Local Record Store Closing

This is a sad reminder for everyone to make sure to visit their local record stores. I have been down to Atomic many, many times and I am truly sad to hear of this. Buy Your Vinyl At Local Record Stores!

Music Aficionados Are Going to Lose a Gem
By Marti Mikkelson
March 9, 2009 | WUWM | Milwaukee, WI

A music lover’s paradise will close at the end of the week. Atomic Records on Locust Street in the heart of Milwaukee’s east side business district has been known as the place to go to get rare cuts of music you can’t find anywhere else. But the times have taken a toll. WUWM’s Marti Mikkelson stopped by the store and took in its going-out-of-business sale.

It’s Saturday afternoon at Atomic Records and an old Beatles video is airing on the TV. The place is packed, not only with customers but with merchandise. Every nook and cranny of the tiny store is crammed with cds and vinyl; everything from the Yardbirds to Timbuk 3 to The Osmond Brothers. Meghan Arnold is combing through one bin marked “everything’s $2.” Her arms are stuffed with music to add to her collection.

“I have Teenagers, Lavender Diamond, Manic Street Preachers. I got all those LPs and then um, just a ton of 45s, Stereo Lab, Blondie, Annuals, Eurythmics,” Arnold says.

Arnold says she’s been coming to the store once every few months for the past decade. She says it’s sad that the shop is closing at a time when the music scene is taking off in Milwaukee.

One local musician who’s just purchased a couple of rare finds is Damian Strigens. He says besides the availability of obscure music, Atomic Records has been the place for local musicians to gather. Sometimes they would step up on stage for impromptu jam sessions with national acts.

“Performing artists that would come through town would occasionally do little acoustic sets right over here on the small little stage. People like Frank Black, Camper Van Beethoven played here, Smashing Pumpkins played here,” Strigens says.

Strigens says those concerts drew big crowds, and it’s one thing he’ll miss most when the store closes. Rich Menning opened Atomic Records in 1985. He was 24 years old at the time and had recently moved here from Madison, where his only music experience was as a sales clerk at a record store.

“I have to give props to my dad for lending me a little money to get started and he never thought it would work out to be honest. He thought at the very least I would get an education in business and oh what an education I’ve gotten the last few years,” Menning says.

Menning says what he’s learned is that you have to respond to changes in the industry. Business boomed throughout the 80s and 90s, with his focus on local and alternative music satisfying a hunger unlike any other shop in Milwaukee. He sold cds and vinyl at competitive prices ranging from $10 to $20.

But by 2001, Menning started to notice sales tapering off. Then in the past couple of years, foot traffic in his store slowed to a trickle. He attributes the decline to the rise of the internet.

“It was kind of the one-two punch of illegal downloading and cd burners is what really kind of kicked our butt overall, and unfortunately now, there’s an entire generation of people that have never paid for music and think it should be free. I sell music and I think it’s worth something,” Menning says.

Menning says the final nail in the coffin was the downturn in the nation’s economy and he knew it was time to get out of the music business. He announced in December that the store will be closing.

He says ironically, the internet will keep him afloat for the next year or two as he sells off most of his record collection on ebay and amazon. After that, he says he doesn’t know what he’ll do. Another person in the store who faces an uncertain future is employee Mark Waldoch.

“I play music in two different groups. I don’t know, I mean I bartend. I’m trying to do more of that. Ideally, I’d like to do more touring and things like that but I haven’t done a lot of that with the band yet. I’m not going to start a record store, I’ll tell you that,” Waldoch says.

The closing of Atomic Records means there will be only a couple of independent record stores left in the Milwaukee area. As they’ve disappeared, music lovers have lost places to share their passion and are having a tougher time growing their collections.

Source: http://www.wuwm.com

U2 Unveils Stadium Dates

U2 and Live Nation have confirmed the first round of stadium dates on the band's global "360°" tour.

Here are the tour dates dates:

June 30: Barcelona (Nou Camp)
July 7: Milan (San Siro)
July 11: Paris (Stade de France)
July 15: Nice, France (Parc Charles Ehrmann)
July 18: Berlin (Olympic Stadium)
July 20: Amsterdam (Arena)
July 24 Dublin (Croke Park)
July 31: Gothenburg, Sweden (Ullevi)
Aug 6: Chorzom, PL (Slaski Stadium)
Aug 10: Zagreb, HR (Maksimir Stadium)
Aug 14: London (Wembley Stadium)
Aug 18: Glasgow, UK (Hampden Park)
Aug 20: Sheffield, UK (Don Valey Stadium)
Aug 22: Cardiff, UK (Millennium Stadium)
Sep 12: Chicago (Soldier Field)
Sep 16: Toronto (The Rogers Center)
Sep 20: Foxborough (Gillette Stadium)
Sep 24: New York (Giants Stadium)

According to today's statement, during September and October, the tour will also visit: Atlanta; Charlottesville, Va.; Dallas; Houston; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Norman, Okla.; Phoenix; Tampa, Fla.; Washington, D.C. and Vancouver.

