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While the Gallagher brothers continue to squabble over the potential second coming of Oasis, Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds have quietly crept back with their first album in six years. Council Skies finds Gallagher senior moving away from the electro-psychedelic sonics that dominated his last album, shifting back to his more traditional, anthemic songwriting.

Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. Knocking out a tune for the masses was something the ex-Oasis mastermind was always very good at, and he doesn’t disappoint as he smatters the bulk of this new record with sweeping orchestral strings. The pick of the tracks here are the pulsating Pretty Boy, the string-laden I’m Not Giving Up Tonight and the soaring Open The Door, See What You Find. If this is likely to be Noel’s last album for a while, then it’s a pretty solid swan song. Now about that Oasis reunion.

June 1, 2023, 51 minutes ago

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Foo Fighters return with But Here We Are, out Friday, June 2 on Roswell Records/RCA Records. The band have released a lyric video for the new single, “The Teacher”. Check it out below:

Produced by Greg Kurstin and Foo Fighters, But Here We Are is in nearly equal measure the 11th Foo Fighters album and the first chapter of the band’s new life. Sonically channeling the naiveté of Foo Fighters’ 1995 debut, informed by decades of maturity and depth, But Here We Are is the sound of brothers finding refuge in the music that brought them together in the first place 28 years ago, a process that was as therapeutic as it was about a continuation of life.

But Here We Are is available for pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

“Rescued”
“Under You”
“Hearing Voices”
“But Here We Are”
“The Glass”
“Nothing At All”
“Show Me How”
“Beyond Me”
“The Teacher”
“Rest”

“The Teacher” video:

“Show Me How” video:

“Under You” lyric video:

“Rescued” lyric video:

Find the band’s live itinerary here.

The Dark Side Of The Moon will always remain Pink Floyd’s greatest achievement. A landmark album in every respect and housed in one of the most iconic album sleeves of all time.

Statistics for its sales – 50 million worldwide and counting – and chart history – 15 consecutive years on the Billboard 200 – are mind-boggling. As the album enjoys its 50th anniversary year it still shows little sign of waning in its popularity as new generations of music lovers discover its wonders.

Its release in March 1973 saw the album go straight to #1 in the US and #2 in the UK. Previous albums had been a hit and miss affair, a series of tracks both with lyrics as well as instrumental, but The Dark Side Of The Moon presented a more literal concept, a continuous piece woven with tracks dealing with the pressures of life, birth, death, war, mental illness and inequality to name a few. This clearly struck a chord.

Similarly, their live shows had built a steady cult following too, which had seen their new album previewed live as a work in progress since January 1972. However, it was with the release of the single “Money” to FM radio in North America that it suddenly propelled the band into the sphere of stadium touring.

Consequently, their live shows began to take on another dimension, becoming a multi-media extravaganza with inflatable props, pyrotechnics on a massive scale and a giant circular projection screen featuring specially made live action and animation films.

Pink Floyd had finally arrived in grand style and with it followed a slew of highly regarded conceptual albums and live shows that are remembered as nothing short of spectacular.

As author Glenn Povey explains, “Pink Floyd were a unique phenomenon. They broke the mould both in terms of recording technique but also stage presentation and created a mystique that set them apart. My ongoing research into their history has spawned many books but here I have collated all of their performance and recording history surrounding this remarkable album.”

Inside this box of delights you will find the complete recording history of the “The Dark Side Of The Moon”, documentation of all the live performances of the album by the band, previously unpublished photos and illustrations as well as facsimile memorabilia including photos, programs, handbills and passes.

This super deluxe box contains:

• Signed and Numbered certificate by the one of the world leading Floyd authorities and author Glenn Povey
• Reproduction of very rare and interesting; memorabilia, photos, posters from the era
• A CD of interviews with the band recorded in the day.

The first one is from 1972, where the band discusses being on the road, the “Live at Pompeii” film, the band are very relaxed and laughing. Richard Wright says at one point, “We understand each other very well. We are very tolerant of each other”. Nick Mason says, “We are all from the British aristocracy with the exception of David Gilmour….”

This band interview is a rare gem, from a band which seldom gave interviews. It’s sure to raise an eyebrow or two looking back from 2023.

The longer interview is over 30 mins long with Richard Wright, where he discusses touring and looking back at The Dark Side Of The Moon, the band’s inner workings on how they write and play together, solo albums, along with living in the English countryside.

This CD of interviews, along with all the memorabilia and legendary Floyd historian Glenn Povey’s commentary makes this limited-edition super deluxe box set, the perfect companion to the official The Dark Side of the Moon set.

