An enormous tornado with a debris cloud two miles wide tore through the metropolitan area just south of Oklahoma City on Monday afternoon.

UPDATE 9:28 p.m. EST: At least 51 people were killed in the storm, including seven children from Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, according to KFOR in Oklahoma City. The news station reported that 75 student and staff were inside the school when the storm struck. Officials said Monday night that the search of the rubble remaining of the school had turned to a recovery mission.

UPDATE 8:33 p.m. EST: At least 37 people have been killed in the storm, according to the local medical examiner. The two-mile wide twister, has been given a preliminary classification of an EF-4 tornado (winds of 166 to 200 mph), according to weather officials. Crews are continuing to search an area of 30 square miles for victims of the powerful storm.

UPDATE 7:49 p.m. EST: ABC News reports that at least 10 people have been killed in the storm in Moore, Okla. today.

UPDATE 7:04 p.m. EST: The AP reports that several children were pulled alive from the wreckage at Plaza Towers Elementary School, in Moore.

UPDATE 6:05 p.m. EST: CNN affiliate KFOR is reporting that people are pulling children out from the rubble of an elementary school in Moore. There is no official word yet on the condition of the children.

The town of Moore suffered tremendous damage as the twister gradually moved east, but it never did reach the downtown area of Oklahoma’s capital city. The National Weather Service had issued a tornado emergency warning for the region, a rarity for such a highly populated area. Schools, houses, businesses and many, many more buildings have been utterly devastated.

The tornado may also have touched down in or near the town of Newcastle, which is where many people who had been evacuated due to Sunday’s storms were sheltered.

In total, more than 171,000 people may have been in the path of the tornado, according to CNN.

You can view live coverage of the aftermath here.

This post will be updated as further information comes in.

[NBC, CNN]

Looking for dirty deeds done dirt cheap? Well, you might be in luck — especially if you live in a state where there are relaxed child labor laws. In the clip above, 12-year-old singer Brooks Paul belts out a convincing version of the AC/DC classic with his band — but if you’re looking to hire them, you might have to drive him home after the gig.

There’s nothing wrong with starting young and getting your foot in the door at an early age, but this aspiring rocker takes it to a whole different level. The ambitious North Carolina resident is known as the “Prince of Rock,” and he performs with his own band, touring the East Coast hitting venues from Virginia to Florida. He was also the youngest performer in the over-70-year history of Myrtle Beach Bike Week. His closest band mate in age is 40 years old.

Paul sure looks and acts the part of a rock star — with his flowing blond locks, mirrored aviator shades and jeans, he resembles a diminutive Sebastian Bach. His YouTube channel also features his renditions of songs by Journey, Bon Jovi, Foreigner and more.

Could he be the next big thing in rock? Time will tell. But the kid can sing.

[button href="http://ultimateclassicrock.com/baby-sings-bon-jovi-video-of-the-week/" title="Next: Watch a Baby Sing Bon Jovi" align="center"]

Source: AC/DC Sung by 12 Year Old – Best of YouTube

See? Deer really do come out of nowhere!

Recently, a public transit driver in western Pennsylvania had an unexpected passenger board the vehicle. The above video shows a deer crashing through the windshield of a public bus and then proceeding to freak out beyond belief. We’re not sure if that’s because of the confined space, the unfamiliar terrain, or because it was seemingly thrust through the window of a gargantuan bus. Luckily, all was fine once the doors were opened.

Kudos to the driver for remaining oddly calm throughout the whole ordeal. Even when the passenger didn’t pay the fare, which we’re told costs a Buck. Come on, we were all thinking it.

Source: Deer Goes Bananas After Crashing Into a Bus

After a break of a mere 30 years, HSAS are back — sort of. Sammy Hagar and Journey guitarist Neal Schon have reunited for a few songs on Hagar’s upcoming CD, and they recruited Hagar’s Chickenfoot rhythm section of Michael Anthony and Chad Smith for the three tracks.