Vinyl Collective Update

Virgil, over at www.vinylcollective.com just posted the top sellers for Feb. Stop by and get soome vinyl!

Vinyl Collective Top 40 Sales for February 2009

1 AUSTIN LUCAS/FRANK TURNER “Under the Influence Vol 8″ 7″ Red/White color in colo
2 TWO TONGUES “S/T” LP picture disc
3 LAWRENCE ARMS “Guided Tour of Chicago” LP red vinyl
4 O PIONEERS!!! “Neon Creeps” LP
5 Suburban Home Pick 5 for $25 Sale (CDs, Pint Glasses)
6 THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM “Great Expectations” 7″ import
7FRIDGE “Happiness” dbl LP
8 ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD/ COBRA SKULLS “Under the Influence Vol 6″ 7″ s
9 IN THE RED “Volume 2″ LP red vinyl
10 AUSTIN LUCAS/FRANK TURNER “Under the Influence Vol 8″ 7″ both colors
11 FAKE PROBLEMS “It’s Great To Be Alive” LP clear gold vinyl
12 DRAG THE RIVER “Under the Influence Vol 5″ 7″ WHISKEY AND COKE COLORED VINYL
13 THE COPYRIGHTS “Learn the Hard Way” gatefold LP white/light blue a-side/b-side
14 MINUS THE BEAR “Acoustics” LP baby blue w/ cream haze vinyl
15 PROPAGANDHI “Supporting Caste” dbl LP
16 ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD/ COBRA SKULLS “Under the Influence Vol 6″ 7″ w
16 NEW FOUND GLORY “Not Without A Fight” LP
18 THE COPYRIGHTS “Learn the Hard Way” gatefold LP white/yellow a-side/b-side vinyl
18 AUSTIN LUCAS “Somebody Loves You” LP gold vinyl
18 JON SNODGRASS “Visitor’s Band” CD
21 RIVERDALES “Phase 3″ LP clear gold vinyl
21 DRAG THE RIVER “Bad at Breaking Up” CD w/ DTR guitar pick
23 THE COPYRIGHTS “Learn the Hard Way” gatefold LP set of both colors
24 RIVERDALES “Phase 3″ LP black vinyl
25 THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM “The 59 Sound” LP black vinyl
26 ALKALINE TRIO “Goddamnit” re-release LP clear vinyl
26 JOEY CAPE/ JON SNODGRASS “Who Wants to Get Down” 7″ white vinyl
26 THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES/ALL THE SAINTS split 7″
26 12” Record Jacket Sleeve. Fits over album jacket.
30 THURSDAY “Common Existence” LP
31 BON IVER “For Emma, Forever Ago” LP
32 OFF WITH THEIR HEADS “Hospitals” LP black vinyl
33 WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE “Animals In The Dark” LP
33 PORTUGAL THE MAN “Church Mouth” LP raspberry vomu;
33 AUSTIN LUCAS “Somebody Loves You” CD
33 MUSTARD PLUG / BOMB THE MUSIC INDUSTRY “Under the Influence Vol 3″ 7″ vinyl
33 GREEN DAY “Kerplunk!” LP + 7″
38 DRUGLORDS OF THE AVENUES “Sing Songs” LP translucent dark blue vinyl
38 WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE “Ashes to Dust” LP clear vinyl
38 THE LOVED ONES “Distractions” LP
41 BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME “Colors” dbl LP blue vinyl
41 SHARKS KEEP MOVING “Desert Strings and Drifters” LP translucent & opaque orange
41 CHUCK RAGAN/ AUSTIN LUCAS “Bristle Ridge” LP clear vinyl
41 JON SNODGRASS “Visitor’s Band” LP clear vinyl w/ mp3 coupon
41 TOM GABEL “Heart Burns” LP
41 JOEY CAPE “Bridge” CD lagwagon, bad astronaut

Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales

Week Ending 03/07/2009

1. LP - Pavement "Terror Twilight" Domino TEST PRESS - $9999.99 - Start: n/a - Bids: Best Offer

2. LP - U2 "Under A Blood Red Sky" Red Vinyl Swedish Press - $5,600.00 - Start: $9.90 - Bids: 29

3. 45 - Kell Osbourne "A Law Against A Heartbreaker" / "Trouble Trouble Baby" Highland - $5,213.00 - Start: $9.99 - Bids: 31

4. LP - Lee Morgan "Indeed" Blue Note 1538 Original - $2,425.00 - Start: $0.99 - Bids: 10

5. The Professionals "That's Why I Love You" / "Did My Baby Call" - $2,204.00 - Start: $9.99 - Bids: 19

A test pressing of Pavement's last album tops the list this week, selling on a Best Offer for a penny less than $10k. In the #2 spot, a red vinyl "Under A Blood Red Sky" from Sweden sells for exactly $5.6k. These Swedish colored pressings are unofficial and typically resulted from record plant employees having fun.

