Music News & Notes

Vatican Likes Beatles-Forgives Lennon

The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano wrote in its Saturday edition that the Beatles music is better than today's "standardized, stereotypical" sounds. The comment was in reference to the 40th anniversary of the group's White Album.

They also wrote off John Lennon's comment that the group was more popular than Jesus, calling it the bragging of a young man in the middle of unusual success. Sure wait until almost 30 years after his death, it may have meant something if he was still alive. The papal jury's still mum about forgiving Yoko.

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Whip It!

Devo is working on their first album of new material since 1990's Smooth Noodle Maps.

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Old Onions

Booker T. Jones is also assembling his first solo album in twenty years with the help of the Drive-By Truckers and Neil Young.

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Ye- Haw!

Ricky Skaggs went into the studio recently with the Raconteurs and Ashley Monroe to record a new version of the groups song Old Enough. It will premier on music.yahoo.com on December 2.

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My Order is to Go

Tito Jackson has evidently quit Taco Bell (yes, David Letterman reference) and is moving to England where he plans on starting a solo career at the age of 55. His last recording was 1989's 2300 Jackson Street.

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No Doubt Plans Reunion Tour, Album

So much for Gwen Stefani's crummy career as a solo artist: She's getting back together with No Doubt to record a new album.

The band made the announcement through a pseudo online chat box posted on its website this weekend. Although no details were given, No Doubt indicated it'd return to the road to fire up some inspiration before it heads into the studio to work on a new album.

No Doubt hasn't recorded an album since 2001's Rock Steady.

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Freebie From Bruce!

Bruce Springsteen's new single can be downloaded free of charge — for one day.

Springsteen is offering free downloads of "Working on a Dream" on iTunes and his official Web site. The track will have a fee attached on iTunes from Tuesday through December 9.

It's the first offering from Springsteen's upcoming album, also titled "Working on a Dream," which will be released January 27, five days before the rock star and the E Street Band perform at the Super Bowl halftime show in Tampa, Florida.

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Unhappy Togther

The people who own the rights to the Turtles' Happy Together are suing Ford over the use of the song in commercials for the Brazil and Argentina market. They are seeking $200,000 in damages.

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60's Relived Again

Marianne Faithfull has released a new song, a very different take on the Smokey Robinson classic Ooh Baby, Baby. With the title shortened to OO Baby and help from Antony Hegerty, the single moves from subdued R&B to a rocked out ending over a long eight minutes.

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Not Too Old To Rock & Roll

AC/DC have appeared for the first time on Billboard's Dance Music chart as "Rock N Roll Train" premiered at number 48.

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Divorce for Madonna/Ritchie

Madonna and Guy Richie were granted a preliminary divorce today in a London court. Neither attended the hearing. A final divorce decree can be made in six weeks and one day.

The papers showed that Madonna had filed for the divorce, citing Ritchie's "unreasonable behavior" and that no family law need be applied as they had worked out division of assets and custody. I guess Madonna wasn't cited for "unreasonable behavior," as she has always been a saint.

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Annie Lennox to Release Postponed Collection

Annie Lennox will release a 14-song solo career retrospective on February 10 via Arista. The Annie Lennox Collection collects twelve older recording from over the artist's 15 year solo career along with two new tracks. The album was originally scheduled for August 6 but was postponed when, two weeks later, Lennox had spinal surgery.

Over those years, Lennox has recorded four albums (Diva, Medium, Bare and Songs of Mass Destruction) which have earned her four Grammys and, along with her work with Dave Stewart in the Eurythmics, has made her the most successful female British artist of the last fifty years with sales of 78 million albums.

"It seems like the time has come to release the Collection this year," Lennox says of her first best-of set. "I'm very proud of these songs. They are timeless and have become 'classics' in their own right."

Of the new songs, Pattern of My Life was written by Tom Chaplin of Keene and Shining Light was recorded by Ash in 2001.

Lennox will receive a special award of merit at this Sunday's American Music Awards and will perform live for the first time since her spinal surgery.

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Converge Writing New Album

Converge is getting ready to destroy your ears once more.

The hardcore act revealed it started writing tunes for the follow-up to No Heroes (review) (Epitaph), and hopes to place the still-untitled album into stores next year from Epitaph. No further details about the set were given.