HSAS were a short-lived band that began in 1983, when Hagar and Schon collaborated with bassist Kenny Aaronson and drummer Michael Shrieve for some new material that resulted in a string of live dates. They recorded several performances in San Francisco for an album titled ‘Through the Fire,’ which afforded both Hagar and Schon a vehicle for some ideas that fell somewhat outside the normal scope of their music. The album also included a cover of Procol Harum‘s ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale.’

Two dates were also recorded for an MTV special, and the band toured a little bit more in California before Schon returned to his commitments with Journey and Hagar began recording ‘VOA.’ Though they’ve remained friends and played together many times since, they’ve never resurrected HSAS — until now.

“This is the new HSAS,” Hagar proclaims in the above clip — though as he points it, technically it could be considered the third lineup of HSAS, since the last names of all of the members of Chickenfoot also form that acronym. “It’s interchangeable, so HSAS is the new future for everyone in life,” Hagar quips.

The foursome recorded a new version of ‘Going Down,’ which Chickenfoot has played live. Sammy praised Schon’s version of the song, saying, ‘It’s never been burned like that!”

They also apparently recorded two other tracks for the album, which has no set release date as yet.

[button href="http://ultimateclassicrock.com/top-sammy-hagar-songs/" title="Next: The Top 10 Sammy Hagar Songs" align="center"]

Source: HSAS Rebirth? Sammy Hagar + Neal Schon Recruit New Rhythm Section

The growing list of special guests that have been welcomed to the stage for the Rolling Stones‘ ’50 and Counting’ tour added another big name on Saturday (May 11), when the band was joined by multiplatinum pop star Katy Perry for a special duet rendition of ‘Beast of Burden.’

This isn’t the first time that the song, originally a Top 10 single from the group’s 1978 ‘Some Girls‘ album, has been covered in a duet setting; in fact, Bette Midler scored a minor hit with her 1983 version, which flipped the song by putting her in front and featuring Mick Jagger on guest vocals.

The band broke the news about Perry’s appearance via Twitter, telling followers a few hours before the show with a tweet that sparked a mini-love fest, with Perry responding that she was “much obliged & quite honored” and a clearly enthused Jagger adding that he was “really looking forward to duetting with Katy tonight.” After the number, grammar went completely out the window for Perry, who told followers, “Yes, I just did gyrated on Mick Jagger. WHAT?!”

Perry’s guest spot (which is embedded above for your viewing pleasure) puts her in some fairly elite company during the latest tour; as Rolling Stone points out, the band’s recent shows have incorporated a list of artists that includes John Fogerty, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Waits, and Gwen Stefani.

[button href="http://ultimateclassicrock.com/top-100-rolling-stones-songs/" title="Next: Top 100 Rolling Stones Songs" align="center"]

Source: The Rolling Stones Joined by Katy Perry for ‘Beast of Burden’ During Las Vegas Show

Diners at the new Rock & Brews in Torrance, Calif. might not have recognized the famous owners of the eatery as they took the stage. Kiss played with out makeup and costumes for about 20 minutes during the grand opening on Wednesday (May 8).

Only Eric Singer was missing as, according to Blabbermouth, they worked through ‘Rock and Roll All Night,’ ‘Lick It Up’ and ‘Hotter Than Hell.’ In contrast to their usual stage show, last night’s set couldn’t have been more scaled back unless they went acoustic. Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Tommy Thayer are wearing jeans and t-shirts as they sing and jam on their guitars. A navy blue sheet serves as the only sort of staging.

Simmons and Stanley own the Rock & Brews franchise, which has three locations currently. The first Rock & Brews opened in El Segundo, Calif. in April 2012, and a Los Cabos, Mexico location opened in March of this year. They are reportedly hoping to open 100 locations in the next five years, including the Los Angeles Airport location this summer, Maui this fall and Kansas City, Mo. next year.

It was one of two charity performances that day for the group. Earlier, Simmons and Stanley played for more than 100 returning military veterans and Wounded Warriors.