Next, a Northern Soul 45 bids up over 5.2k. In the #4 spot, an original Blue Note LP from Lee Morgan sells for over $2.4k. And last, another Northern Soul 45 from The Professionals bids a little over $2.2k.

As always, I want to thank Norm at http://ccdiscoveries.blogspot.com for this valuable information.

This Date In Music History-March 9

Birthdays:

Mark Lindsay (Paul Revere & the Raiders) is 67.

Lloyd Price ("Personality") turns 76.

Keely Smith ("That Old Black Magic" with one-time husband Louis Prima) is 77.

Mickey Gilley (1936)

Chris Thompson- vocals, Manfred Mann's Earth Band (1948)

Robert Calvert, singer, poet, Hawkwind (1945)

John Cale- Velvet Underground (1942)


They Are Missed:

In 1997, the Notorius B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace) was killed in a drive-by shooting at the age of 24.

Guitarist Mike Anthony died from a heart attack in 1999 (age 68). He worked with Harry Nilsson, The 5th Dimension, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

Boston singer, Brad Delp was found dead in his Atkinson, NH, home in 2007. Days later, Delp's family revealed the cause of death was suicide. "He gave as long as he could, as best he could, and he was very tired," read a family statement. Police confirmed that Delp died from carbon monoxide poisoning, and that he had left notes for his fiancée and family members.

Born on this day in 1945, Ron Wilson, drummer, The Surfaris (died on May 19, 1989).

George Scott, a founding member of the legendary Blind Boys of Alabama gospel group, died of diabetes complications in Durham, N.C. in 2005. He was 75.


History:

Steely Dan's fourth album, “Katy Lied,” was released in 1975. Founders Donald Fagen and Walter Becker were backed by a who's who of rock and jazz personnel.

Sam Cooke, John Lennon & Paul McCartney, Carole King & Gerry Goffin and Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil were all inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987.

In 1976, Keith Moon collapsed onstage at the beginning of a Who concert at the Boston Garden.

In 1969, CBS canceled The Smothers Brothers' Comedy Hour, a variety show notable for its satiric humor and musical appearances by the Beatles, the Doors, and the Who.

The Beach Boys recorded "God Only Knows" in 1966.

Today in 1959, the song "Venus" by Frankie Avalon topped the charts and stayed there for 5 weeks.

Bad Company performed its first concert in England in 1974.

In 1975, Elvis Presley began his final recording session at RCA's Hollywood studios.

U2 released the legendary LP "The Joshua Tree" in 1987.

The Birmingham based Black Sabbath, formed in ’67, played their first show in London in 1970.

In 1985, REO Speedwagon’s "Can’t Fight This Feeling" goes to #1 for three weeks. The #3 slot is held by Glenn Frey’s "The Heat Is On" with David Lee Roth’s cover of the Beach Boys’ classic "California Girls" right behind.

Tom Jones was banned from wearing tight leather pants in 2004 by his own son and manager Mark Jones. His son said it was time to “dress his age” as he was in danger of becoming a laughing stock at 63.

The Beatles filmed the last day of train scenes for the movie A Hard Dad’s Night in 1964. During their six days of filming aboard a moving train, they traveled a total of 2,500 miles on the rails.

Classic Rock Videos

Beatles- Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Record Store Day Is Saturday, April 18

The organizers of Record Store Day have been happily overwhelmed by a steady flurry of support and activity from artists, record labels and retailers wishing to participate in the annual event in salutation of the independent music store. This year Record Store Day is set to feature a number of exciting new products made especially for the event from such well-known artists as Radiohead, Wilco, Tom Waits and Lucinda Williams and the Flight of the Conchords, just to name a few.

Wilco plan to release their upcoming DVD as an exclusive release to indie stores and on the band's website on Record Store Day. The group's Jeff Tweedy told Billboard Magazine in a recent interview, "Even if I wasn't in a band, I'd still support Record Store Day. It's a great thing and I'm glad we could do something special with them for our DVD."

The Decemberists will release a Record Store Day 7" as well. The band's Colin Meloy adds, "I don't know what I would do without indie record stores. Growing up in a town without them, I can tell you that it's no fun to shop for indie records at chain box stores."

You can also expect a slew of vinyl releases from Radiohead, My Morning Jacket who will release a CD as well as limited run double 10" vinyl recorded live in Louisville at record store Ear X-tacy.

Also expected are classic split 7" releases from Tom Waits and Lucinda Williams who will issue a double 7" of live tracks from Atlanta and Edinburgh, as well as Sonic Youth exclusive Record Store Day split singles with Beck and Jay Reatard.

Other indie rock elder statesmen the Jesus Lizard will release a special package to include nine 7" singles and Guided By Voices will re-release their Hold On Hope EP, with three bonus tracks.

