Rockin' News for week of Jan. 5 ,2009, p. 2
EMI MUSIC AND QUEEN TO RE-RELEASE ENTIRE
QUEEN STUDIO ALBUM CATALOGUE ON
HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL
EMI Music and Queen are announcing the re-release over two years of
the entire Queen studio album catalogue on long playing vinyl albums.
The album packaging will include every detail of the original releases in
their original 12” format. Bonus posters, extra pictures, and all the
unique content of the original albums will be faithfully reproduced.
The first group of releases, out March 16th, will consist of four classic
Queen albums: Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, A Night At The Opera
and A Day At the Races.
Following in May 2009 will be come five further albums including the
very first album, Queen, along with News Of The World, Flash Gordon,
A Kind of Magic and Innuendo, with successive releases coming
approximately every 6 months.
In a deliberate move, the albums are not being released chronologically
but instead sequenced over the twenty-two year period of release
allowing buyers wider choice with each new batch of releases.
QUEEN STUDIO ALBUM CATALOGUE ON
HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL
EMI Music and Queen are announcing the re-release over two years of
the entire Queen studio album catalogue on long playing vinyl albums.
The album packaging will include every detail of the original releases in
their original 12” format. Bonus posters, extra pictures, and all the
unique content of the original albums will be faithfully reproduced.
The first group of releases, out March 16th, will consist of four classic
Queen albums: Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, A Night At The Opera
and A Day At the Races.
Following in May 2009 will be come five further albums including the
very first album, Queen, along with News Of The World, Flash Gordon,
A Kind of Magic and Innuendo, with successive releases coming
approximately every 6 months.
In a deliberate move, the albums are not being released chronologically
but instead sequenced over the twenty-two year period of release
allowing buyers wider choice with each new batch of releases.
Queen’s original studio albums:
Queen, Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, A Night At The Opera, A Day At The Races , News Of The World, Jazz, The Game, Flash Gordon,
Hot Space, The Works, A Kind Of Magic, The Miracle, Innuendo, and Made In Heaven (Courtesy: brianmay.com)
IN OTHER QUEEN NEWS:
Queen legend Freddie Mercury has been voted the Ultimate Rock God.
Flamboyant front man Freddie Mercury, who sold 300 million records with his band, Queen, before he died in November 1991 of
bronchopneumonia induced by HIV, is the top vote getter in OnePoll's survey for top Rock-God. Elvis Presley came in second place. Mercury
formed Queen in 1970 with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor who were later joined by bass player John Deacon. During his 21
years with the band Mercury, who was born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar in 1946, was renowned for his charismatic stage presence.
American rock icon Jon Bon Jovi came third in the survey of 4,000 rock fans by internet market research website www.onepoll.com. A
spokesman for www.onepoll.com said: ''Everybody loved Freddie Mercury, his theatrical performances on-stage were incredible and set him
apart from other rock stars. He combined his ear for music with an ability to deliver to stadium audiences across the world, and as such
millions of fans were devastated when HIV finally killed him in 1991.''
Elvis - dubbed 'The King of Rock 'n' Roll' - is one of the biggest selling artists of all time. Famed for hits such as 'Jailhouse Rock' and
'Suspicious Minds', he also filmed 31 musical films including "Blue Hawaii" and "Love Me Tender."
Bon Jovi - founding member and front man of hard rock band Bon Jovi - has enjoyed record sales worldwide for over 25 years. In the 80s
the band produced the albums Slippery When Wet (1986) which sold 29 million copies, and New Jersey (1988) which has shipped 18 million.
Fourth place in the poll went to David Bowie, who has been making music for over 40 years. Fifth was Jimi Hendrix, one of the greatest
rock guitarists of our time. In the top 20, five of the rock stars are deceased - including Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison. Foo
Fighters singer Dave Grohl appears at number 12 in the list. The front man originally played drums for Nirvana until Kurt Cobain committed
suicide 1994. The band then split up and Grohl formed the Foo Fighters who released its first album in June 1995.
A spokesman for www.onepoll.com continued: ''The list of top 20 Rock Gods is a diverse mix of front men, guitarists and performers. There
are some legendary acts in the list, but it's also good to see that modern day artists such as Dave Grohl earn respect from rock fans.''
