Monday, September 23, 2002
Peter Gabriel maps North American tour behind “Up”
Peter Gabriel’s first tour in a decade, which comes on the heels of his new studio album, “Up,” is set to open in November.
Peter Gabriel’s first tour in a decade, which comes on the heels of his new studio album, “Up,” is set to open in November.
According to promoter Clear Channel Entertainment, Gabriel’s Growing Up Live tour will feature a “spectacular center stage production” that was developed by director-designer Robert Le Page, who also designed the set for Gabriel’s 1993 Secret World Live tour.
Gabriel and his live band--David Rhodes (guitar), Richard Evans (guitars mandolin), Tony Levin (bass), Rachel Z (keyboards), Ged Lynch (percussion) and Melanie Gabriel (vocals)--will visit more than 20 cities on the outing. The set list will include material from “Up” as well as many of Gabriel’s older hits, according to promoters.
One dollar from every ticket sold will be donated to the international human-rights organization Witness, which Gabriel co-founded.
Gabriel’s new album, “Up,” was released on Tuesday (9/24). The first single is titled “The Barry Williams Show,” the video for which was directed by Sean Penn.
Sunday, September 22, 2002
Street Date Sept. 24: Beck, Peter Gabriel, India.Arie
Also: Uncle Kracker, Steve Earle, Ryan Adams, Eyes Adrift and more.
Also: Uncle Kracker, Steve Earle, Ryan Adams, Eyes Adrift and more.
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Beck - “Sea Change” (Geffen)
Beck’s eighth album--and his fifth major-label release--features a dozen somber tracks, most of which deal with heartbreak. Nigel Godrich, who turned the knobs on Beck’s 1998 album, “Mutations,” produced. A tour in support of the album opens in mid October; Flaming Lips will serve as the opening act and as Beck’s backing band.
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Peter Gabriel - “Up” (Geffen)
Though he has released various live and soundtrack albums in the interim, “Up” marks Gabriel’s first proper solo album in a decade. The new set features the track “The Barry Williams Show”; the song and its companion music-video are both posted at Gabriel’s official website. Gabriel will tour behind the album this fall.
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India.Arie - “Voyage to India” (Motown)
“Voyage to India” features the R&B singer’s latest single, “Little Things.” The album is the follow-up to her Grammy-nominated debut, “Acoustic Soul.” Next month, India.Arie kicks off a tour in support of the new release.
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Uncle Kracker - “No Stranger to Shame” (Lava/Atlantic)
Formerly known only as Kid Rock’s DJ, Uncle Kracker’s burgeoning solo career continues with this sophomore effort. “It’s not a big old-school-sounding record,” Uncle Kracker--a.k.a. Matt Shafer--said during a recent SoundSpike interview. “It’s not dated, either. It’s just straight songs. Some are a little lovey-dovey, some are not.” The new collection includes the single, “In a Little While,” the video for which is streaming at Atlantic’s website.
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Steve Earle - “Jerusalem” (Artemis)
Even before its release, Steve Earle’s sixth album in six years has garnered much negative attention on conservative talk-shows for its track “John Walker’s Blues,” which is written from the perspective of so-called American Taliban John Walker Lindh, and explores how Lindh may have ended up in Afghanistan. “Fundamentalism, as practiced by the Taliban, is the enemy of real thought, and religion too,” Earle said in a statement. “But there are circumstances.” Among the albums other tracks is a duet with Emmylou Harris titled “I Remember You.” Those two tracks and three others are streaming on the Artemis Records website.
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Ryan Adams - “Demolition” (Lost Highway)
This critically acclaimed singer-songwriter doesn’t consider this collection of 13 songs to be the official follow-up to his 2001 release, “Gold.” According to his label, “after sitting on stacks and stacks of tracks for over a year, the decision was made to assemble a ‘greatest hits’ from the unreleased songs, a retrospective of a high-speed year in the life of a rising star.” Adams embarks on a tour behind the album in October.
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Eyes Adrift - “Eyes Adrift” (SpinArt)
The trio behind this self-titled debut comprises the Meat Puppets’ Curt Kirkwood, Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic and Sublime’s Bud Gaugh. The group, which formed last year, has several promotional appearances planned this week, details for which are posted at its official website. The band launches a tour on the same day that the album hits stores.