A must for all serious collectors of Pink Floyd. Pre-order here.

Tickets are on sale now for Metallica: M72 World Tour Live From Arlington, TX – A Two Night Event at metallica.film.

Presented in cinemas worldwide by Trafalgar Releasing, this unprecedented global theatrical event brings Metallica’s M72 World Tour live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, to the big screen live in cinemas in the US, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela on Friday, August 18 and Sunday, August 20 at 9:15 PM, EDT / 6:15 PM, PDT with encore showings on August 19 (Friday’s concert) and August 21 (Sunday’s concert) at 9 PM, EDT / 6 PM, PDT.

Movie audiences in all other exhibiting countries, including throughout Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania, will view the concerts on August 19 (Friday’s concert) and August 21 (Sunday’s concert) as best suited for local time zones. For the most detailed exhibition times and dates by location, visit metallica.film. View the event trailer below.

Metallica: M72 World Tour Live From Arlington, TX – A Two Night Event will see the band playing two nights with two completely different setlists, with songs from across the group’s 40+ year career, ranging from 1983’s debut Kill ‘Em All to 2023’s new release 72 Seasons. You won’t see the same song twice for a total of over 30 songs across both nights.  

The M72 tour will feature a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed Metallica Snake Pit to center stage so that fans will have a complete 360 view of the show. With a state-of-the-art multi-camera set up, you will feel like you’re right in the middle of the action, no matter where you are in the world.  

This is a two-night event. Get your tickets for both nights to enjoy the full experience.

(Photo – Jeff Yeager)

The second track to be revealed from the forthcoming Motörhead – Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival ’07 release is “I Got Mine”. Originally released as a single in June 1983, preceding the album, Another Perfect Day, it feels fitting that this powerful live rendition from 2007 is aired in celebration of it’s 40th anniversary.

Recorded during the band’s Kiss Of Death tour at the legendary Auditorium Stravinski on July 7 during the 2007 edition of the world renowned, Montreux Jazz Festival this show is such a tremendous statement of just how potent and perfect a trio Lemmy, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee were, with not just one of the more diverse set-lists of their decades together, but individual performances which prove how top of the tree each was in their own class.

A special, previously unreleased concert – Motörhead – Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival ’07 will be issued on double LP, double CD and digital on June 16, 2023. Secure your copy here.

Tracklisting:

“Snaggletooth”
“Stay Clean”
“Be My Baby”
“Killers”
“Metropolis”
“Over The Top”
“One Night Stand”
“I Got Mine”
“In The Name Of Tragedy”
“Sword Of Glory”
“Rosalie”
“Sacrifice”
“Just ‘Cos You Got The Power”
“Going To Brazil”
“Killed By Death”
“Iron Fist”
“Whorehouse Blues”
“Ace Of Spades”
“Overkill”

“Rosalie” live video:

(Photo – Lionel Flusin)

Brian May will release a 40th-anniversary deluxe box set of Star Fleet Project, his star-studded mini-album featuring Eddie Van Halen, on July 14.

The Brian May + Friends: Star Fleet Sessions box set will comprise two CDs, one vinyl LP, a vinyl single and other collector’s items. It’s available to preorder now. You can see the full track listing and listen to the newly mixed single version of the title track below.

The Queen guitarist conceived Star Fleet Project in early 1983 when his main band was on break, recruiting Van Halen, REO Speedwagon drummer Alan Gratzer, keyboardist Fred Mandel (Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd), bassist Phil Chen (Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart) and Queen drummer Roger Taylor (who provided backing vocals). The powerhouse lineup tore through a hard-rock rendition of the theme song from the Japanese television show X Bomber, renamed Star Fleet in the United Kingdom, after May’s 4-year-old son Jimmy got him hooked on the show.

The original Star Fleet Project was a three-song EP featuring the title track, the May solo composition “Let Me Out” and the incendiary, 13-minute “Blues Breaker Jam,” dedicated to Eric Clapton. The box set will feature remixed versions of all three songs, along with interviews, live recordings, alternate takes and additional jam sessions from the whirlwind two-day recording session at Los Angeles’ Record Plant studio in April 1983.

“We are going to give you everything … every take of every song, the things that went wrong, the laughing, the finding new things to do,” May wrote in the box set’s liner notes. “But it won’t be just a remaster – we’ve rescued everything from the original multitracks, every detail magnificently remixed and more! You’ll hear every take from the historic 1983 sessions plus fragments of conversations, outtakes and musical experimentation.” May further raved about the opportunity to dig into his jam sessions with the late Van Halen and Chen.