[button href="http://ultimateclassicrock.com/most-demonic-gene-simmons-kiss-songs/" title="next: Top 10 Demonic Gene Simmons Kiss Songs" align="center"]

Source: Kiss Performs Unmasked Set at Restaurant Opening

The Rolling Stones pulled into San Jose, Calif. last night (May 8) for a stop on their ’50 and Counting’ tour, and they brought along some pretty special guests for company.

The show, which found the band running through a brisk 22-song set list that was understandably heavy on the hits, also treated the crowd to special guests both expected (former Stone Mick Taylor, whose appearance included his first live rendition of ‘I Can’t Get No Satisfaction’ since 1973) and surprising (Bonnie Raitt and John Fogerty, who both popped up before the first 10 songs were through).

Fogerty appeared on stage first, joining the band for a performance of ‘It’s All Over Now,’ most of which was captured by a security-flouting audience member (embedded below). A few numbers later, Raitt came out to lend her signature slide guitar to ‘Let It Bleed.’ Both artists have enjoyed a previous association with the group — Raitt previously performed ‘Bleed’ with the band in 2006, while Fogerty contributed handclaps to one of the bonus tracks on the expanded ‘Some Girls’ reissue.

The band may be facing sluggish sales on the tour, but with a growing list of guests that also includes Tom Waits, Keith Urban, and Gwen Stefani, they’re finding a way to keep the element of surprise while revisiting songs the fans already know by heart.

Rolling Stones Set List, San Jose, Calif., May 8, 2013

‘Get Off My Cloud’
‘It’s Only Rock & Roll’
‘Paint It Black’
‘It’s All Over Now’ (featuring John Fogerty)
‘Gimme Shelter’
‘No Expectations’
‘Let It Bleed’ (featuring Bonnie Raitt)
‘Emotional Rescue’
‘Bitch’
‘One More Shot’
‘Honky Tonk Women’
‘Before They Make Me Run’
‘Happy’
‘Midnight Rambler’
‘Miss You’
‘Start Me Up’
‘Tumbling Dice’
‘Brown Sugar’
‘Sympathy for the Devil’
‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’
‘Jumping Jack Flash’
‘Satisfaction’

The Rolling Stones with John Fogerty, ‘It’s All Over Now’

Source: Rolling Stones Joined by Mick Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, and John Fogerty at San Jose Concert

But what happens when a guy is too busy with his cell phone conversation to kiss his enthusiastic lady friend? The crowd support the girl with whatever revenge she decides to seek.

Check out this video a the Fresno Grizzlies minor league game.

Who knew fishing could be so entertaining?

Bill Dance is the well-respected and longtime host of ‘Bill Dance Outdoors.,’ but even an expert of his caliber can have some issues with the great outdoors from time to time, as seen in this video of bloopers.

The video, which has gotten a new life thanks to Reddit, offers an amusing compilation of bloopers from Dance’s show over the years. From falling off a dock to getting a fishing rod stuck in a ceiling, it’s a different side of Dance for fans to see.

So, the next time you’re having some trouble navigating your boat or baiting your line, just remember it can happen to even the best of them.

Source: Hilarious Bill Dance Fishing Bloopers Will Make Your Day

Country music suffered a tremendous loss last Friday (April 26), when the legendary George Jones passed away at the age of 81. But more than a Nashville icon, Jones was a friend and inspiration to many — including Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, who penned a eulogy for Jones that was released in time for his funeral service yesterday (May 2).

Rolling Stone published Richards’ remembrance in full, while ABC News traced the pair’s friendship to Jones’ 1994 release ‘The Bradley Barn Sessions,’ which featured them performing a duet on a version of the Dallas Frazier song ‘Say It’s Not You,’ a personal favorite for both artists.

Read the full text of Richards’ statement below.

George Jones has left us. We have lost one of the most individual singers of all time. I cannot express the emptiness I feel.

George was as country as it can get, but he was beyond any bag you want to put him in. He was pure American music without ever waving a flag – you can hear a million imitations on the radio every day – but there was, and ever will be, only one George Jones.

