Redbeard’s Blog

Alice Cooper- Love It to Death/Killer 55th Anniversaries

"Love It to Death" in March 1971 may have been the third album by the band Alice Cooper, but that doesn't change the fact that nobody bought the first two. By December of that same year, EVERYBODY had heard "I'm Eighteen" off of Love It to Death , and Alice Cooper had written and recorded a soon-to-be-classic additional full album, "Killer". And it was. Alice proves in my classic rock interview that  you can project practically any fringe, edgy, sociopathic image in rock and get away with it - as long as you deliver the hits.
,

R.E.M.- Out of Time 35th Anniversary- Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills

It is clear on the 35th anniversary of R.E.M.'s "Out of Time" album that the song from it, "Losing My Religion", has weathered the time in between exceedingly well. "Pop culture, particularly in the US, everything comes and goes in cycles, as things do," points out R.E.M. singer/ lyricist Michael Stipe, "which we all realize as we all grow older and wiser, whether it's politics or music or pop culture...I always wanted to have a song that would be considered 'the song of the Summer'. As it was, that song kind of became the song of the year," he chuckled. Ten million copies sold and three Grammy Awards later, nobody could argue the case.

38 Special- Wild-Eyed Southern Boys 45th- Donnie Van Zant, Jeff Carlisi

Former singer/songwriter/co-founder Donnie Van Zant and original 38 Special lead guitarist Jeff Carlisi recall band headquarters in an abandoned auto parts garage in a swamp to work up songs, on the 45th anniversary of "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys".
,

Phil Collins- Face Value 45th Anniversary

Of his cinderella  first solo album "Face Value" forty-five years ago, Phil Collins recalls the real-life betrayal and heartbreak which inspired "In the Air Tonight", "I Missed Again"; and why he did not include another original, "How Can You Sit There?", on Face Value nor it's follow up, Hello I Must Be Going, but opted instead to give it to the soundtrack of the 1984 movie Against All Odds, going on to become Phil Collins' first #1 hit.
,

Rush- Moving Pictures- Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, the late Neil Peart

"Music was changing," Rush lead singer/composer Geddy Lee tells us in this In the Studio  episode, and without Lee, guitarist/composer Alex Lifeson, and drummer/lyricist the late Neil Peart embracing the fresh musical ideas in the crosswinds of the early Eighties on "Moving Pictures" with songs "Tom Sawyer","Red Barchetta","Limelight", "Vital Signs", and "Witch Hunt", it is doubtful that a path to mainstream success would have been cleared for later major bands...

Judas Priest- Point of Entry- Rob Halford

Judas Priest's "Point of Entry" 45th anniversary, & Rob Halford is In the Studio with Redbeard "Heading Out to the Highway" for some "Hot Rockin'".

Joe Cocker Tribute to Ray Charles- American Black History Month

To continue celebrating American Here's the late Joe Cocker's tribute to Ray Charles.
,

Heart- Dreamboat Annie- Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson

"In the Studio" with Ann & Nancy Wilson of Heart for the real rock fairy tale of "Dreamboat Annie".

Jackson Browne- Lives in the Balance

Jackson Browne had grown increasingly active in a series of high-profile humanitarian causes including nuclear energy moratorium, climate change awareness, famine relief, and anti-apartheid in South Africa...But not until the February 1986 release of "Lives in the Balance" had the popular singer/songwriter turned his introspective mirror around in his songs. Jackson Browne joins me here In the Studio .

Robert Cray- Smoking Gun- Dallas 1987

Another stellar live performance, no overdubs,  by the Robert Cray Band at Dallas club Redux in July 1987, "Smoking Gun" and the album Strong Persuader   resulted in Cray being heralded by no less than legendary Dallas native Steve Miller…