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Other new releases:
60 Watt Shaman - “Reason to Live” (Spitfire)
Steve Almaas & Ali Smith - “Duets” (Parasol)
Jade Anderson - “Dive Deeper” (Columbia)
Gato Barbieri - “The Shadow of the Cat” (Peak)
The Beautiful Mistake - “Light a Match, for I Deserve to Burn” (Militia)
Tab Benoit and Jimmy Thackery - “Whiskey Store” (Telarc)
Biohazard - “Never Forgive, Never Forget” (Sanctuary)
Jim Breuer - “Smoke and Breu” (Comedy Central)
Jackson Browne - “The Naked Ride Home” (Elektra)
Jeremy Camp - “Stay” (BEC/Tooth & Nail)
Cky - “Infiltrate.Destroy.Rebuild” (Island)
Claire Voyant - “Love Is Blind” (Metropolis)
Les Claypool’s Frog Brigade - “Presents Purple Onion” (Prawn Song)
Mary Cleere Haran - “Crazy Rhythm” (Fynsworth Alley)
Peppino D’Agostino - “Every Step of the Way” (Favored Nations)
Paquito D’Rivera- “Brazilian Dreams” (MCG Jazz)
Dena DeRose - “Love’s Holiday” (Sharp Nine)
Dies Irae - “The Sin of War” (Metal Blade)
Eartha - “Sidebars” (AFRT Music)
Eliane Elias - “Kissed by Nature” (RCA)
Darren Emerson & Tim Deluxe - “Underwater - Episode I” (Thrive)
Tommy Emmanuel - “Only” (Favored Nations)
Bill Engvall - “Cheap Drunk: An Autobiography” (Warner Bros.)
Orrin Evans - “Meant to Shine” (Palmetto)
Evolution - “Unnatural Selection” (Nettwerk)
The Fallen - “Front Towards Enemy” (Metal Blade)
The Forty-Fives - “Fight Dirty” (Yep Roc)
Gran Torino - “The One and Only” (The Red Eye Label)
Nanci Griffith - “Winter Marquee” (Rounder)
Warren Hill - “Christmas” (Narada)
Rex Hobart & the Misery Boys - “Your Favorite Fool” (Bloodshot)
Abdullah Ibrahim - “African Symphony” (Enja)
Iron and Wine - “The Creek Drank the Cradle” (Sub Pop)
Bob James - “Morning, Noon and Night” (Warner Bros.)
Jet 68 - “SuperQueen” (Cleopatra)
Glenn Jones - “Feels Good” (Peak)
Josh Joplin Group - “The Future That Was” (Artemis)
Indira Khan - “What Can I Do?” (AFRT Music)
Living Sacrifice - “Conceived in Fire” (Tooth & Nail)
Mad Cap - “East to West” (Side One Dummy)
Delbert McClinton - “Room to Breathe” (New West)
McLusky - “Do Dallas” (Beggars)
Rhett Miller - “The Instigator (Elektra)
Alison Moyet - “Hometime” (Sanctuary)
NAAM Brigade - “Early in the Game” (ArtistDirect)
Ted Nugent - “Craveman” (Spitfire)
Of Montreal - “Aldhils Arboretum” (Kindercore)
Parker and Lily - “Here Comes Winter” (Manifesto)
Pastor Troy - “Universal Soldier” (Universal)
Plus One - “Mixer Presents: Next School 2” (Razor & Tie)
Poor Old Lu - “The Waiting Room” (Tooth & Nail)
Porcupine Tree - “In Absentia” (Lava/Atlantic)
Elvis Presley - “30 #1 Hits”
Project 86 - “Truthless Heroes” (Atlantic)
Rasa - “In Concert” (Hearts of Space)
D.J. Rodgers, Jr. - “EmoSoul” (Motown)
Mingo Saldivar y sus Temenos Cuatro Espadas - “A Taste of Texas” (Rounder)
Sepultura - “Under a Pale Grey Sky” (Roadrunner)
Vonda Shepard - “Chinatown” (Jacket)
The Silos - “Cuba” (DualTone)
Slobberbone - “Slippage” (New West)
Snapcase - “End Transmission” (Victory)
The Soft Boys - “Nextdoorland” (Matador)
Spring Heel Jack - “Amassed” (Thirsty Ear)
Doug Stone - “The Long Way” (Audium)
Stone Garden - “Stone Garden” (Gear Fab)
Andy Summers/John Etheridge - “Invisible Threads” (Favored Nations)
Tierney Sutton - “Something Cool” (Telarc)
Billy Taylor Trio - “Live at IAJE, New York” (Soundpost)
Ten Foot Pole - “Bad Mother Trucker” (Victory)
Tonic - “Head on Straight” (Universal)
Travis Tritt - “Strong Enough” (Columbia)
Underworld - “A Hundred Days Off” (V2)
The Violents - “Rececca’s Morning Voice” (Mud)
Volovan - “Volovan” (Lakeshore)
Phillip Walker Big Band - “Live at Biscuits & Blues” (M.C.)
