Thursday, January 22, 2009

Music News & Notes

Reba Studio LP

Reba McEntire has returned to the studio to record her first solo album in over five years.

McEntire explained, "It’s not like I ever consciously decided to wait so long between studio albums. We just had these great opportunities along the way-to put out another Greatest Hits, plus the TV show was going on and then we did the Duets project. Before I knew it, six years had gone by."

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Saxophonist Newman Dies

Saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman passed away Tuesday from pancreatic cancer at the age of 75.

Newman not only recorded his own albums and played with a number of jazz greats, but also worked with Dr. John, Aretha Franklin, Aaron Neville and the Ray Charles Band among others.

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Neil Young News

Neil Young's The Archives Volume 1, 1963-1972 has been postponed once again until later in the year. He will be releasing the album Fork in the Road on March 31, but early reactions to the new songs have not been positive.


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Haggard Feeling Better

Merle Haggard has told People magazine that he's feeling better everyday and wants to get back to the studio and on the road. "I'm doing real well, a little better every day.....I'm going into the studio to see how my voice sounds.

"Most of the reports were like, 'He's got six months to live!' There was never any indication of that. I lost the upper lobe of my right lung where there was a tumor suspended like a fruit on a tree. But there was no chemo. I feel like I've extended my life. I'm in better shape than when I went in."

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Faces Reunion News

The U.K. paper The Sun reports that the reformed Faces have already recorded their first album in over thirty years. Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Kenney Jones, Ian McLagan and an unnamed bass player supposedly were inspired after a trip together to Costa Rica, Bermuda and Miami.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror tempers that a bit by saying that Stewart and Wood are done writing the songs for the album, which they completed in three days on that vacation. The Mirror also "confirms" that Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers will be the bass player.

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Falling For Obama

It's been reported that James Taylor was taken to the hospital and received fifty stitches after falling at a rehearsal for the Barack Obama concert last Sunday. A spokesperson for the singer said that he fell, cutting his forehead on a guitar, which would explain why he wore the hat and sunglasses when he performed.

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New Bowie Music

David Bowie announced that he was working on new music via a Twitter message. "Cheers from a snowy Berlin! Working on some new material!" Bowie has made three other albums in the German city (Low, Heroes, Lodger).

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Springsteen says music can influence society


Bruce Springsteen would like to think that music played a small part in helping Barack Obama become president.

Springsteen performed during the weekend inaugural festivities, and was a big Obama booster during the campaign.

He tells Rolling Stone magazine he doesn't think rockers have a whole lot of influence, but can create a vision of the world as it should be.

Bob Dylan's classic album "Highway 61 Revisited" did it for him, and Springsteen says he hopes that in some way, his music may have had the same effect.

Springsteen says the world he envisioned for years in his songs was realized when Obama was elected. Says the 59-year-old singer: "It's not just something I dreamed up. It can exist."

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