He possessed the most touching voice, the most expressive ways of projecting that beautiful instrument of anyone I can call to mind. You heard his heart in every note he sang. Sinatra called him the second best singer ever. (The number one obviously being Frank!). I would contest that.

I truly loved ‘the possum.’ He was a crazy as me, and just as free… and, oh boy, could he hang.

 

[button href="http://tasteofcountry.com/top-george-jones-songs/" title="Next: Top 10 George Jones Songs" align="center"]

Hear Keith Richards Play ‘Say It’s Not You’

Source: Keith Richards Writes a Remembrance for Country Legend George Jones

The next time you drink a Bud, you could be making a bud.

Budweiser has unveiled a new Buddy Cup, which allows people to become Facebook friends when they touch glasses as they knock back a cold one.

The glass, created by Budwesier Brazil, features a built-in chip synched with Facebook.

“A computer chip with what Budweiser calls a ‘bump sensor’ is integrated into the bottom of the cup. Also on the bottom of the cup is a QR code, which works with a Budweiser app to link the cup to your Facebook account. When two people clink glasses, the friend request is sent from one to another.”

It’s just the latest food and beverage-related item to go high-tech, joining the fork that warns people when they’re eating too fast and spoons that come with mp3 players.

That’s good and all, but we’re waiting for pots with an actual Twitter handle. Then, we’ll be impressed.

[button href="http://guyspeed.com/julep-recipes-kentucky-derby/" title="NEXT: 5 Awesome Julep Cocktails to Fuel Your Kentucky Derby Party" align="center"]

Source: Budweiser’s Buddy Cup Lets You Become Facebook Friends With Your Drinking Buddies While You Get Hammered

Pop and R&B star Michael Jackson was looking to broaden his audience base when he invited Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen to play on a track from the album he was working on as a follow-up to his best-selling 1979 disc ‘Off the Wall.’

And the seemingly unlikely pairing worked like a charm — the resulting track, ‘Beat It,’ won multiple Grammys, launched an iconic video and became one of Jackson’s signature songs, landing at No. 1 on April 30, 1983.

The collaboration almost didn’t happen. When Van Halen received the initial inquiry about recording the track, he hung up, believing it was a prank call. In 2012 the guitarist recalled that he did much more than just play the guitar solo on the track.

“I listened to the song, and I immediately go, ‘Can I change some parts?’,” he said. “I turned to the engineer and I go, ‘OK, from the breakdown, chop in this part, go to this piece, pre-chorus, to the chorus, out.’ Took him maybe 10 minutes to put it together. And I proceeded to improvise two solos over it.”

Incredibly, the guitarist did the gig as a favor, receiving no payment for his role in making ‘Thriller,’ which went on to sell more than 30 million copies, becoming the most successful album in recorded history to that point. ‘Beat It’ held the top spot in the Top 40 for three weeks,  and won Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.

Though Van Halen’s record company prevented him from appearing in the video for the song, he did join Jackson on stage in Dallas to perform ‘Beat It’ during the ‘Victory’ tour.

[button href="http://ultimateclassicrock.com/top-eddie-van-halen-guitar-solos/" title="Next: The Top 10 Eddie Van Halen Guitar Solos" align="center"]

Watch Eddie Van Halen Join Michael Jackson Live for ‘Beat It’

Source: 30 Years Ago: Michael Jackson + Eddie Van Halen Hit No. 1 with ‘Beat It’

Black Sabbath have unveiled another new track live during the overseas road trek to promote their upcoming album ‘13.’ At a concert in Melbourne, Australia on Monday (April 29), the group performed ‘Methademic,’ which is slated for release as one of three bonus tracks on the deluxe edition of ’13.’

From the limited sound of the audience-shot footage above, the song sounds like it centers around a classic heavy Sabbath riff. It’s also got a strong melody, as far as anyone can tell — though it must be said, even allowing for the dodgy recording quality, it seems that this performance is far from Ozzy Osbourne‘s best moment vocally.