Various artists - “Sounds Eclectic Too” (Palm Pictures)
Various artists - “Ultimate Chill Out” (Varese)
Various artists - “Viva Death” (Vagrant)
Soundtracks and scores:
“Autofocus" (Sanctuary)
“Brown Sugar” (MCA)
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More, with Feeling” (Rounder)
“Moonlight Mile” (Epic)
“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (Hip-O)
“Just a Kiss” (Milan)
“Monsoon Wedding: Dubara” (Milan)
“Standing in the Shadows of Motown” (Hip-O)
“Sweet Home Alabama” (Hollywood)
“The Red Dragon” (Decca)
Neil Diamond stakes out December road work
Neil Diamond will work the tour circuit through the end of the year as he continues to support his 2001 release, “Three Chord Opera.”
Neil Diamond will work the tour circuit through the end of the year as he continues to support his 2001 release, “Three Chord Opera.”
As with the jaunt’s previous legs, pre-sale tickets for the December dates will be sold through Ticketmaster.com before they hit the general market. The password-protected pre-sale begins on Sept. 23 (the password is “Starflight"), and continues until Sept. 29, according to Diamond’s official website. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Sept. 30 in most markets; consult Diamond’s website for more information.
“Three Chord Opera” is Diamond’s first collection of new material in five years. The album peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Though he has never had a No. 1 album, Diamond has established himself as one of the arena circuit’s most reliable draws. According to Amusement Business, his 1996 tour was the fifth-highest grossing of that year, pulling in $25.3 million, and his 1998 tour grossed more than $42 million over 85 shows.
A three-year layoff from the road didn’t hurt Diamond’s drawing power; his 2001 outing behind “Three Chord Opera” grossed $35.4 million over 46 shows, making it the 10th highest-grossing tour of the year, according to Pollstar.
Last year, Sony released “The Essential Neil Diamond,” which includes 32 digitally-remastered songs from Diamond’s back catalog, as well as six previously unreleased live songs from his 2001 tour.
Thursday, September 19, 2002
Rage trio and Chris Cornell name band, prep album
Former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell and the three remaining members of Rage Against the Machine have dubbed themselves Audioslave and will release their first album this fall.
Former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell and the three remaining members of Rage Against the Machine have dubbed themselves Audioslave and will release their first album this fall.
The group’s self-titled debut is due in stores on Nov. 19, according to Epic Records. Famed producer Rick Rubin produced the album with the band in a Los Angeles recording studio.
“Audioslave" features 14 tracks, including the forthcoming first single, “Cochise,” for which the group will soon shoot a music video. Guitarist Tom Morello explained how the track got its name, and hinted that the group’s sound will be as hard-hitting as Rage Against the Machine’s.
“Cochise was the last great American Indian chief to die free and absolutely unconquered,” Morello said in a prepared statement. “When several members of his family were captured, tortured, and hung by the U.S. Cavalry, Cochise declared war on the entire Southwest and went on an unholy rampage, a warpath to end all warpaths. He and his warriors drove out thousands of settlers. Cochise the Avenger, fearless and resolute, attacked everything in his path with an unbridled fury. This song kinda sounds like that.”
News of the album’s impending release comes roughly seven months after widespread reports surfaced that Cornell had, for unknown reasons, bailed out of the project. The group is apparently still intact, however, and has launched a new--albeit sparse--website.
Last spring, 13 Audioslave demo tracks were widely circulated on the Internet. According to Epic, those leaked cuts “obviously ... are not representative of the final album, as they were rehearsal demos.”
In May of 2001, Cornell, Morello, Tim Commerford (bass) and Brad Wilk (drums) revealed that they were recording an album together. That news followed the October 2000 departure of Rage frontman Zack de la Rocha.
Soundgarden called it quits in 1997, and Cornell released his solo debut, “Euphoria Moning,” in 1999.
“Audioslave" tracklisting:
- Cochise
Show Me How To Live
Gasoline
What You Are
Like A Stone
Set It Off
Shadow Of The Sun
I Am The Highway
Exploder
Hypnotize
Bring Em Back Alive
Light My Way
Getaway Car
The Last Remaining Light
Rick Wakeman aboard for new round of Yes dates
Yes hits the road this fall for the second leg U.S. of a tour that features returning keyboardist Rick Wakeman.
Yes hits the road this fall for the second leg U.S. of a tour that features returning keyboardist Rick Wakeman.
