couple of years of losing that was pretty disorienting. Coming back and going out to the merch table afterwards, being up close with the audience, helped shape this record. There’s three battles that are going on. One is the idea of control versus chaos. Another is hyper-vigilance against helplessness. A third theme that runs through the record is uncertainty, with the contrast of unconditional love, or just letting go and being who you are and where you are in life.
Is the title track a reflection of America today?
It wasn’t written specifically with that in mind. The last record, Blue Hearts, really was on-the-nose politics. This one is more trying to ease people into my world of uncertainty. It’s like, what is going crazy? Is that reckless abandon? Is it the uncertainty of the future? Is it dark times that we spend in solitude?
How has life changed for you since your last record?
With Blue Hearts I was splitting my time between San Francisco and Berlin. Blue Hearts seemed appropriate for the time, but the past four years it was coming out of those dark times and trying to get back to what we remembered as normal. I now recognise that we may not go back to that world. We’re in a new world that has all the tracings of the old world, but I don’t know if the content is the same.
Do you think people’s mindsets have changed in terms of being around other people?
We all had to get used to being safe with others again. But at the same time we’ve got social media, and our screen life can take us away from our actual lives. It just becomes phones, dopamine, bias and algorithms. We as a civilisation really fell into that for a moment, and now to get ourselves out of it is a challenge.
Social media society is the polar opposite of the punk scene that you came up through, where it’s about immediacy and being physically present. Do you miss that?
Yeah. It’s confusing for me at my age and with my history. What Hüsker Dü did in the 1980s was before cell phones, before GPS, before the internet, relying on human connection and word of mouth. Rolling into a new city for the first time with a road atlas and no idea where to go, and then you might see some graffiti, and that might take you to a skateboard shop that might be next to a record store that’s near the punk rock club. The older I get, the more antiquated all of that seems. But those were amazing times.
What advice would you give your younger self?
It’s been a wild life so far, it’ll probably have some more wild moments. And there’s no advice I would give for that. We just do what we do. I wish I had the powers of physical recovery that I used to have. The only thing I would say to anybody is enjoy that short recovery time.
Bob Mould – When Your Heart Is Broken (Lyric Video) – YouTube
Lost Or Stolen hints at addiction. You’ve been sober for a long time. Is that still a daily victory?
I got rid of alcohol thirty-eight years ago. Never looked back. Never think about it. Quitting alcohol cost me friends, but quitting nicotine was much harder. For me it was way more addictive a drug. Addiction is such a concern in America, and treatment is a big business. The different modes of addiction that people fall into, online gambling stuff, are different to the addictions that I grew up with – the ones that would take a visible toll on a person.
How cathartic was writing your autobiography? Was anything surprising to look back on?
No, I think it was a pretty good representation of that part of my life. The noise and the chaos and the violence. And then finding solace in music, how I dealt with my sexuality, how I viewed my work, the relationship with my work and the audience. Some of the harsher words that I used, there’s moments where I did not paint myself in a particularly good light. That was how unpleasant I could be at times. Part of getting older is to try to reconcile those things and get rid of the bad parts of your personality and try to be a better person.
On the subject of discussing your sexuality in the book, it feels like we’re at another pivotal moment, where LGBTQ+ people are under attack.
I’m not at all surprised. Two, three years ago, I could tell that the Republican Party was coming for the trans community. This stuff is pretty cruel, to be challenging people who are having struggles with their being, trying to figure out how they identify in the world. Going after families that have kids that are struggling with this, it’s terribly cruel. There’s a lot going on. I couldn’t write a whole record about it this time. This time I’m just trying to bring some rock and pop and some light to the storm clouds that are rolling over us right now.
In 2014, Fairport Convention co-founder Richard Thompson released Acoustic Classics, his first solo album in three decades. That year he admitted to Prog that he hadn’t had great ambitions for the project – until he finally got down to work recording new versions of some of his best-known songs.
Critics frequently serve Richard Thompson up as one of the UK’s finest guitar players and songwriters, but he wears his greatness modestly. After 2013’s plugged-in trio album Electric, he’s back with Acoustic Classics – just him, his steel-string and a career-spanning set of songs, the quality of which just shines off the disc. Not bad for an album recorded in a bedroom.
