There's been a lot of talk over the years about how maybe Brian Johnson didn't pen the songs on Back in Black, the biggest selling rock record in history. The theories go that the lyrics were actually lifted from the notebooks of the late Bon Scott, who died just before the recording sessions for the... Continue Reading →
10 Years Ago: Adele Blocks Van Halen from No. 1
One of the neverending arguments in rock and roll remains the one over who was the best lead singer for Van Halen: David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar. When it comes to the Red Rocker, his supporters never shy from pointing out that Diamond Dave never had a number one album with the group, while... Continue Reading →
It May Be the End of the Road for Classic Rockers Performing Big Gigs
Did you catch the Rolling Stones at the Linc last summer? How about Paul McCartney at Citizens Bank Park back in July 2016? Count yourself among the lucky then, as it very well could be the last time those acts will tour in front of such substantial crowds, another unfortunate side effect from the coronavirus... Continue Reading →
‘Toys in the Attic’ by Aerosmith, a Track-by-Track Guide
Unless you didn't get into Aerosmith until their second wave of mainstream popularity, the debate of which is the greatest album in their catalog comes down to two choices: Rocks or Toys in the Attic. The latter came out 45 years ago today, so for the occasion I broke it down track-by-track for Ultimate Classic... Continue Reading →
25 Years Ago: Van Halen Dig Deep Into Pop, Release Only Ever Non-LP B-Side
Unbeknownst to fans at the time, come 1995 the relationship between Sammy Hagar and the brothers Van Halen had seriously deteriorated. Their fourth album together, Balance, was released that January, and by the following spring, they'd split. The recording of the LP had been anything but smooth, leading producer Bruce Fairbairn to ask Eddie Van... Continue Reading →