“Touring with Rick again has been a lot of fun for us,” said bassist Chris Squire said in a statement. “The band is playing better than ever, and the fans have really been responding well to the shows. We are really looking forward to the next leg of this tour, as we feel we’re just getting started.”
The outing follows the June 18 release of “YesSymphonic,” a live concert video filmed during the band’s summer 2001 tour, on which the group was backed by a full orchestra. The DVD version includes one disc of 157 minutes of concert footage and a second disc with 37 minutes of bonus material. The VHS version features the concert footage only.
The group released “In a Word: Yes (1969- )” this summer, a career-spanning box set that includes rarities and unreleased tracks.
The returning Wakeman rounds out a lineup that also features Alan White (drums), Steve Howe (guitar), Jon Anderson (vocals) and Chris Squire (bass).
Formed in Britain during the late ‘60s, Yes is best known for its 1971 album “Fragile,” which features the hit single “Roundabout.” The group also scored a No. 1 hit in the U.S. with 1984’s “Owner of a Lonely Heart.”
Beatles survivors to headline tribute concert for George Harrison
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the two surviving members of the Beatles, are among the stars scheduled to appear at a Nov. 29 tribute concert for their late bandmate, George Harrison.
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the two surviving members of the Beatles, are among the stars scheduled to appear at a Nov. 29 tribute concert for their late bandmate, George Harrison.
Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Ravi Shankar and members of the Monty Python cast are also scheduled to appear at the show, which will take place at London’s Royal Albert Hall, according to British press reports.
The concert, which which is being held on the first anniversary of Harrison’ death, will be filmed for a television special planned for broadcast in early 2003.
Wednesday, September 18, 2002
Stone Temple Pilots take off on fall tour
Though they recently passed on an Ozzfest slot in order to begin work on a new album, Stone Temple Pilots have decided to head out in late September for a month’s-worth of dates.
Though they recently passed on an Ozzfest slot in order to begin work on a new album, Stone Temple Pilots have decided to head out in late September for a month’s-worth of dates.
The group’s itinerary includes opening dates on Aerosmith’s current tour, a number of festival appearances and several headlining dates set in small venues such as Boston’s Orpheum Theatre and Orlando’s Hard Rock Live.
STP’s most-recent release is last year’s “Shangri-La Dee Da,” which the band toured behind in late 2001 and early 2002. The group declined to join this summer’s Ozzfest run, citing at that time plans to begin putting together a new album.
According to a phone message that STP frontman Scott Weiland posted on the band’s official website, little progress has been made on what will be the group’s sixth studio release.
“Life is good and I’m hoping to start a new STP record soon,” Weiland said in the Aug. 8 message. “Otherwise ... it’s been a pretty uneventful year in STP-world, and I’m bored.”
Tori Amos embarks on tour to back new album
Tori Amos releases her Epic Records debut in late October, and follows it up with a North American tour that kicks off in early November.
Tori Amos releases her Epic Records debut in late October, and follows it up with a North American tour that kicks off in early November.
Amos, who sings and plays the piano, will be backed by longtime collaborators Jon Evans (bass) and Matt Chamberlain (drums), according to Epic. Singer-songwriter Howie Day will open.
“Scarlet’s Walk,” Amos’ latest album, hits stores on Oct. 29. The record is her first for Epic, with whom she signed after leaving Atlantic Records last year. Her new label describes “Scarlet’s Walk” as “a sonic novel” featuring a main character named Scarlet, “a woman who crisscrosses the country in search of answers, in search of herself.”
Amos self-produced the album, and recorded it in the same Cornwall, England studio where she recorded several of her previous albums.
The record features the single, “A Sorta Fairytale,” which recently surfaced on radio. The track is streaming at Amos’ official website.
Ticket Window: Rolling Stones, No Doubt, Korn
This week’s other new ticket on-sales include Aerosmith, Bridge School Benefit, Cher and Tool.
This week’s other new ticket on-sales include Aerosmith, Bridge School Benefit, Cher and Tool.
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Aerosmith
Read about the tour.
- New Orleans (10/24, New Orleans Arena), on sale 9/21 at 10 a.m.
- Woodlands, Texas (10/30, Woodlands Pavilion), on sale 9/21 at 10 a.m.
- Tacoma, Wash. (11/12, Tacoma Dome), on sale 9/21 at 11 a.m.
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Bridge School Benefit
Read about the concerts.
- Mountain View, Calif. (10/26-27, Shoreline Amphitheater), on sale 9/22 at 10 a.m.
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Cher
Read about the tour.
- Philadelphia (10/26, First Union Center), on sale 9/21 at 11 a.m.
- San Antonio, Texas (11/25, SBC Center), on sale 9/21 at 10 a.m.