Past Sabbath reunions have been dogged by the singer’s increasingly limited vocal range, and this clip doesn’t exactly soothe fan fears that he might not be up to a full tour vocally. It starts off spotty enough even in his lower range and progresses to almost tuneless caterwauling by the end of the song, with Ozzy barely pronouncing the words enough to distinguish any of the lyrics.

Tony Iommi saves the track with a typically compact, awesome solo. Fans can only hope that this was an off night, and that the studio version of the track will contain a much stronger vocal performance.

This marks the third track we’ve heard so far from ’13′ — Sabbath have released one single, ‘God is Dead?,’ and they premiered another track, ‘End of the Beginning,’ on the opening night of their tour.

’13′ is set to drop in several formats on June 11. Black Sabbath will kick off a North American summer tour on July 25 in Houston, Texas.

[button href="http://ultimateclassicrock.com/best-black-sabbath-songs/" title="Next: The Top 10 Black Sabbath Songs" align="center"]

Source: Black Sabbath Debut New Song, ‘Methademic,’ Live in Melbourne

And here we thought falling asleep in church was bad.

Most of us have visited God’s house at least once in our lives, and we could most likely unanimously agree it was utterly boring and even somewhat terrifying. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the gall to do anything about our aforementioned boredom the way this kid did.

The above video — which shows a seemingly fearless seven-year-old-boy in Utah on a car chase after stealing his father’s ride because he didn’t want to go to church — is rapidly becoming one of our favorites.

Luckily, he’s too young to be prosecuted, but he isn’t too young to be labeled “The Coolest Kid in the World.”

Source: Kid Steals Car to Avoid Church [VIDEO]

Legendary Led Zeppelin front man Robert Plant has announced the first North American tour dates for his new project, Robert Plant presents the Sensational Space Shifters. The group will kick off their native stateside jaunt on June 20 in Dallas, Texas and run through July 27 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Plant and his new band have been touring the world, most recently in Australia and New Zealand. The Brisbane Times said, “What’s going on is further proof that Plant is far more imaginative, playful and adventurous than any cliche, a man who’s absorbed all the music he’s loved and played and sought out the musicians to explore that.”

A press release for the project promises a veritable cornucopia of musical styles all in one place. Ever the restless musical wanderer, Plant has pulled together influences from Chicago blues and Greenwich Village folk, to the world music of West Africa and Morocco, to Texas two-step and Bristol dubstep. The roots of the project reach back to his work on ‘Dreamland’ and ‘Mighty Re-Arranger’ with the Strange Sensation, prior to his celebrated collaboration with Alison Krauss and subsequent work with the Band of Joy.

The new band’s sound is augmented by unusual instrumentation including the bendir, one-stringed African violin, African banjo and talking drum. The North American tour includes five festival appearances at Britt in Jacksonville, Ore., High Sierra in Quincy, Calif., Jambase in George, Wash., Portland Blues in Portland, Ore., and Forecastle in Louisville, Ky.

Plant released a live album with the Sensational Space Shifters last year.

[button href="http://ultimateclassicrock.com/best-robert-plant-songs/" title="Next: Top 10 Robert Plant Songs" align="center"]

Watch the Tour Trailer for Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters

Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters Tour Dates:
6/20 – Dallas, Texas – Palladium
6/21 – Houston, Texas – Bayou Music Center
6/23 – Austin, Texas – Moody Theater
6/26 – Los Angeles, Calif. – Shrine Auditorium
6/28 – Santa Barbara, Calif. – County Bowl
6/29 – Berkeley, Calif. – Berkeley Greek
7/2 – Jacksonville, Ore. – Britt Festival
7/4 – Quincy, Calif. – High Sierra Festival
7/6 – George, Wash. – Jambase Festival
7/7 – Portland, Ore. – Portland Blues Festival
7/10 – Morrison, Colo. – Red Rocks
7/12 – Chicago, Ill. – Grant Park
7/13 – Memphis, Tenn. – Live In The Garden
7/14 – Louisville, Ky. – Forecastle Festival
7/17 – New Orleans, La. – Mahalia Jackson Theater
7/19 – Atlanta, Ga. – Verizon Amphitheatre
7/20 – Cary, N.C. – Koka Booth Amphitheatre
7/22 – Vienna, Va. – Wolftrap
7/24 – Uncasville, Conn. – Mohegan Sun
7/25 – Boston, Mass. – B of A Pavilion
7/27 – Brooklyn, N.Y. – Prospect Park

