Queen's Freddie Mercury To Be Resurrected On Stage

May points out the effect does not produce a true hologram – and adds the musical won't use the technique employed at Coachella. "It's something we've looked at ourselves," he explains, "But I think probably for a show that runs eight shows a week, it's not really quite practical." more on this story

Aerosmith To Play New Song on American Idol

(Gibson) Aerosmith will play their new single on the season finale of American Idol, Joe Perry told Rolling Stone. On the May 23 edition of the series, the legendary rockers will perform "Legendary Child," which is both the lead single from their forthcoming album and their contribution to the G.I. Joe: Retaliation soundtrack.

Steven Tyler and pals shot a video for the single last week. The movie hits theaters on June 29.

As for Aerosmith's still-untitled album, Perry said: "It's really close. We've started to mix. We've mixed a couple of the songs already, but I guess this week we're really kind of rolling into mix mode. We have a couple of tracks left to finish up, just to put some overdubs on, but we're kind of going from the final, final recording tracks to mixing this week." more on this story

Rolling Stones Holding Top Secret Rehearsals?

(Gibson) A little rumor has hit the press that The Rolling Stones are currently in New York City, holding top-secret rehearsals. The Daily Mirror is reporting that the classic rockers have been practicing some of their most popular songs in the Big Apple, such as "Miss You," "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Tumbling Dice."

What could possibly be the reason for all the rehearsing? One thought is that since singer Mick Jagger is scheduled to appear as both host and musical guest on the season finale of Saturday Night Live on May 19, the Stones might join him on stage for the performance.

The Daily Mirror is also reporting that the band have been hard at work booking venues for a 2013 summer European tour, in conjunction with a larger tour commemorating the band's 50th anniversary. more on this story

Beastie Boys Classic Reenters Top 20 Following Adam Yauch's Death

(Gibson) Sales of Beastie Boys albums and songs have surged in the wake of Adam Yauch's passing, highlighted by the re-entry of the trio's 1986 album, Licensed to Ill, into the top 20 on the Billboard 200 chart. Upon its original release, Licensed to Ill became the first rap album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, hitting that spot in March of 1987 and remaining there for seven straight weeks.

Other Beastie Boys albums re-entering the Billboard 200 include Solid Gold Hits (#51), Paul's Boutique (#56), Hot Sauce Committee Part Two (#107), Ill Communication (#109), Check Your Head (#124) and Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Silence (#141).

In addition, Billboard reports that 151,000 downloads of Beastie Boys songs were sold this past week, up from 14,000 the week before. The top seller was the single, "Brass Monkey," which hit #48 on the Billboard Hot 100. more on this story

Duff Sad Guns N' Roses Didn't Manage To Stay Together

(hennemusic) Original Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan writes about reliving his recent induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in his latest column for Seattle Weekly.

Titled "A Hall of Appreciation, a Touch of Regret," Duff reflects on the April 14 evening after watching the TV broadcast of the event. "Watching that HBO Special made me sad -- for the very first time, perhaps -- that the original GNR didn't somehow stay together," writes McKagan. "It would have been a miracle if we did. If I'd known then what I know now, I would have done my part to try and rid that band of the caustic resentments and outside inputs that finally wore us down to a nub of what we once were, and what we could have come back from. Alas, it just wasn't in the cards."

"In the aftermath of all of the drama leading up to the event, and a few people from our camp stating publicly that they weren't coming at all, I stuck with the mindset that I was there to honor our fanbase who had been there for us for more than 25 years," Duff writes. "It was a very poignant night. And after watching the broadcast -- and seeing my old friends perform for our diehard fans -- it's starting to sink in just how heavy the event was for me on a personal level." more on this story

New Black Sabbath Compilation Ignores Sabotage and Technical Ecstasy

(hennemusic) Sanctuary has set a June 4 U.K. release date for "Iron Man: The Best Of Black Sabbath."

The 14-song collection features classic tracks from across Black Sabbath's first eight albums — including tunes from 1970's debut "Black Sabbath" and follow-up "Paranoid", 1971's "Master Of Reality", 1972's "Volume 4", 1973's "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and 1978's "Never Say Die".

No material from 1975's "Sabotage" or 1976's "Technical Ecstasy" is featured on the compilation. The album brings some of the best loved and most influential rock songs of all time together on one album — including such classics as "Paranoid", "Iron Man", "Black Sabbath", "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", "War Pigs" and "Changes." more on this story

Queen Add New Show With Adam Lambert

(hennemusic) Queen have announced that they will add a third London concert with Adam Lambert at HMV Hammersmith Apollo in July.

The band's two dates at the venue - July 11 and 12 - hastily added after the cancellation of Sonisphere, sold out instantly.

Promoter Paul Roberts confirmed the two earlier London shows sold out 'within minutes'. more on this story

Unfinished George Harrison Song May Be Finished by Paul McCartney

(Classic Rock) An unfinished song by George Harrison could be completed by his former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney.