Acoustic Classics is a lovely album. Was there a grand plan?
I was just making the kind of record that’s supposed to be for new listeners. I envisaged this being something that goes on the merchandise table at the concerts, for people coming to a show for the first time. I wasn’t expecting it to be much more than that – but the record label and my management really liked it, so it seems to have taken on a life of its own. It’s representative of the sort of thing I do at a solo show. I didn’t have anything like it.
That’s surprising, given your reputation as an acoustic artist.
It’s economics really. I play two-thirds acoustic shows and a third band shows. I’d prefer it to be a bit more balanced, but it’s about having to pay the mortgage, basically. I do have some live solo things, but the recordings are a bit scratchy and the performance isn’t quite perfect. Otherwise, I have a lot of band stuff – if you see a solo performance, a lot of what I’m playing would have been recorded in an electric context. This was a niche I hadn’t really filled.
How did you select the songs?
Sign up below to get the latest from Prog, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!
They were all songs I didn’t have acoustic versions of: Wall Of Death, Shoot Out The Lights, I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight and Walking On A Wire. Linda [Thompson] sang lead on many of these, but I’ve been singing them for so long now, I thought it would be good to have a version of me doing it.
Then there’s 1952 Vincent Black Lightning from Rumor And Sigh, which was solo and acoustic in the first place.
I’ve been playing it live for 20 years now so it gets more streamlined – you change the emphasis on words. For me, songs change every night – the little film that runs in my head runs a little bit differently. And you’re playing to the environment: every audience is different, every room – you might play a big, echoey room or a tight little club, so you play differently.
It must be hard for you to settle on just one recorded version.
In the studio you’re trying to be definitive. I was fairly pleased with this version of Vincent – much more than I was with the original recording.
I probably got less excited about it because it’s old material. It was a struggle to get myself into the studio
I Misunderstood, from the same album, sounds much more direct in this context. Were you aware of the songs changing?
Yes. I don’t think the original recording quite got it. Everything was so muted, so if you play it on anything but a very large studio monitor system, you don’t hear the drums because we put towels on them to record. I prefer the acoustic version. There’s a little bit more tension.
The album has an intimate vibe. Where was it recorded?
In the guest house out the back that I use as a studio. I’m hoping to purpose-build a studio in my house, which will be a breakthrough – but I record wherever I can. My guest house is just a room; I’ve got two mics on the guitars, one on the voice, I run through a bunch of tube stuff into Pro Tools or whatever it is, and it seems to sound pretty good.
So it’s a bedroom?
Yes – there’s a bed in it, chairs, enough soft furniture so it doesn’t sound too honky. It’s sort of a Hawaiian-themed room. We inherited it when we moved in and it’s quite something. It’s got these hand-painted murals on the walls; it all dates from the 1930s. It’s an amusing place to be recording. The only thing is I have to contend with yapping dogs.
Did they ruin takes?
Totally. It was frustrating – it was all going well and then some dog starts up in the street. And aeroplanes. We’re under the flight path of LAX, and about 4.30 in the afternoon the planes start coming over with a vengeance. Then there are gardeners using these powered leaf blowers. So it’s all about timing.
It seems so casual, but for a listener, this is a concentrated hit of some of your best songwriting.
I probably got less excited about it because it’s old material. It was actually a struggle to get myself into the studio to do it. I said, ‘I’ve got a great idea – it’ll be on the merch table and you’re gonna love it,’ but it took me three months to actually get in the studio and do it because I thought, ‘Well, this is boring! I play these all the time. Where’s the audience to cheer me up?’ But when I did start, I actually really enjoyed it.
No. I sent it to my sound man Simon Tassano in Texas and he gave it a little more space. Otherwise it was just me.
And you’re doing a long solo tour this summer.
Yes, I’m doing a lot of festivals – Cambridge, Womad, End Of The Road. It’s fun, and it’s easier touring solo, especially logistically. There’s a lot less for me to think about. The nice thing is the communication with the audience – the stillness you can create. If you can get people to lean in and listen, you can have some magical times on stage. It’s great.
Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett has revealed the unlikely song that brings him to tears.
Talking to Rolling Stone, the 62-year-old says that Junior Dad, from the metal titans’ maligned 2011 Lou Reed collaboration album Lulu, makes him weepy to the point he can’t listen to it.
Lulu was released to mixed reviews from critics and derision from fans, many of whom were confused or outraged by the crossover’s avant-garde metal direction. Based on the Lulu plays by German playwright Frank Wedekind, it sees Metallica play metal music beneath poetry from Reed.
Despite the backlash, Hammett says, “That album means so much to me for a number of reasons.”
He continues: “The lyrics are amazing. It’s poetry from track to track. I’m a huge Lou Reed fan. To be able to hang out with him and work with him musically meant so much.”
The guitarist then zeroes in on Junior Dad. “And the track Junior Dad – I can’t listen to it, man. Brings me to tears. I remember when Lou said, ‘I have a song for you and I want this to be on the album.’ And he played it for James [Hetfield, vocals/guitars] and I.
“And by the end of the song, I looked at James, and James looked at me and we both had tears in our eyes. Then Lou Reed came in and saw us both crying in the kitchen. He’s smiling and he said, ‘I got you, didn’t I?’”
Sign up below to get the latest from Metal Hammer, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!
Hammett previously spoke about the emotional effect Junior Dad has on him in 2011. He told Mojo (via Blabbermouth): “I had just lost my father literally three or four weeks previous. I had to run out of the control room, and I found myself standing in the kitchen, sobbing away. James came into the kitchen in the same condition he was sobbing, too. It was insane.”
Though Lulu was controversial, both Metallica and Reed have defended the album. In a 2011 USA Today interview, Reed said: “I don’t have any fans left. After [1975 album] Metal Machine Music, they all fled. Who cares? I’m essentially in this for the fun of it.”
In 2023, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich chalked the venomous fan feedback up to “ignorance”. “I can’t quite figure it out,” he said, “but years later, it’s aged extremely well. It sounds like a motherfucker still. So I can only put the reaction down to ignorance.”
Apr 19: Syracuse MA Wireless Dome, NY* Apr 24: Toronto Rogers Centre, ON* Apr 26: Toronto Rogers Centre, ON+ May 01: Nashville Nissan Stadium, TN* May 03: Nashville Nissan Stadium, TN+ May 07: Blacksburg Lane Stadium, VA* May 09: Columbus Sonic Temple, OH May 11: Columbus Sonic Temple, OH May 23: Philadelphia Lincoln Financial Field, PA+ May 25: Philadelphia Lincoln Financial Field, PA* May 28: Landover Northwest Stadium, MD* May 31: Charlotte Bank Of America Stadium, NC* Jun 3: Atlanta Mercedes-Benz Stadium, GA* Jun 6: Tampa Raymond James Stadium, FL+ Jun 8: Tampa Raymond James Stadium, FL* Jun 14: Houston NRG Stadium, TX* Jun 20: Santa Clara Levi’s Stadium, CA+ Jun 22: Santa Clara Levi’s Stadium, CA* Jun 27: Denver Empower Field at Mile High, CO+ Jun 29: Denver Empower Field at Mile High, CO*
* Pantera and Suicidal Tendencies support + Limp Bizkit and Ice Nine Kills support
Halestorm originated in Red Lion, Pennsylvania, and began their journey in 1997 when siblings Lzzy and Arejay Hale started writing songs and performing locally. With Lzzy as lead vocalist and guitarist, and Arejay on drums, the duo quickly developed a reputation for their powerful stage presence. Eventually joined by guitarist Joe Hottinger and bassist Josh Smith, the band solidified their lineup, relentlessly touring and perfecting their distinctively energetic hard rock style.
The band’s perseverance paid off when they signed with Atlantic Records in 2005, marking the official beginning of their professional recording career. Halestorm has released five studio albums to date: their self-titled debut, Halestorm (2009), followed by The Strange Case Of… (2012), Into the Wild Life (2015), Vicious (2018), and Back from the Dead (2022). Each release has showcased their evolution as artists, experimenting with heavier riffs, lyrical depth, and emotional intensity, yet always maintaining their signature hard rock sound.