Source: Robert Plant Announces 2013 U.S. Tour Dates for Sensational Space Shifters

Tom Petty, John Fogerty and Jackson Browne joined Randy Newman onstage last night at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The four veteran rockers, who all live in Los Angeles, opened the show at the city’s Nokia Theater with a version of Newman’s 1983 song ‘I Love L.A.’

Newman was one of eight artists inducted into the Hall of Fame last night. The typically wry Newman said backstage, ”I didn’t think it would happen until I died or something.”

Last night’s 28th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony was the first to be held in Los Angeles since 1993. For the past 20 years, events were held in either New York City or Cleveland, which is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

According to Rolling Stone, ‘I Love L.A.”s rallying shouts of “I love it!” — which were originally intended as sarcastic jabs at Newman’s hometown — sounded “less ironic” as the four stars “passed verses back and forth.” As they “harmonized on the song’s ‘Twist and Shout’-style harmonies, it started to seem like they were a Wilburys-style supergroup in the making.”

Later in the evening, Don Henley inducted the 69-year-old Newman, marveling at the singer-songwriter’s ability to get 2,000 Texans to sing along to his 1974 song ‘Rednecks,’ which doesn’t paint a very flattering picture of the south.

HBO will broadcast the induction ceremony on May 18.

[button href="http://ultimateclassicrock.com/category/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame/" title="Next: The Latest Hall of Fame Coverage" align="center"]

Source: Tom Petty, John Fogerty and Jackson Browne Join Randy Newman at Hall of Fame Induction

By 1981, two of the most successful and influential British rock groups of the ’70s — Led Zeppelin and Yes — had come to an end, and the members of each band were all looking for new opportunities. In April 1981, former Yes drummer Alan White and bassist Chris Squire got together with Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page for a proposed supergroup called XYZ — which could have also included Robert Plant, but never quite got off the ground.

Yes had been one of progressive rock’s leading lights in the ’70s, releasing a string of musically ambitious and commercially successful albums including ‘Fragile,’ ‘Close to the Edge’ and ‘Going For the One.’ But the group had endured major member changes with the loss of front man Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman, and 1980′s ‘Drama’ — featuring singer Trevor Horn and keyboardist Geoff Downes from the pop group the Buggles — was a commercial disappointment. Faced with declining sales and resistance from their fan base, Yes disbanded, and Downes joined guitarist Steve Howe in a new supergroup called Asia with ELP drummer Carl Palmer and former King Crimson bassist/singer John Wetton — leaving Squire and White without a project.

Enter Jimmy Page, who was also at loose ends after the death of drummer John Bonham in September of 1980 led to the demise of Led Zeppelin that December. The mighty Zeppelin and Yes had been the two biggest acts on Atlantic Records in the ’70s, but the musicians’ getting together was by happenstance, not design.

“I met him at a Christmas party,” Squire recalled in 2010. “He said he’d like to start playing again, pull himself out of the depression after John’s death.” Consequently, by the early part of 1981 Page joined Squire and White for a series of jams that turned into a new group they called XYZ — which stood for ex-Yes/Zeppelin.

“We wrote a bunch of songs, Chris and myself, and we showed them to Jimmy,” White recalled to Hit Channel in 2012. “We went an evening to Jimmy’s house and jamming some stuff and it sounded really good.” Different accounts place the dates anywhere from February to April of that year, during which time the trio — along with former Greenslade keyboardist and singer Dave Lawson — worked at Squire’s home studio on a series of demos including ‘Mind Drive,’ ‘Can You See‘ and ‘Telephone Secrets.’