And in the "legends" category, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen will all release RSD exclusive 7" singles. Def Jam also plans to release a 4 LP gatefold history of the label, the physical version of which will be for indies only.

Fans can expect more unique Record Store Day pieces from a diverse array of artists such as Metric, Slipknot, Jane's Addiction, The Smiths, The Stooges, MC5, Modest Mouse, Slayer, Rivers Cuomo, the Black Kids, Brandi Carlile, Taking Back Sunday, among many others.

SOURCE: http://www.starpulse.com

Back in the Groove: Vinyl Records are making a comeback

By Scott A. Rosenberg

They’re big, heavy and cumbersome. The sound crackles and pops. They’re relics of a bygone era.

So what is it about the vinyl record – admittedly a truly iconic item - that caused sales to nearly double in 2008?

“It’s really for the true collector, the one that understands music, quality of music, wants to know about the artist that’s playing, wants to read linear notes,” said Rachel Friedman, president of J&R Music World.

According to Nielsen SoundScan, LP sales were up 89 percent in 2008, jumping to 1.88 million LP’s sold. When you take into account the 14 percent overall drop in CDs, LPs and digital sales combined, it’s a mystifying trend.

According to Nielsen SoundScan, LP sales were up 89 percent in 2008, jumping to 1.88 million LP’s sold. When you take into account the 14 percent overall drop in CDs, LPs and digital sales combined, it’s a mystifying trend.

Collector's Market

Vinyl sales have been rising steadily at J&R, which has been selling vinyl since it opened in 1971. As demand increases, it has expanded the vinyl section, Friedman said.

Read The Rest Of The Article Here: Vinyl Comeback

Album Cover Stories

As always, I want to thank Michael Goldstein over at www.RockPoPGallery.com for the exclusive reprint rights to his marvelous album cover art stories:



Cover Story - The Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main Street", with artwork by John Van Hamersveld
Cover Story for April 25, 2008

Subject: Exile on Main Street, a 1972 release (on Atlantic Records) by The Rolling Stones, with cover artwork & design by John Van Hamersveld



When the Rolling Stones released Exile on Main Street in 1972 - a double album of songs representing the many different genres of music that shaped Stones music at the time - fans and critics found themselves having to spend a lot of time trying to “get it”. It required a number of listens to gain an appreciation of what, on the surface, often seemed to be a collection of studio out-takes and Richards/Taylor/Watts jams than a freshly-recorded musical offering.

Many critics of the era failed to appreciate the Stones’ explorations of R&B, Soul, Country and roots Rock that were spread over the 4 album sides. In fact, the record was comprised of a series of recordings done during the previous four years and, as such, they featured a variety of mixes (some better than others) and showed the band building on top of these influences in their own inimitable style to the point that, now over 35 years later, the package is considered by many to be the band’s most-authentic offering. It is always listed near the top of most of the “Best Of” and “Greatest” lists (#7 on the Rolling Stone Magazine 2003 list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”, #22 on VH-1’s survey, and even impressed the younger generation enough to be ranked #11 on Pitchfork’s 2003 list of Best Albums of the 1970s).

In a similar fashion, when the buying public took their first look at the design and imagery of the sprawling record cover, most people admitted that they didn’t “get it”. Having just soaked in Warhol’s ultimately-iconic "cover with a zipper" for Sticky Fingers, fans should have been ready for anything, but John Van Hamersveld’s designs seemed to confound them, asking them to digest a rough, anti-establishment, punk-before-there-was-punk collage of images that may have, initially, combined with the unfamiliar musical stylings to impact sales (don’t worry, as the record was supported by the now-famous 1972 American concert tour and songs such as “Happy” and “Tumbling Dice” got some significant radio play, the record went on to top the charts in the U.S. and the U.K.).

And so when Van Hamersveld, who’d established his industry cred via his poster and package designs for Hendrix, The Beatles (Magical Mystery Tour), Jefferson Airplane (Crown of Creation) and others, was approached by the Rolling Stones (who were in a studio in LA putting the finishing touches on this new album) to work on the graphics and packaging for a songbook project the band wanted to release, he joined in on an interesting series of events on the day of their initial meeting had a profound impact on the course of album art history. And so, Ladies and Gentlemen, on center stage, here’s today’s Cover Story…

In the words of the artist, John Van Hamersveld (interviewed in March 2008, with additional text provided* and used with his permission) -

I had been a multimedia artist and rock promoter during my Pinnacle Rock Concerts in the 60's and I was returning from the Kings Road Scene in London to LAX in 1971 in an effort to use my music business promotions experience to connect with Hollywood again. One day, from the new Chapman Park Studio Building on 6th Street in Los Angeles, I left to meet with a friend who would introduce me to Norman Seeff, the art director and photographer for United Artists and Blue Note Records.