Halestorm’s breakthrough success arrived with their second album, The Strange Case Of…, propelled by the massive hit single “Love Bites (So Do I).” This track earned them the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 2013, making Halestorm the first female-fronted band to receive the honor in this category. Additional hits like “I Miss the Misery,” “I Get Off,” “Freak Like Me,” and “Apocalyptic” further established their standing in rock radio and amplified their appeal worldwide.
Throughout their career, Halestorm has garnered significant acclaim and several prestigious nominations. Beyond their groundbreaking Grammy win, they have earned multiple nominations from organizations like Loudwire Music Awards and Revolver Golden Gods Awards, recognizing their contributions to modern rock music. Their reputation for authentic performances, powerful vocals from Lzzy Hale, and undeniable chemistry onstage has deeply resonated with both critics and audiences alike.
One reason Halestorm has built such a loyal and passionate fanbase lies in their relentless dedication to authenticity, musical integrity, and emotional openness. Lzzy Hale’s powerful vocal presence, combined with relatable lyrics dealing with personal struggles, empowerment, and resilience, has made the band particularly compelling. Their consistent ability to deliver dynamic, emotionally charged live performances has further solidified their status as one of rock’s most respected bands today.
Beyond music, Halestorm actively engages in advocacy for several causes, notably mental health awareness and the empowerment of women in the music industry. Lzzy Hale frequently uses her platform to speak openly about mental health struggles, sexism within the music business, and the importance of supporting young female musicians. Through public discussions and interviews, the band consistently promotes inclusivity and positive change within their community and beyond.
Complete List Of Halestorm Songs From A to Z
1996 (Marilyn Manson cover) – ReAniMate 2.0: The Covers EP – 2013
All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You (Heart cover) – ReAniMate: The Covers EP – 2011
All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You (Heart cover) – The Strange Case Of… – 2012 (Japanese edition)
Alien – Back from the Dead – 2022 (Deluxe Edition)
Unapologetic – Into the Wild Life – 2015 (Deluxe edition)
Vicious – Vicious – 2018
Wannabe – Back from the Dead – 2022 (Deluxe Edition)
What Sober Couldn’t Say – Into the Wild Life – 2015
What Were You Expecting? – Halestorm – 2009
White Dress – Vicious – 2018
Who Do You Love? – Halestorm – 2009 (10th Anniversary Edition, 2006 Basement Demo)
Wicked Ways – Back from the Dead – 2022
You Call Me a Bitch Like It’s a Bad Thing – The Strange Case Of… – 2012
You Only Die Once – Back from the Dead – 2022 (Deluxe Edition)
Albums And EPs
Forecast for the Future – Self-released – 1997
(Don’t Mess with the) Time Man – 1999
Breaking the Silence – Self-released – 2001
One and Done (EP) (2006): 5 songs
Halestorm (2009): 28 songs (including all bonus tracks and demos)
ReAniMate: The Covers EP (2011): 6 songs
Hello, It’s Mz. Hyde (2012): 4 songs (all also appear on the full album)
The Strange Case Of… (2012): 21 songs (including all bonus tracks and covers)
ReAniMate 2.0: The Covers EP (2013): 6 songs
Into the Wild Life (2015): 16 songs (including bonus tracks)
(2017): 6 songs
Stripped (2018): 5 songs
Vicious (2018): 18 songs (including all bonus tracks)
Reimagined (2020): 6 songs
Back from the Dead (2022): 20 songs (including all bonus tracks)
Check out our fantastic and entertaining Halestorm articles, detailing in-depth the band’s albums, songs, band members, and more…all on ClassicRockHistory.com
Brian Kachejian was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx. He is the founder and Editor in Chief of ClassicRockHistory.com. He has spent thirty years in the music business often working with many of the people who have appeared on this site. Brian Kachejian also holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from Stony Brook University along with New York State Public School Education Certifications in Music and Social Studies. Brian Kachejian is also an active member of the New York Press.
![ReAniMate: The CoVeRs EP [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61OpcO7lmrL._SL500_.jpg)
![ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/619xZ-pzw4L._SL500_.jpg)
