By Ray McDonald Let’s play a game, shall we? Let’s assume that the Rolling Stones’ 50th anniversary tour, which starts on May 3 in Los Angeles, will be their final outing. It could very well be: the youngest member, Ronnie Wood, is 65, while elder statesman drummer Charlie Watts is 71 and has been grumbling […]
…For Better, For Worse…
Posted April 5th, 2013 at 2:21 pm (UTC+0)
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By Ray McDonald When I read that Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora was leaving the band for the remainder of its North American tour, I immediately thought “he’s going into rehab.” The brief notice posted on the group”s official web site contained few details, merely noting that the shows would continue as planned. However, […]
Alvin Lee, 1944 – 2013
Posted March 7th, 2013 at 6:57 pm (UTC+0)
By Ray McDonald Last week, I wrote about “seizing the day” when it came to viewing and appreciating artists, especially those of advancing ages. We never know what tomorrow may bring, and today we mourn the passing of a great musician. On March 6th, guitarist Alvin Lee died from complications following what was reportedly a […]
The Clock Is Ticking
Posted February 28th, 2013 at 10:11 pm (UTC+0)
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By Ray McDonald Eric Clapton sounds tired. Talking to “Rolling Stone” Magazine, the 67-year-old guitar legend says he plans to stop touring once he hits 70. Eric says he still loves to perform, but the rigors of traveling – such as dealing with immigration officials and security checks – is proving too much. I can […]
And The Best Rock Album Grammy Goes To…
Posted January 25th, 2013 at 4:21 pm (UTC+0)
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By Ray McDonald Two weeks from Sunday, the 55th annual Grammy Awards ceremony takes place in Los Angeles. Among the 81 categories will be Best Rock Album, one of just four trophies that will be given for Rock (the other three awards for the genre are Best Rock Song, Best Rock Performance, and Best Hard […]
And The Winner Is…
Posted January 7th, 2013 at 5:41 pm (UTC+0)
by Ray McDonald If you listened to music in 2012, you had a lot of company. Nielsen SoundScan and Nielsen BDS, the leading data information systems in the United States entertainment industry, just came out with their year-end sales figures. According to Nielsen’s David Bakula, “Overall music purchases surpassed 1.65 billion units in 2012, up […]
“Tunnel Of Love” At 25
Posted October 22nd, 2012 at 6:36 pm (UTC+0)
By Ray McDonald Bruce Springsteen’s “Tunnel Of Love” is my go-to Springsteen album. I find myself returning to it time and again. Here was a superstar at his most vulnerable, pouring his heart out during a desperate, confusing moment in his life. Well, just a couple weeks ago – October 9 – “Tunnel Of Love” […]
The British Are Coming…Again
Posted October 15th, 2012 at 4:21 pm (UTC+0)
I have a theory: the U.S. is in the midst of another British Invasion. Of course, there was that first one back in the 18th Century, but musically, the first “British Invasion” began in 1964 with The Beatles, then expanded to include dozens of other acts – many of whom are now in the Rock […]