Norman was an art director and photographer of personalities and had worked as the photographer for Bob Dylan's The Band package with Bob Cato, the famous art director for Columbia Records. I had skills that I had developed in art school and I could apply them to this medium. I could draw, do typography, illustrations and could combine design with photography. I also had printing and publishing experience from my famous rock posters of the 60's. After the meeting, Norman and I started a creative relationship built around packaging albums.

Norman had 65 projects to package over the first year, so he and I created an artistic design process for the packaging of music and band identities. We became a design team that worked hard to lead the industry by creating a professional style that was envied by all the major labels. After each release of record packages to retail, other companies began to follow our UA style.

One day Norman and I met the Rolling Stones here in Hollywood. A beautiful girlfriend I had met earlier on “the scene” in London – Chris Odell - was now Mick Jagger's personal assistant, and so in early 1972, The Rolling Stones approached Norman and I to work on the design of a songbook with photographs for Warner Brothers. At this stage, I don’t know that I will be packaging Exile On Main Street. The Stones are in Los Angeles at Sunset Sound studios, finishing the record. Our first meeting was set to be in Bel Air, where they were staying.

As I drive to the meeting, I think about the times I am a captive to Jagger's enigmatic voice on the car radio, clarifying themes of the day with his lyrics, as if they were an advertising slogan for today's lifestyle. His words strike like an axe to my forehead. The Bel Air mansion where the Stones are living is a sumptuous Mediterranean-style villa, surrounded by lush foliage, and soon I am standing on a Persian rug, looking into the eyes of Jagger. He extends his pale, soft hand – limp from a life of wealth, decadence, and privilege.

The rest are talking at the large dining table. We greet each other and sit down in a seating plan orchestrated by Jagger. I am directed to sit next to Mick, and Marshall Chess (son of Leonard Chess of Chess Records and President of Rolling Stones Records) stands on the left. Norman is taking pictures of the band, and Keith is sitting on the couch across from me. He is looking at me in his mirrored sunglasses while smoking a joint. He looks so healthy, handsome and rested.

Then, to my surprise, Robert Frank (the photographer and film-maker well known for his late 1950's book The Americans, with a foreword by Jack Kerouac) walks into the room with a small Super 8mm Canon camera. Jagger and I smile. "This is a very hip day," I say to myself. I knew Robert from a meeting in New York in 1968. He takes Jagger to downtown Los Angeles to film him on the seedy parts of Main Street later in the day. Norman and I leave after the shooting to edit his photographs.

At the request of Marshall Chess, Norman and I arrive for a second day of meetings. We walk through the living room of the villa down to the far wall into the dining room where Mick and Keith are waiting with Marshall. As Marshall starts the meeting, Norman hands another album cover by another designer to him. The cover is passed to Jagger for approval. He rejects it. Marshall then hands me a Robert Frank front photo collage across to me. The tattoo-parlor-wall cover image is from Robert's photo documentary “The Americans”. Mick, on my right, looks on for both of us to agree, so I nod. This then becomes the famous photo-composition for the Exile On Main St. album cover. As the meeting progresses, the other pieces of the package are handed to me.

During the meeting, Marshall asks me what we will do with Norman's photos, given that Frank's are the agreed ones for the cover. Marshall has Norman's images from the late night photo shoot. They are the sequences where Keith arrives at the very last minute for the shoot. Everyone had been waiting for him to show, and then he arrives with his pants hanging off his butt. With Keith's arrival, the group is now ready to go on with Norman's session ("This is a one-time shot!" someone says). Lights, smoke, and confetti is readied, it all begins and a sequence is attempted but then, by accident, Keith began to fall all over the set, creating a disaster. All else fails and our budget has now been used up.

Suddenly Keith says from across the edge of the table, "Make some postcards," showing us with his hands an accordion-folded-style collection of postcards. He then proceeds to almost lose his balance and fall over onto the rug. I say to Mick, "Let's take that as an idea and do it." He agrees and Marshall says, "Done". Marshall and Jagger hand me a stack of photos made by Frank over the weekend. I leave with the visual “ingredients” and arrive back my place at the Chapman Park Studio Building.

In my studio, I play the song 'Sympathy For The Devil' and I think about how to design, in a "Beat style", the concept of a “pop art” package. I have to make it so it will work as an image in a competitive market place. I envisage the package as a painter's fine art print. I had been using various kinds of mediums like brushed inks, crayons, markers, paint and airbrush tools with complicated layered stripping and printing tricks to gain the effects I needed, but in this case I need just the basics - drafting tape and ripped paper.

I select the pictures from the ones Frank took. After our meeting, I organize the images as per Jagger's instructions while Marshall looks on. I am able to step back as an artist and see the opportunity in front of me. Jagger is really a pop artist, too. With all the images in place, I'm satisfied with my work. Upon the label’s approval, Exile will soon hit the streets.