Squire was the primary vocalist on the new material, but the group were hoping to attract a stronger, more recognizable front man. “Robert Plant was going to come in and join with us and do the singing at some point, but it was really a bit too soon after John Bonham departed this world for Robert to get back into it,” the bassist told Noise11.com.

White recalled that the former Zeppelin front man wasn’t entirely sold on the music he heard, either. “Robert Plant came and listened to our music, he thought it was complicated,” he stated.

There were also divisions in the ranks as to whether former Yes manager Brian Lane or Zep manager Peter Grant should helm the new group, and in the end, the nascent band — like so many other all-star projects — just didn’t come to fruition. Instead, Page joined former Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers in the Firm, borrowing from the XYZ demo for a track called ‘Fortune Hunter.’

Squire and White teamed with fellow Yes alumni Tony Kaye, along with guitarist Trevor Rabin, for a new group called Cinema, which turned into a Yes reunion when singer Jon Anderson came on board. White says some of the XYZ material made its way into the music for ’90125,’ while both ‘Can You Imagine’ and ‘Mind Drive’ eventually found their way onto subsequent Yes efforts in re-worked versions.

Squire remains proud of the music from the aborted sessions with Page. “They were only demos. Nothing was ever finished but somehow they got snuck out of the studio by some engineer or somebody at some point,” he recalled. “They are not finished demos if you track them down. They are quite exciting. It is worth having a look for them if you are interested.”

Page agrees, even saying that he still hopes the music could see an official commercial release at some point. “I’ll tell you the material was good,” he said in an interview with Rolling Stone (quote via the Daily Express). “I have the multi-tracks. I hope they see the light of day.”

[button href="http://ultimateclassicrock.com/jimmy-page-guitar-solos/" title="Next: The Top 10 Jimmy Page Guitar Solos" align="center"]

Hear the Sessions for XYZ

Source: 32 Years Ago: Ex-Yes and Zeppelin Members Form Supergroup XYZ

This is one of the first reports to come last night regarding the fertilizer plant explosion in West, off of Interstate 35 between Dallas and Waco.  This is the Dallas NBC affiliate, beginning to piece together what happened.

Since then, police have said between 5 and 15 people are dead, more than a hundred injured, and countless homes have been leveled.

Texans who want to do something to help but don’t know what to do, can donate blood to the Red Cross, or Carter Blood Care (today, April 18 at Central Elementary!).  With so many tragic stories making headlines this week, blood will be in demand, and now is a great time to contribute.

For a band that was never particularly narrative, linear or even all that ambitious with their songwriting, the Eagles’ decision to make their second album a concept record always seemed a bit odd. Their self-titled 1972 debut was filled with peaceful, easy and likable L.A.-style country-rock that rarely grabbed at more than it could handle. At this stage in their career, there was nothing cynical or pretentious about the Eagles.

But a year later they returned with ‘Desperado,’ a concept album about the Old West and, especially, the Dalton Gang, a group of late-19th century outlaws led by three brothers. The LP’s story is somewhat flimsy, its narrative held together by historical summations and sketchy portraits of the gang’s ringleaders. But the music, mostly acoustic ballads and mournful country tunes, at times sounds richer and more focused than the debut.

From the opening ‘Doolin-Dalton’ and the single ‘Tequila Sunrise’ to the character study ‘Certain Kind of Fool’ and ‘Outlaw Man,’ the album’s toughest song, ‘Desperado’ saddles up for a dusty-trailed journey held together by the Eagles, still a quartet at this point, and their tight harmonies and expert playing. And then there’s the tile track, one of the band’s best-ever songs. As far as narrative-driven concept albums go, it isn’t ‘Kilroy Was Here,’ but it’s way more enjoyable.