“It’s been very exciting to open up the vault to find these tapes where, in the blink of an eye, I’m trading licks with my friends, including the fantastic Ed Van Halen,” he said. “It’s highly emotional, especially since Ed is sadly no longer around. We have since also lost Phil, so the rest of us cherish these fleeting moments together.”

He also praised Van Halen for “never quite treading the same path twice” throughout “Star Fleet,” which features eight solos from the guitar virtuoso. “Ed was a wonderful soul,” May noted. “Listening to him and me, I feel completely outclassed by him in the studio. But in a very pleasant way – what a joy for me to be around a guy who could do all that. Such a privilege.”

Brian May + Friends, ‘Star Fleet Project’ 40th Anniversary Edition Track Listing
CD1: Star Fleet Project + Beyond
Star Fleet (Edited Single Version / 2023 Mix)
Let Me Out (2023 Mix)
Blues Breaker (2023 Mix)
Cynthia Fox Release Day Interview 1983
Bob Coburn Rockline Interview 1984
Let Me Out (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
We Will Rock You (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
We Will Rock You – Fast (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
Star Fleet (Complete Version / 2023 Mix)
CD2: Star Fleet – The Complete Sessions
Star Fleet (Take 1)
Star Fleet (Take 2)
Star Fleet (Take 3)
Star Fleet (Take 4)
Star Fleet (Take 5)
Solo Jam
Star Fleet (Take 7)
Star Fleet (Take 8)
Star Fleet (Take 10)
Star Fleet (Take 11)
Star Fleet (Alternative Overdub EVH Solo)
Jam
Let Me Out (Rehearsal 1)
Let Me Out (Rehearsal 2)
Boogie Woogie Jam
Let Me Out (Take 1)
Jazz Police
Let Me Out (Take 3)
Let Me Out (Take 4)
Jam (Let’s Do The Show Right Here)
Let Me Out (Take 6)
Funky Jam
Let Me Out (Take 7 False Start)
LP: Star Fleet Project (180g Red Vinyl)
Star Fleet (2023 Mix)
Let Me Out (2023 Mix)
Blues Breaker (2023 Mix)
7″ Single “Star Fleet”
Star Fleet (Edited Single Version / 2023 Mix)
Son Of Star Fleet (2023 Mix) – Exclusive to the box set 7″

Wolfgang Van Halen is gearing up to release his second Mammoth WVH album, entitled Mammoth II. He recently sat down for an exclusive chat with Guitar Interactive Magazine editor Jonathan Graham to discuss the new record.

In the interview  below, Wolf gives us some insight into the making of the new record, including which track he used the original Frankenstrat and Van Halen 1 rig for, recording at 5150 studios, and more.

On the “Take A Bow” guitar solo

Wolfgang: “I think the most fun little detail about that it’s the one moment I recorded on the album with my Dad’s original Frankenstein guitar. And not just the guitar, but the original Marshall head that he used for the originlal Van Halen albums, and one of the original cabs. It was basically e erything he used for those original classic albums, and you can hear that on certain bends. It’s kind of crazy; there are certaom notes where it’s like ‘Wow, that sounds like Van Halen I’.”

Recorded at the legendary 5150 studio, the new album was produced by friend and collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette. Mammoth II is available for pre-order in multiple configurations here.

Continuing the tradition of writing all of the songs and performing all of the instrumentation and vocals himself, Wolfgang Van Halen set out to challenge himself to expand his sound beyond what people had already come to know him for. From the rocking opener “Right?” to the Beatles-esque fade on closer “Better Than You” Mammoth II showcases the growth of Wolfgang as a songwriter, musician and especially vocalist. Songs like “Like A Pastime,” “Take A Bow” and “Waiting” are all sonically different from each other but unique to what mastermind Wolfgang Van Halen and Mammoth WVH is.

“I knew that I wanted the new album to contain elements of what people heard on the debut, but also give me a chance to branch out a bit. ‘Another Celebration At The End Of The World’ is definitely a song that showcases what people can expect from the new album. It is a high-energy rocker with some fun guitar moments on it. I also pushed myself vocally and it is a song I can’t wait to get out and play live. I can see it being a fixture in our live set moving forward,” explains Wolfgang Van Halen.

Mammoth II tracklisting:

“Right?”
“Like A Pastime”
“Another Celebration At The End Of The World”
“Miles Above Me”
“Take A Bow”
“Optimist”
“I’m Alright”
“Erase Me”
“Waiting”
“Better Than You”

“Like A Pastime” lyric video:

“Another Celebration At The End Of The World” video:

Tickets for all Mammoth WVH appearances can be found here.

(Photo – Travis Shinn)