The last step of the approval process stopped at Ahmet Ertegun’s office at Atlantic Records. He was the label’s ultimate authority and so when this kind of art and esthetic made it past his eyes, I knew that all would be okay. In the eyes of the many in the industry, they were all shocked by the ugly, rough, tuff, beat look of the package and that it was not funny or real humorous (to anyone but a Johnny Rotten).

So, as the result of Jagger and I sitting side by side in 1972 at our meeting, my arrangement of materials that would go beyond Frank’s photo style, creating an identity that would becomes the basis of the PUNK FASHION MOVEMENT. To the spectators, critics, and others in the Establishment, I had made a package that was not glamorous. It was not a friendly image to put on display in the record stores, but it was THAT image that established the anti-establishment look of PUNK. It took years to recover from the cover’s graphic statement, with new generations of punks exploiting the graphic concept to this day - still ripping and tearing and drawing all over things with their own graffiti.

The album cover art images from the past, as part of our culture, were styled for fashion and archetype. In 1984, my friend John Lydon said to me "The Stones’ Exile package set the image of punk in 1975 - we used that graphic feel to communicate our message graphically".

In the 70's, I do feel that 12x12 album covers were an all-inclusive image of cultural style in the visual fashion of the sixties and the seventies. I was, therefore, a well-known designer of cultural images which were created as reflections of that culture. These were then watched closely by other design teams and designers who copied me their pursuit to find new images. Today more than 100,000 artists are using a "Ripping and Tearing" style and graffiti in their work.

At least Johnny was nice enough to explain what his intention was then…JVH

About the artist - John Van Hamersveld -


John (b. 1941, Baltimore, MD) is an artist and designer who’s responsible for an enormous catalog of well-known music industry and pop culture-related images. From his early works on the promo poster for the soundtrack for 1966’s ground-breaking surf-culture movie The Endless Summer and his cover work for The Beatles (Magical Mystery Tour) and Jefferson Airplane (Crown of Creation), to his iconic 70’s covers for the Rolling Stones (Exile on Main Street), The Grateful Dead (Skeletons from the Closet), KISS (Hotter than Hell), and Steve Miller (The Joker and Fly Like an Eagle), and then on to his imagery that helped introduce the world to Punk Fashion, such as the cover for Blondie’s Eat to the Beat and Autoamerica and John Lydon’s post-Pistols solo efforts (This Is What You Want, This is What You Get), Van Hamersveld’s images set the path that the rest of the industry followed for style and substance.


His recent posters and graphics for the Cream Reunions in New York and London have been fan and collector favorites, and who but JVH could have so appropriately designed Led Zeppelin’s recent Mothership package?

Van Hamersveld also created the famous "grinning Johnny" image in 1969, a version of which is said to have been the inspiration for John Pasche’s designs for the Rolling Stones' “Lips & Tongue” logo.

To learn more about John and visit his site, please follow this link –
http://www.johnvanhamersveld.com/vhmoa/museum/index.html

To see more of John’s works in the RockPoP Gallery collection, please follow this link –
http://rockpopgallery.com/items/john-van-hamersveld/list.htm?1=1

To see all of the Rolling Stones-related items in the RockPoP Gallery collection please click on this link –
http://rockpopgallery.com/items/rolling-stones/list.htm?1=1

*Adapted from the JVH interview found in book by Genesis Publications, titled EXILE: The making of EXILE ON MAIN ST. by Robert Greenfield. Copies of this book are available from the publisher on their web site at
http://www.genesis-publications.com/books/exile/green.html

All images featured in this Cover Story are Copyright 1972 and 2008, John Van Hamersveld - All rights reserved. Except as noted, all other text Copyright 2008 - Mike Goldstein & RockPoP Gallery (www.rockpopgallery.com) - All rights reserved.

CATTLE DECAPITATION: 'The Harvest Floor' To Be Released On Limited-Edition Picture-Disc Vinyl


Metal Blade Records will release the limited-edition, picture-disc vinyl version of the new CATTLE DECAPITATION album, "The Harvest Floor", on April 14.

"The Harvest Floor" sold around 1,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The CD debuted at No. 16 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

The drum tracks for "The Harvest Floor" were laid down with Zach Ohren (ALL SHALL PERISH, DECREPIT BIRTH) before the rest of the instruments were recorded and the entire thing was mixed with producer Billy Anderson (MR. BUNGLE, MELVINS, SWANS) at Sharkbite studios in Oakland, California. The CD features guest vocal appearances by Ross Sewage (IMPALED, LUDICRA) and Dino Sommese (DYSTOPIA, ASUNDER). There is alsoa special appearance by Jarboe (SWANS), lending her beautifully haunting voice to the epic death dirge "The Harvest Floor". Jackie Perez Gratz (GRAYCEON, AMBER ASYLUM) graces a couple tracks with her electric cello and Los Angeles noisician John Wiese also lends his electronic/atmospheric expertise to the album, further separating the band from the typical "cookie-cutter" approach applied all too often by today's extreme acts.