TOP 20 ROCK GODS: 1. Freddie Mercury, Queen 2. Elvis Presley 3. Jon Bon Jovi, Bon Jovi 4. David Bowie 5. Jimi Hendrix, The Jimi
Hendrix Experience 6. Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath 7. Kurt Cobain, Nirvana 8. Slash, Guns and Roses 9. Bono, U2 10. Mick Jagger, The
Rolling Stones 11. Axl Rose, Guns and Roses 12. Dave Grohl, The Foo Fighters 13. Jim Morrison, The Doors 14. Paul McCartney, The
Beatles 15. Steven Tyler, Aerosmith 16. Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin 17. Brian May, Queen 18. James Hetfield, Metallica 19. Jimmy Page,
Led Zeppelin 20. Bruce Dickinson, Iron Maiden
(Courtesy of skiddle.com)
Queen, Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, A Night At The Opera, A Day At The Races , News Of The World, Jazz, The Game, Flash Gordon,
Hot Space, The Works, A Kind Of Magic, The Miracle, Innuendo, and Made In Heaven (Courtesy: brianmay.com)
IN OTHER QUEEN NEWS:
Queen legend Freddie Mercury has been voted the Ultimate Rock God.
Flamboyant front man Freddie Mercury, who sold 300 million records with his band, Queen, before he died in November 1991 of
bronchopneumonia induced by HIV, is the top vote getter in OnePoll's survey for top Rock-God. Elvis Presley came in second place. Mercury
formed Queen in 1970 with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor who were later joined by bass player John Deacon. During his 21
years with the band Mercury, who was born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar in 1946, was renowned for his charismatic stage presence.
American rock icon Jon Bon Jovi came third in the survey of 4,000 rock fans by internet market research website www.onepoll.com. A
spokesman for www.onepoll.com said: ''Everybody loved Freddie Mercury, his theatrical performances on-stage were incredible and set him
apart from other rock stars. He combined his ear for music with an ability to deliver to stadium audiences across the world, and as such
millions of fans were devastated when HIV finally killed him in 1991.''
Elvis - dubbed 'The King of Rock 'n' Roll' - is one of the biggest selling artists of all time. Famed for hits such as 'Jailhouse Rock' and
'Suspicious Minds', he also filmed 31 musical films including "Blue Hawaii" and "Love Me Tender."
Bon Jovi - founding member and front man of hard rock band Bon Jovi - has enjoyed record sales worldwide for over 25 years. In the 80s
the band produced the albums Slippery When Wet (1986) which sold 29 million copies, and New Jersey (1988) which has shipped 18 million.
Fourth place in the poll went to David Bowie, who has been making music for over 40 years. Fifth was Jimi Hendrix, one of the greatest
rock guitarists of our time. In the top 20, five of the rock stars are deceased - including Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison. Foo
Fighters singer Dave Grohl appears at number 12 in the list. The front man originally played drums for Nirvana until Kurt Cobain committed
suicide 1994. The band then split up and Grohl formed the Foo Fighters who released its first album in June 1995.
A spokesman for www.onepoll.com continued: ''The list of top 20 Rock Gods is a diverse mix of front men, guitarists and performers. There
are some legendary acts in the list, but it's also good to see that modern day artists such as Dave Grohl earn respect from rock fans.''
TOP 20 ROCK GODS: 1. Freddie Mercury, Queen 2. Elvis Presley 3. Jon Bon Jovi, Bon Jovi 4. David Bowie 5. Jimi Hendrix, The Jimi
Hendrix Experience 6. Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath 7. Kurt Cobain, Nirvana 8. Slash, Guns and Roses 9. Bono, U2 10. Mick Jagger, The
Rolling Stones 11. Axl Rose, Guns and Roses 12. Dave Grohl, The Foo Fighters 13. Jim Morrison, The Doors 14. Paul McCartney, The
Beatles 15. Steven Tyler, Aerosmith 16. Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin 17. Brian May, Queen 18. James Hetfield, Metallica 19. Jimmy Page,
Led Zeppelin 20. Bruce Dickinson, Iron Maiden
(Courtesy of skiddle.com)
And now, my response to OnePoll's survey!!!