- Sacramento, Calif. (12/8, Arco Arena), on sale 9/21 at 10 a.m.
- San Jose, Calif. (12/11, Compaq Center), on sale 9/22 at 10 a.m.
- Seattle (12/16, Key Arena), on sale 9/20 at 10 a.m.
- Nampa, Idaho (12/18, Idaho Center), on sale 9/23 at 10 a.m.
- Spokane, Wash. (12/19, Spokane Arena), on sale 9/21 at 9 a.m.
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Korn
Read about the tour.
- Fort Myers, Fla. (10/21, Teco Arena), on sale 9/21 at 10 a.m.
- Miami (10/25, Bayfront Park), on sale 9/20 at 5 p.m.
- Long Beach, Calif. (11/9, Long Beach Arena), on sale 9/20 at noon
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No Doubt
Read about the tour.
- Kingston, R.I. (10/15, Ryan Center), onsale 9/21 at 10 a.m.
- Nampa, Idaho (11/8, Idaho Center), on sale 9/21 at 10 a.m.
- Portland, Ore. (11/9, Rose Garden), on sale 9/21 at 9 a.m.
- Seattle (11/11, Key Arena), on sale 9/21 at 9 a.m.
- Phoenix (11/16, Cricket Pavilion), on sale 9/21 at noon
- Las Vegas (11/17, Palms Hotel), on sale 9/21 at 10 a.m.
- Bakersfield, Calif. (11/25, Centennial Garden), on sale 9/21 at 10 a.m.
- San Diego (11/26, Cox Arena), on sale 9/21 at 10 a.m.
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Rolling Stones
Read about the tour.
- New York (1/17-18, Madison Square Garden), on sale 9/18
- Chicago (1/21, United Center), on sale 9/21 at 10 a.m.
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Tool
Read about the tour.
- Lowell, Mass. (10/28, Tsongas Arena), on sale 9/21 at 10 a.m.
- Uniondale, N.Y. (10/31, Nassau Coliseum), on sale 9/21 at 11 a.m.
- Roanoke, Va. (11/2, Civic Center), on sale 9/21 at noon
- Albuquerque, N.M. (11/18, Tingley Coliseum), on sale 9/21 at 10 a.m.
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All ticket on-sale times and concert dates are subject to change without notice. Confirm with your local venue and/or ticket seller.
SoundSpike’s Ticket Window feature is updated each Thursday evening.
Tuesday, September 17, 2002
Album Chart: Dixie Chicks continue to reign at No. 1
For the third straight week, the Dixie Chicks’ “Home” will grace the top slot on the Billboard 200 album chart.
For the third straight week, the Dixie Chicks’ “Home” will grace the top slot on the Billboard 200 album chart.
“Home," which sold about 1.1 million copies during its first two weeks out, moved about 214,000 more units in its latest week on the shelves, according to industry sources.
Meanwhile, teen sensation Avril Lavigne’s “Let Go” continues to stretch its legs, climbing from No. 5 to No. 2, its highest chart position since its June 4 release. Propelled by the continued success of the hit “Complicated,” the album sold about 122,000 copies during its most-recent week out.
Eminem and Nelly continue to hang out together on the chart’s upper rungs, with “The Eminem Show” dropping one notch to No. 3 and “Nellyville” staying put at No. 4.
The anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks likely spurred sales of country singer Toby Keith’s “Unleashed,” which features the track “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue”; the album climbs back into the Top 10 at No. 5.
Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising,” Norah Jones’ “Come Away with Me” and Coldplay’s “A Rush of Blood to the Head” all lose a spot this week, down to Nos. 6, 7 and 8, respectively.
Closing out the Top 10 is Clipse’s “Lord Willin’,” up one place to No. 9, and James Taylor’s “October Road,” which climbs from No. 12 to No. 10.
Notable activity outside of the Top 10 includes a major surge by “Drive,” country singer Alan Jackson’s latest, which features the Sept. 11-inspired track “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).” The album’s Sept. 11 anniversary-week sales--which, at about 37,000, are more than twice those of the previous week’s total--propel it from No. 57 to No.16.
Passing “Drive” on its free-fall down the chart, meanwhile, is Aaron Carter’s “Another Earthquake!,” which, after debuting at No. 18 last week, sinks to No. 41.
While the anniversary of Sept. 11 helped spike sales of “Drive” and “Unleashed,” the week didn’t see many new mainstream albums hit the shelves. Among the week’s chart are Rebecca Lynn Howard’s “Forgive” at No. 31 and Ani DiFranco’s “So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter” at No. 34.