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Thin Lizzy News

The new Thin Lizzy live album Still Dangerous is out today (CD, Digital & limited edition vinyl) on VH-1 Classic Records.

Still Dangerous: Live At The Tower Theatre Philadelphia 1977 is a newly discovered live album, featuring the quintessential Thin Lizzy lineup.

The album contains two songs not found on their landmark Live and Dangerous LP: 'Soldier Of Fortune' & 'Opium Trail.' Still Dangerous was remixed/remastered by producer Glyn Johns (Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones).

Buy it Here: Thin Lizzy Vinyl

Scott Gorham, guitarist for Thin Lizzy, was interviewed by rushonrock.com and addressed the state of the music industry:

"I just feel the whole download trend is capable of really damaging the music I love. Suddenly musicians and bands have no control over who can get hold of their music and often there’s no financial return. There’s this misconception that rock stars spend all their royalties on Ferraris and big houses with swimming pools. But the majority of us are just regular guys who want to buy the kids a new pair of shoes or go on a holiday from time to time. And we need an income like the next man. A lot of good bands won’t be able to afford to do this for much longer if illegal downloads continue at such a pace. For me Lizzy is my regular day job and I have to pay the bills. I really hope a new regulatory system comes into place sooner or later."

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Chris Darrow Collection Now Available

Chris Darrow may not be a household name - yet. But throughout the history of Southern California country-rock, folk, surf, psychedelic and world music, he has cast a welcome presence. His trail-blazing, country-rock-leaning pair of solo albums, Chris Darrow (1973) and Under My Own Disguise (1974), soon will be released by Everloving Records, the home of Inara George & Van **** Parks, Cornelius and Herman Dune . The Darrow collection, titled Chris Darrow/Under My Own Disguise, will be available as a deluxe two-CD, two-LP (180 gram vinyl) with a 48-page 12' x 12' photo book.

The music will also be available through digital retailers without all the fancy stuff.

The Chris Darrow story begins with Kaleidoscope, a late '60s L.A.-based band cited by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page as his 'favorite band of all time.' Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman wrote in his book Follow the Music that the first Kaleidoscope album, Side Trips, is his favorite album of all time.

Buy Your Copy Here: Chris Darrow Collection

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U2 World Tour

U2 is set to announce a massive stadium tour on Monday that will start on June 30 in Barcelona and run through the end of 2010, according to Billboard.

Early reports say that the group will play at the center of stadiums and will feature a cylindrical video screen.

"It's hard to come up with something that's fundamentally different, but we have. Where we're taking our production will never have been seen before by anybody, and that's an amazing thing to be able to say," detailed the Edge.

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Guitarist Passes Away

David Williams, guitarist on Michael Jackson's Off the Wall and Thriller albums along with a huge resume of work with Madonna, Phil Collins, Stevie Nicks, Earth Wind & Fire, Bryan Ferry, Diana Ross and many more, passed away on Friday at Sentra Hospital in Hampton, Virginia. According to an article in the New York Post, he was without health insurance and his family battled the hospital over his care.

His ex-wife Deborah told the Post before his death, "During this very difficult time where our focus should be on the nurturing and care of David, we are battling with hospital officials just to get and maintain the care he deserves, a hospital whose main interest lies in his ability to pay for his care."

Album Cover Framing

I was thrilled to be contacted by Mike at "offthewallart," a Canadian firm that specializes in vinyl and framing these wonderful albums covers we all love. Here are the specifics:


Not only do we have a great selection of old, and not so old, pre-owned, record albums spanning five decades, from the ‘50s to the ‘90s, but we also give you the opportunity to showcase them properly inside your home or business. We’re putting a new twist on an old spin you might say. You can even present them as the perfect gift idea for family and friends, unusual and unexpected. The truth is, all we do other than shipping day-in and day-out lately, is take art that’s OFF the WALL and make sure that ARTwurx before we find it a permanent home. That’s where you come in! Take a few minutes and visit our showroom. When it comes to albums, 8 times out of 10, we sell lower than Amazon.com or just about anyone else out there for that matter – AND – we treat each one like the art-form it truly is. Basically, ‘collectible posters you can play!’ So find a favourite album with a great cover, throw a frame on it and get our MINIMUM 20% discount. But shop around, some albums have far better deals than others, up to 75% off in some cases.

Using our 100% Canadian, side-loading cradled frames, designed to cover up those slightly worn, rough edges, we make the rest of the Album Cover look like a masterpiece. You see, our goal is simple, to sell frames that promote decades of, what can only be described as, remarkable works of ART and, yes, even a little music along the way.

Mike and his crew offer a variety of package deals, stop by and tell them Robert sent you over! Visit them today: http://offthewallartwurx.ca

Classic Rock Videos

The Beatles - Nowhere Man

Album Cover Art

Exciter - Long Live the Loud


Original name was Hell Razor, and it was changed to Exciter in 1980. They took the name "Exciter" from the Judas Priest song.