‘Desperado,’ which celebrates its 40th anniversary today (April 17), is the Eagles’ lowest-charting LP, just missing the Top 40. But it eventually went platinum, better than 1972’s ‘Eagles.’ The album’s singles – ‘Tequila Sunrise’ and ‘Outlaw Man’ – didn’t do all that well; neither reached the Top 50. The next year the band hardened their style with the addition of Don Felder and the ‘On the Border’ album. No. 1 records, excessive lifestyles and legend weren’t far behind. ‘Desperado’ is the Eagles’ last stand at innocence.

[button href="http://ultimateclassicrock.com/eagles-songs/" title="Next: Top 10 Eagles Songs" align="center"]

Listen to the Eagles’ ‘Desperado’

Source: 40 Years Ago: The Eagles’ ‘Desperado’ Album Released

After the huge comeback success of the live reunion album, ‘The Dance,’ in 1997, Fleetwood Mac were back in a big way. The obvious questions started flying, asking about the chances of a new Mac LP. In spite of a short round of drama, they answered that question with the full-flying ‘Say You Will, ‘ which was released on April 15, 2003. The album marked the return of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks to the clan, but also saw the departure of mainstay Christine McVie.

After the 1987 ‘Tango In The Night’ LP, Buckingham left the band to concentrate on his solo career. The Mac soldiered on and issued two more albums, ‘Behind The Mask’ (1990) and ‘Time (1995), by which time Nicks had also split. The 1997 reunion set the stage for big things to come, but following the tour, Christine McVie made the decision to retire. Buckingham, Nicks, John McVie and Mick Fleetwod regrouped as a four-piece to put an album together. Fortunately, they already had a head start.

Lindsey Buckingham had been working on a solo album since the late-’90s and had, in fact, called up his old band mate McVie and Fleetwood to play on a few tracks. A planned album titled ‘Gift Of Screws’ never materialized (the title was used for his 2008 solo set), but tracks from that batch of recordings found a home on ‘Say You Will,’ and after a little tweaking, became full-fledged Fleetwood Mac songs.

‘Miranda,’ ‘Red Rover,’ ‘Come,’ ‘Steal Your Heart Away’ and ‘Murrow Turning Over In His Grave’ — all classic Buckingham tracks — are from those solo sessions. In ‘Murrow,’ Buckingham’s wired and haunting vocal derides the state of media, and coupled with some equally haunting and fiery guitar work, the song just soars. ‘Steal Your Heart Away’ is the hit that got away. It’s pure Fleetwood Mac pop that begged for radio play, but alas, was not to be. Ditto for the LP’s title track, written by Stevie Nicks. ‘Say You Will’ shows Nicks off in her signature style and though it just missed the Top 20, it proved the band were back in top form.

‘Come’ is a very heavy and very harsh rocker that borders on psychotic. Buckingham really lets his demons lose here, delivering a blistering guitar solo, while ‘Red Rover’ shows off a more gentle and intricate guitar style from the man. Meanwhile, other amazing gems like ‘Miranda’ and ‘Bleed To Love Her’ proved that the songwriting fountain of Buckingham was far from dry. The songs on ‘Say You Will’ rank with his best.

That’s not to say it’s all Lindsey’s show here. Miss Nicks puts forth a heaping batch of her own pearls here like ‘Silver Girl,’ ‘Smile At You,’ and the dynamic ‘Destiny Rules,’ which is one of the best tracks on the album. It’s a long record, with 18 tracks that clock in at well over an hour.

‘Say You Will’ hit No. 3 on Billboard and made it to ‘Gold’ status. Though a far cry from the mega-billion and counting sales of ‘Rumours,’ it was definitely a solid showing commercially. Artistically, however, it was a genuine triumph.

The four-piece version of Fleetwood Mac are still together and on the road, but have said that another album might not be in their collective future again. If ‘Say You Will’ were to be the last full-length album the band ever release, it certainly qualifies them as going out on a high note.

[button href="http://ultimateclassicrock.com/fleetwood-mac-songs/" title="Next: Top 10 Fleetwood Mac Songs" align="center"]

Listen To ‘Say You Will’ by Fleetwood Mac

Source: 10 Years Ago: Fleetwood Mac Release ‘Say You Will’