The Fab Four guitarist's widow Olivia Harrison says a number of works-in-progress remain following his death in 2001. She oversaw the creation of Early Takes, an album of demos and unreleased material, launched to coincide with the DVD publication of Martin Scorcese's Harrison documentary, Living in the Material World.

She tells Spinner: "There is some more material. There may be a minute of something he was writing and it will never be finished. I had an idea of giving unfinished songs to different people – giving one to Paul, maybe, or giving one to somebody else and saying: 'Here are the bones of a song, would you like to finished it?' I think that would be a nice idea." more on this story

Mike Portnoy and Steve and Neal Morse Supergroup Set To Tour

Flying Colors, the hot prog supergroup featuring drummer Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater), guitarist Steve Morse (Deep Purple), and Neal Morse (Spock's Beard), are hitting the road.

The European tour kicks off on September 9th in Hamberg and includes a London show at the famed Shepherd's Bush Empire on September 21st.

The band will be touring in support of their eponymous debut album. "The album has bits and pieces of what you'd expect from each of us," says Portnoy. "The sum of all its parts led to brand new, unchartered territory for everyone involved." more on this story

Kasabian Special Edition Live Release Coming

Eagle Rock has set a June 26th release date for Kasabian's Live! - Live At The O2 on special edition DVD and Blu-ray.

This title is the first stand-alone Kasabian DV D release and also the band's first ever Blu-ray format release. The Special Edition version [on both formats] includes a bonus CD of highlights from the live show and is packaged in a digipack and slipcase. Live! – Live At The O2 features tracks from the recent Velociraptor! album and classic hits including "Fire", "Empire", "L.S.F.", "Shoot The Runner", "Days Are Forgotten", "Clubfoot", "Where Did All The Love Go?" and many more.

This release was filmed in high definition at London's renowned O2 Arena on December 15, 2011. The line-up for this show features Tom Meighan (lead vocals); Sergio Pizzorno (guitar, vocals); Chris Edwards (bass); Ian Matthews (drums) with Jay Mehler (guitar); Ben Kealey (keyboards); Gary Alesbrook (trumpet). The concert was part of a sold out arena tour that covered the UK and Ireland at the end of last year. Bonus features – on all versions - include the "I Hear Voices" documentary that was shot on this very tour. more on this story

Creedence Clearwater Revisited and Travis Tritt Lead Lakefront Fest Lineup

Creedence Clearwater Revisited and country star Travis Tritt are set to headline this year's Lakefront Music Festival.

The two-day festival will take place at Lakefront Park in Prior Lake, MN on Friday, July 13 and Saturday, July 14.

Twin Cities bands Rocket Club, G.B. Leighton and The Butanes will also take the stage for the non-profit event. more on this story

Neil Young Documentary Coming Soon

(Gibson) Filmmaker Jonathan Demme's third documentary on Neil Young will open next month after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival.

Journeys sees Young back in his hometown in North Ontario discussing his family and where he grew up. The inter-cut concert footage comes from a Young solo gig at Massey Hall in Toronto.

Journeys comes in the wake of Demme's previous Neil Young films, Heart of Gold from 2006 and Neil Young Trunk Show from 2009. more on this story

Gregg Allman Expands Book Tour

(Gibson) Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers Band has a new memoir out, My Cross to Bear, which dropped last week.

The frontman is currently out promoting the book, and he just added a collection of dates to his book-signing tour, including stops in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and beyond. Find the updated roster, below.

Allman had to delay his original plans to promote the book by a week in order to undergo a variety of tests on his heart. After the exam, his doctors said he was okay to tour, so he started the jaunt this week. more on this story

ZZ Top Return With First New Single in Nine Years

(Gibson) ZZ Top are back with a brand new ditty called "I Got to Get Paid," and the song was written in conjunction with the Jeremiah Weed line of alcoholic drinks. "That Little Ol' Band from Texas" can be seen rocking out to the song, which is their first new single in nine years, in the latest Jeremiah Weed commercial.

"I Got to Get Paid" is slated to arrive on the Texas trio's forthcoming studio album, which is currently being produced by legendary knob-twiddler Rick Rubin. The album's release date and title have yet to drop.

In other ZZ Top news, the guys are set to headline the Gang of Outlaws Tour, which will offer a rock and country-packed bill with Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard and Dusty Hill playing alongside Mississippi rockers 3 Doors Down and country starlet Gretchen Wilson. The tour will kick off on May 25 in Manchester, New Hampshire, and continue through June 29 in Hinckley, Minnesota. ZZ Top are expected to play some new material on the tour, along with all the hits. more on this story

B Sides

Behind The Scenes of Slash's New Video

(hennemusic) Slash is giving fans a behind the scenes look at his recent video shoot for "You're A Lie," the lead single from his May 22 release, "Apocalyptic Love."

The clip was filmed in early April at Lot 28 at Universal Studios in California with director Anthony Leonardi III.

"We're actually on the original soundstage that Phantom Of The Opera was filmed on," says Slash.

The full video is due for release next week. Check out the behind the scenes clip here.