O.K... so, whaddaya think? Yeah, there are some obvious choices to the OnePoll survey like Elvis, Bowie, Hendrix, Steven Tyler, Robert
Plant... Hold on, though; Jimmy Page? Can you have two guys from the same band? With that question arises the inclusion of Brian May.
Noteworthy, yes in many regards, and who's to say which is "Godlier" - the singer or the guitar player. For my money, Fredde Mercury
doesn't exist (in this realm, anyway) without Brian May, nor does Plant without Pagey. Hell, let's throw Joe Perry into the mix to
compliment Tyler. And so on. And so forth. Yadda, yadda.
Think about it for a minute... unless a key player dominates the band, as did Kurt Cobain with Nirvana (who, incidently is the one inclusion
whom I would have to veto) or (to a lesser degree) Hetfield with Metallica, why not "God-stat" the whole band? Case in point: Paul
McCartney. If you count Wings and his solo work, Sir Paul is (commercially, anyway) the most successful Beatle, but without The Beatles
he'd have just been a hugely over-achieving pop star who wouldn't have come any closer to this list than Gary Glitter, that dude from
Sweet or Johnny Cougar (who, by the way, as Mellencamp is worthy of a slot in the imperial rankings).
And, since we're talking about The Beatles, where in the farggin' hell is John Lennon, the orchestrator of the B's rockinist tunes and the
most socially visible "post-Beatles" Beatle? And George Harrison... All things Must Pass, The Concert for Bangladesh - sound resume, here.
And Ringo... arguably the most under-rated drummer in history and, uhh... mmm..., made that "Caveman" movie with his ever-luscious
future wife Barbara Bach and the ever-not-so-luscious former Oakland Raider John Matuszak.
Where's Bon Scott, the embodiment of bar-blues-boogie, arena rock, punk and a spritzing of glam... all rolled into one... plus, he had
tattoos up one arm and down the other back when only the deserving dared have 'em - rockers, bikers and sailors. And if there's Bon,
there must be Angus Young... and Brian Johnson. Bada-BING... I knight THEE, AC/DC, Imperial Rock-Gods of the Sacred Reich.
Where on the list is little Reg Dwight, the later self-christened Elton Hercules John (and subsequently "Sir" EJ)? Good-golly, the guy
could've put out an album of farts that would have gone to the top during his phenomenal 1970-76 run as the biggest star in the world. The
underlying truth to the matter is that Elton and Bernie Taupin wrote GREAT songs that touched every genre. Pop, rock, funk, country,
soul... the guy made it look and sound so darn easy.
It's obvious that Pete Townsend is deserving of a seat at the sacred table. No artist in rock history gave adolescent males an outlet to
realize and deal with the misery which is the transformation from boy to man. Sure, Roger Daltery gets points for being the adonis-voice,
but it was Pete's art that took the front seat. O.K., the Townshend/Daltery conundrum is the perfect point for me to interpose a
"Rock-God" rule. Try this one on: "If a band legitimately includes more than one member who, by way of achievement, contribution or some
other rock-starishness may exhibit the qualities and/or characteristics which bring to consideration (their) inclusion on the "Rock-God" list,
then the band itself may qualify for "Rock-God" status rather than multiple members gobbing up the list." All in favor say "Aye"... by
notation of The Council, this proposal hereby becomes "Rock-God" law. So says The Council on this, the thirteenth day of January in this
year of Our Lord, 2009.
My convoluted logic could carry this debate on well past, well... , the aforementioned point from which this flippin' survey will be long
forgotten - sometime around beer-thirty this Friday afternoon. So, for the sake of arguement, I am going to give you "The Real Definitive
Top-20 Rock-God List" as it truly exists in the only cosmos that matters... MINE!
20-16) The Who, Elton John, Aerosmith, John Mellencamp, Iggy Pop: Some definition given above, but I'll start this list by saying "If you
need to ask, then you really don't need to know the answer."