Exciter's Current line-up

Kenny "Metal Mouth" Winter - Vocals (2006-)
John Ricci - Guitar (1980-1985, 1992-93, 1996-)
Rob "Clammy" Cohen - Bass (2004-)
Rik Charron - Drums (1996-)

Speed Metal Violence, Metal, Hate, War, Death
Canada (Ottawa, Ontario) 1980 Massacre Records Active

U2 Take Over Letterman Show

Music News & Notes

No Record Was Issued


Despite previous reports that SEBASTIAN BACH's "Angel Down" album was to be released on vinyl, the records were never pressed. The former SKID ROW singer has issued the following statement, calling out one eBay auction in particular.

"This is fraud. Unfortunately Angel Down was never released on vinyl, and there are absolutely no plans now whatsoever to release it on vinyl. I was lied to by DR2 Records in the UK about this coming out, and I apologize personally to anyone that paid for a record that never came out. After spending hours designing the double-gatefold album cover sleeve, doing countless interviews hyping the release of Angel Down on vinyl, I was told months later that DR2 decided not to put the record out after all.

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Steve Earle to Release Townes Van Zandt Tribute Album


On May 12, New West will release Townes, Earle's tribute to his friend and mentor. The album will also be available as a deluxe two-CD set and on 180-gram vinyl. That's the cover above.

According to a press release, Earle and Van Zandt first met when Van Zandt heckled an Earle show in 1972, the sort of thing that must be a total nightmare for most singer-songwriters. But the two stayed tight until Van Zandt's death in 1997.

Dust Brother John King, who produced Earle's 2007 album Washington Square Serenade, mans the boards on one song, "Lungs". On that same song, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello guests on guitar. (And yes, he does play one of those wikki-wikki turntable-scratch solos, but it sort of works.) Singer-songwriter Allison Moorer, Earle's wife, sings backup on "To Live Is to Fly" and "Loretta". Earle also recruited a backing band of bluegrass all-stars to play on several songs. And duetting on "Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold": Earle's son Justin Townes Earle, appearing on record with his dad for the first time. (Earle really must've loved the guy if he named his kid after him.)

In the album's press release, Earle has this to say: "This may be one of the best records I've ever made. That hurts a singer-songwriter's feelings. Then again, it's some consolation that I cherry picked through the career of one of the best songwriters that ever lived."

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Whitney's Baaaccckkkk

Songwriter Diane Warren has written the comeback record for Whitney Houston, "I Didn't Know My Own Strength," and is impressed with the outcome.

"I don't usually write music with someone in mind," she told Parade magazine. "But I set out to write this song specifically for Whitney. It definitely touches on her life, but I think a lot of people will relate to it because they've gone through hard times too."

"She sang the shit out of that song. Seriously, it was amazing. I'll tell you something, Whitney is back. Let there be no doubt."

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Eurythmics Not Getting Back Together

Annie Lennox has stated that there will be no future Eurythmics reunions.

"Dave [Stewart] and I talk to each other only rarely these days, and I can't see another reunion. He lives in America and I'm over here [Britain]. We're both working on our own things. For me it would be like a step backwards and I want to keep moving forward."

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Devo News

Devo are set to perform their debut album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, in it's entirety at a May 6 performance in London. This is the first time the group has performed the 1978 album from start-to-finish. The original album, produced by Brian Eno, contains classics like "Jacko Homo" and their fantastic cover of the Rolling Stones "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."

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Faithfull Still Not Liking Jagger

Marianne Faithfull stated that she still is not on good terms with former flame (from the 60's) Mick Jagger, but that Keith Richards helped her on her new album, Easy Come, Easy Go, because of the guilt he felt about the way Jagger and the band treated her.

"Yes, of course (I felt used), probably by the Stones and by Mick. That's maybe why Keith helped me out with this album. He's no fool. He knows I was used as an ornament, that I was great for their image. So he's given me something back."

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Kings Of Leon, Jane's Addiction Among Lollapalooza Headliners

Kings of Leon are scheduled to be among the headliners of both this year's Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits festivals, according to Billboard . Depeche Mode, the Beastie Boys, and Jane's Addiction are also playing Lollapalooza, which takes place in Chicago's Grant Park Aug 7-9, the Chicago Tribune reports and Billboard's sources confirm. Both events are produced by Austin, Texas-based C3 Productions.

The full Lollapalooza lineup announcement is expected in April.

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Waking Up With U2

U2 performed an early 8 am show on Friday morning at Fordham University in New York. Bono joked to the students, “I joined a rock and roll band so I could get out of going to college.” The show was broadcast on ABC's Good Morning America.

The show was divided into two three-song sets (most likely to accommodate the ABC show). The first half included songs from the new album: Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight. The second half was Beautiful Day, Breathe and Vertigo.