Metallica Preview 30th Anniversary Edition Fan Club Magazine

(hennemusic) Metallica have teamed up with Metal Hammer to offer fans a 30th Anniversary edition issue of their fan club magazine, So What!

The magazine is typically sent exclusively to MetClub members every three months, but Metallica wanted to expand their distribution for such a landmark occasion.

"As we were putting together the first issue of 2012 commemorating our 30th anniversary celebration at the Fillmore Theatre in December of last year, we realized that the upcoming issue was looking so special, so unique and so unprecedented that we really should make it available to share with all our friends around the world," posted the band. more on this story

3 Inches of Blood Deliver Metal Woman Video

3 Inches of Blood have posted their brand new "Metal Woman" music video online for fans to check out.

"Metal Woman" comes off of is off 3 Inches of Blood's album Long Live Heavy Metal. Watch the video here.

The band will be heading out on the road this June along with Municipal Waste and Black Tusk. more on this story

Joe Walsh Previews Another New Song

Joe Walsh has released another new performance video which previews a new song from his forthcoming album, Analog Man.

This time around the Eagles legend offers fans a listen to the song "Lucky That Way."

Analog Man, Walsh's first solo album in two decades, will be released June 5th.

Watch the Joe Walsh Lucky That Way Live Video here

Joe Walsh Lucky That Way Audio Stream is here.

Keb' Mo' Explains His Signature Guitar Sound

(Gibson) Guitarist and singer Keb' Mo' is known for his traditional acoustic blues jams and soulful style. Guitar-wise, Mo', above all, is a fan of the acoustic guitar, and his latest album, The Reflection, has the bluesman interpreting blues, jazz and rock through his prized Gibson Bluesmaster.

When it comes to Mo's playing style, he says the best guitarists don't emulate anyone else. They have their own voices. When asked how to get that signature "Keb' Mo'' sound, he explained to Gibson.com, "Well, the first thing is not to worry about my sound and just play the guitar, and your own sound will emerge. The guitar and you become one.

"When another person picks the same guitar up, it actually becomes a different instrument, because it's connected to that person. But, you can emulate someone else's sounds and use that as an inspiration." more on this story

Remembering Jimi Hendrix Experience's Noel Redding

(Gibson) On this day in 2003, Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist Noel Redding died at his home in Ireland at age 57. Redding played on the classic Hendrix albums Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love and Electric Ladyland. Gibson takes a look back:

Noel Redding, who died in Ireland on this day in 2003, was, according to his manager Ian Grant, "very kind-hearted and warm. Take away his role as the bass player in the largest rock trio of all time, and strip away all the glory of his musical career. As a human being he was a fabulous guy."

That rock trio was the Jimi Hendrix Experience, for whom the guitar-playing Redding switched to bass and ended up working on three seminal Hendrix albums.

Born in the seaside town of Folkestone in England on Christmas Day, 1945, Redding went the art school route into the music business, playing with various bands and culminating in a residency in Germany with the Burnettes. But it was going nowhere fast and Redding was contemplating applying to be a milkman when, in 1966, he saw an ad in Melody Maker.

He didn't get the gig for Eric Burdon's New Animals, but then fate intervened as Redding recalled in his autobiography, Are You Experienced? "Chas Chandler came up and asked if I could play bass. I said: 'No, but I'll give it a go.' So I played with a drummer, Aynsley Dunbar, a keyboard player, Mike O'Neill, and this American gentleman, quiet and very polite, who turned out to be Jimi Hendrix."

Not that the change to bass was all that easy. Redding told Goldmine magazine: "I'd never played bass before in my life. What I did, being a guitar player, I just withdrew the top two strings and thought about the four that were left. Chas gave me a few little learners, a few pointers, and after that, I had it sussed." more on this story

Van Halen Quiz Each Other On Their Early Days

(hennemusic) Van Halen brothers Edward and Alex, along with singer David Lee Roth, are sharing another part of their "self-interview" series.

Led by Roth, this time out the guys discuss the band's early days - including the cars they drove, how they managed to fit all the gear into their rides, early staging and props, and playing wet t-shirt contests.

DLR: When we were playing rock and roll, start together as a band, what were you driving?

EVH: 1958 Volvo, and this thing was piece of work.

AVH: Opel Kadett.

DLR: I had an Opel Kadett station wagon.

There's lots more

Singled Out: Jon Anderson

Today legendary Yes frontman Jon Anderson tells us a little bit about his new 21-minute single which is called "Open." Here is the story:

Thousands of people all around the world are listening to 'Open', it makes my heart leap with the knowledge that my music touches so many people and that music is a journey. Music should always be thought of as a very special part of our lives.

Only yesterday I was feeling a little lost and there in my heart were the melodies of the symphony for the 'New World' by Dvorak, at that moment my joy returned twice fold.

Remembering my beginnings, those first records I bought, Duane Eddy's 'Rebel Rouser'., The Beatles on the radio, so on and so on, I thank my lucky stars everyday that I make music and write songs that have inspired me to create 'Open'.

Hoping you get the chance to hear it.....many blessing..Jon Anderson

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen to a sample and grab it right here!