15) Bruce Dickinson: The voice which is often referred to as "The Air-Raid Siren" and is easily the definitive point of one of metal's most
endearing bands, Iron Maiden. Bruce could also probably be in the British fencing hall-of-fame or the aviation hall-of-fame... heck, he's
done everything except write a chapter for a cook-book. Wait a minute... he's done that too!
14) KISS: Every young kid's fantasy: give your favorite super-heroes guitars, drums and cahonies and watch 'em take over the world.
Almost totally undone by that stupid "Phantom of the Park" movie, but at least now we can look back and laugh.
13) The Ramones: Real-life comic book characters who made aimlessness look real cool years before the grunge movement turned it into a
pop phenomenon.
12) Johnny Rotten: Aside from Elvis, the greatest sneer in rock and roll. Mr. Lydon's concocted hatred for the establishment actually gave
political awareness to an otherwise lost generation.
11) Ted Nugent: Just when you thought that music had gotten all pussy-whipped, Sweaty Teddy strapped on a Gibson Byrdland and a
loincloth and seperated the men from the civilized world.
10) James Hetfield: Metallica's reluctant front-man proved that even the ostracized can rise and conquer. His angst funneled through a
socio-political awareness is the blueprint which will be studied long after we are all worm food. HONORABLE MENTION to The Het has to
be Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister for being the granddaddy of not only Metallica, but also the entire thrash movement.
9a) The Beatles: The lads from Liverpool were so diverse that it was like having four bands in one. Give 'em a listen through some good
tight-fitting headphones and learn all about the revolution of stereophonic sound.
9b) The Rolling Stones: You're probably thinking "What... two number 9s? Well, where there are Beatles, there must be Stones cuz
they're line the yin and yang of the British Revolution. The Stones invented "bad-boy" rock, Mick Jagger invented the modern-day frontman
guidelines and Keith Richards invented drug use. Plus, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman... statursque-cool, man!
8) Elvis Presley: Long live The King... now gimme a peanut-butter and bananna sandwich. Thank yuh vuurrry much!
7) Led Zeppelin: Aside from the band's musical genius, real points are earned with "Stairway to Heaven" which officially brought
"girl-next-door" chicks into the heavy-metal realm and forever altered the ethos of human existence. God bless ya, boys!! (Excerpt stolen
from my Top-10 Keg-Party Albums list. If you haven't seen it, go to the HMH homepage and look for the keg.)
6) Ronnie James Dio (Sabbath connection #2): Devil horns! There is no cultural gesture that carries such a universal understanding which its
followers can embrace than the good old two-fingered prod. It just looks mean. And such a huge voice and vision from such a diminutive
guy, you have to ask: Is it evil or divine?
5) Ozzy Osbourne (Sabbath connection #1): The Ozzman's contributions as The Prince of Darkness set the stage for his own monolithic
success (both as Sabbath's front man and as a solo artist) as well as laying the groundwork for countless sub-genres of rock/metal music...
not to mention the allowance for The Prince and his followers to step back and realize the absurdity of the whole thing!)
4) Black Sabbath: Connections #1 and 2 (above) aside, if there were no Sabbath, there would be no verifiable reason for the existence of
music as we know it.
3) AC/DC: Only a bunch of Aussie outlaws could make the urge to go out and get raucously loud, shit-faced drunk and then get laid sound so
poetic.
2) Alice Cooper: No musician before or since has represented the natural disdain which parents should have for their children's musical
choices. Alice makes today's rappers look like a bunch of rank amateurs... uh, hold on... they are!
And now, The Undisputed Heavyweight Rock-God for All Times Past, Present and Future in This or Any Other World is....
1) Rob Halford: The Metal God... need I say more? I didn't think so. Judas Priest, the band, is possibly the ultimate in its field, and as
the front guy Uncle Bobby embodies all that is heavy metal... all that is good. For this accomplishment, Rob Halford now and forever reigns
as The Ultimate and Mighty "Rock-God"!!
So, there you have it... The Real Definitive Top-20 Rock-God List (22 if you count Honorable Mentions and a/b number divisions... lest you
need reminding that THIS IS my poll). No reliance on some internet pyramid scheme to mold answers which may benefit some agenda-driven
endeavor. Nay! This is real knowledge from the belly of the beast. Read it... learn it... live it!!
Plant... Hold on, though; Jimmy Page? Can you have two guys from the same band? With that question arises the inclusion of Brian May.
Noteworthy, yes in many regards, and who's to say which is "Godlier" - the singer or the guitar player. For my money, Fredde Mercury
doesn't exist (in this realm, anyway) without Brian May, nor does Plant without Pagey. Hell, let's throw Joe Perry into the mix to
compliment Tyler. And so on. And so forth. Yadda, yadda.
Think about it for a minute... unless a key player dominates the band, as did Kurt Cobain with Nirvana (who, incidently is the one inclusion
whom I would have to veto) or (to a lesser degree) Hetfield with Metallica, why not "God-stat" the whole band? Case in point: Paul
McCartney. If you count Wings and his solo work, Sir Paul is (commercially, anyway) the most successful Beatle, but without The Beatles
he'd have just been a hugely over-achieving pop star who wouldn't have come any closer to this list than Gary Glitter, that dude from
Sweet or Johnny Cougar (who, by the way, as Mellencamp is worthy of a slot in the imperial rankings).
And, since we're talking about The Beatles, where in the farggin' hell is John Lennon, the orchestrator of the B's rockinist tunes and the
most socially visible "post-Beatles" Beatle? And George Harrison... All things Must Pass, The Concert for Bangladesh - sound resume, here.
And Ringo... arguably the most under-rated drummer in history and, uhh... mmm..., made that "Caveman" movie with his ever-luscious
future wife Barbara Bach and the ever-not-so-luscious former Oakland Raider John Matuszak.
Where's Bon Scott, the embodiment of bar-blues-boogie, arena rock, punk and a spritzing of glam... all rolled into one... plus, he had
tattoos up one arm and down the other back when only the deserving dared have 'em - rockers, bikers and sailors. And if there's Bon,
there must be Angus Young... and Brian Johnson. Bada-BING... I knight THEE, AC/DC, Imperial Rock-Gods of the Sacred Reich.
Where on the list is little Reg Dwight, the later self-christened Elton Hercules John (and subsequently "Sir" EJ)? Good-golly, the guy
could've put out an album of farts that would have gone to the top during his phenomenal 1970-76 run as the biggest star in the world. The
underlying truth to the matter is that Elton and Bernie Taupin wrote GREAT songs that touched every genre. Pop, rock, funk, country,
soul... the guy made it look and sound so darn easy.
It's obvious that Pete Townsend is deserving of a seat at the sacred table. No artist in rock history gave adolescent males an outlet to
realize and deal with the misery which is the transformation from boy to man. Sure, Roger Daltery gets points for being the adonis-voice,
but it was Pete's art that took the front seat. O.K., the Townshend/Daltery conundrum is the perfect point for me to interpose a
"Rock-God" rule. Try this one on: "If a band legitimately includes more than one member who, by way of achievement, contribution or some
other rock-starishness may exhibit the qualities and/or characteristics which bring to consideration (their) inclusion on the "Rock-God" list,
then the band itself may qualify for "Rock-God" status rather than multiple members gobbing up the list." All in favor say "Aye"... by
notation of The Council, this proposal hereby becomes "Rock-God" law. So says The Council on this, the thirteenth day of January in this
year of Our Lord, 2009.
My convoluted logic could carry this debate on well past, well... , the aforementioned point from which this flippin' survey will be long
forgotten - sometime around beer-thirty this Friday afternoon. So, for the sake of arguement, I am going to give you "The Real Definitive
Top-20 Rock-God List" as it truly exists in the only cosmos that matters... MINE!
20-16) The Who, Elton John, Aerosmith, John Mellencamp, Iggy Pop: Some definition given above, but I'll start this list by saying "If you
need to ask, then you really don't need to know the answer."
15) Bruce Dickinson: The voice which is often referred to as "The Air-Raid Siren" and is easily the definitive point of one of metal's most
endearing bands, Iron Maiden. Bruce could also probably be in the British fencing hall-of-fame or the aviation hall-of-fame... heck, he's
done everything except write a chapter for a cook-book. Wait a minute... he's done that too!
14) KISS: Every young kid's fantasy: give your favorite super-heroes guitars, drums and cahonies and watch 'em take over the world.
Almost totally undone by that stupid "Phantom of the Park" movie, but at least now we can look back and laugh.
13) The Ramones: Real-life comic book characters who made aimlessness look real cool years before the grunge movement turned it into a
pop phenomenon.
12) Johnny Rotten: Aside from Elvis, the greatest sneer in rock and roll. Mr. Lydon's concocted hatred for the establishment actually gave
political awareness to an otherwise lost generation.
11) Ted Nugent: Just when you thought that music had gotten all pussy-whipped, Sweaty Teddy strapped on a Gibson Byrdland and a
loincloth and seperated the men from the civilized world.
10) James Hetfield: Metallica's reluctant front-man proved that even the ostracized can rise and conquer. His angst funneled through a
socio-political awareness is the blueprint which will be studied long after we are all worm food. HONORABLE MENTION to The Het has to
be Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister for being the granddaddy of not only Metallica, but also the entire thrash movement.
9a) The Beatles: The lads from Liverpool were so diverse that it was like having four bands in one. Give 'em a listen through some good
tight-fitting headphones and learn all about the revolution of stereophonic sound.
9b) The Rolling Stones: You're probably thinking "What... two number 9s? Well, where there are Beatles, there must be Stones cuz
they're line the yin and yang of the British Revolution. The Stones invented "bad-boy" rock, Mick Jagger invented the modern-day frontman
guidelines and Keith Richards invented drug use. Plus, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman... statursque-cool, man!
8) Elvis Presley: Long live The King... now gimme a peanut-butter and bananna sandwich. Thank yuh vuurrry much!
7) Led Zeppelin: Aside from the band's musical genius, real points are earned with "Stairway to Heaven" which officially brought
"girl-next-door" chicks into the heavy-metal realm and forever altered the ethos of human existence. God bless ya, boys!! (Excerpt stolen
from my Top-10 Keg-Party Albums list. If you haven't seen it, go to the HMH homepage and look for the keg.)
6) Ronnie James Dio (Sabbath connection #2): Devil horns! There is no cultural gesture that carries such a universal understanding which its
followers can embrace than the good old two-fingered prod. It just looks mean. And such a huge voice and vision from such a diminutive
guy, you have to ask: Is it evil or divine?
5) Ozzy Osbourne (Sabbath connection #1): The Ozzman's contributions as The Prince of Darkness set the stage for his own monolithic
success (both as Sabbath's front man and as a solo artist) as well as laying the groundwork for countless sub-genres of rock/metal music...
not to mention the allowance for The Prince and his followers to step back and realize the absurdity of the whole thing!)
4) Black Sabbath: Connections #1 and 2 (above) aside, if there were no Sabbath, there would be no verifiable reason for the existence of
music as we know it.
3) AC/DC: Only a bunch of Aussie outlaws could make the urge to go out and get raucously loud, shit-faced drunk and then get laid sound so
poetic.
2) Alice Cooper: No musician before or since has represented the natural disdain which parents should have for their children's musical
choices. Alice makes today's rappers look like a bunch of rank amateurs... uh, hold on... they are!
And now, The Undisputed Heavyweight Rock-God for All Times Past, Present and Future in This or Any Other World is....
1) Rob Halford: The Metal God... need I say more? I didn't think so. Judas Priest, the band, is possibly the ultimate in its field, and as
the front guy Uncle Bobby embodies all that is heavy metal... all that is good. For this accomplishment, Rob Halford now and forever reigns
as The Ultimate and Mighty "Rock-God"!!
So, there you have it... The Real Definitive Top-20 Rock-God List (22 if you count Honorable Mentions and a/b number divisions... lest you
need reminding that THIS IS my poll). No reliance on some internet pyramid scheme to mold answers which may benefit some agenda-driven
endeavor. Nay! This is real knowledge from the belly of the beast. Read it... learn it... live it!!