Showing posts with label Rolling Stone Magazine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rolling Stone Magazine. Show all posts

Friday, June 4, 2010

Friday's Rockin' Roundup - Planning Summer Vacation Edition

I was finally able to convince the girls that we should take a lake vacation this year. It was a little easier than I thought it would be, perhaps that’s because last year we did a stay-cation, so this year we are all welcoming any sort of vacation.

We are still picking out the place, but I know that we will be staying in a cabin on (or very near) a lake. There will be rafting, canoeing, horseback riding, star gazing, and hiking involved. For those that are unaware, your cousin Ryo is a huge fan of nature, the outdoors, and especially rafting. This summer vacation has me very excited. I’m also anxious to have the time off from work, spend time with my family, and relax with no worries. That’s what vacation is all about, a time to recharge, refresh, reinvigorate, and renew the soul!

And while I was pouring over websites with lake cabins figuring out which offered the best amenities, here’s what rocked this week:

Rolling Stone’s Summer Concert Preview
Proving once again that the magazine is afraid of The Guru, Rolling Stone has posted their summer concert preview. I believe I did this a while ago, but I can understand Rolling Stone Magazine following in my footsteps. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? OK, their preview is a little more detailed than mine and they have a ton more pictures, but they’re still followers, right? Right?

Another Song From The Smashing Pumpkins
Billy Corgan has released the latest free single, Astral Planes, from his ever evolving free online album Teargarden By Kaleidyscope. That makes a total of four tracks that you can grab for free. In other Pumpkin news, a new bassist was announced and a mini tour of the US will kick-off in July.

Replacing U2 with…The Gorillaz?
I know it was last minute notice due to Bono’s unexpected injuries, but The Gorillaz? Really? You can’t even begin to compare the legendary U2 with a fictional band like The Gorillaz. If I had tickets for Glastonbury, I’d probably want a refund right now. This is downright ridiculous and organizer Michael Eavis should be ashamed of himself!

Taking Pot Shots At Ticketmaster
I’ll admit, this is too easy, but still massively funny. Kudos to whoever created this picture. I may use it as my new banner on The Rock and Roll Guru.

For more musical tidbits, nonsense, concert announcements, and rock n roll greatness you should follow me on twitter. www.twitter.com/ryovie

Friday, May 7, 2010

Friday's Rockin' Roundup - Mother's Day Edition

This Sunday (May 9th) is Mother’s Day here in the US. It’s a day to reflect and remember Mom for all the wonderful things she has done. First and foremost she gave birth to us. In my case, my mother put up with a lot when I was a youth, especially in my teenage years. No matter the situation however, Mom was always there for me.

Mom got me into music in a big, big way (http://rockandrollguru.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-it-all-began.html) and I’ll always be grateful for that. I will be sure to call her for Mother’s Day (she lives in Florida and I’m in New Jersey, so taking her to brunch is not possible) and I sent a card (w/ gift) in the mail. Take a moment to remember Mom this weekend. Call her, send a card, clean her yard, whatever. Just take a moment to say thanks, Mom. She’ll appreciate it.

Here’s what rocked this week:

Bret Michaels Out Of The Hospital
Taking a major turn toward full recovery, Bret Michaels has been released from the hospital. This is fantastic news. I was very worried for a while, but fortunately Bret was able to pull through and doctors say he is going to be just fine. He may even be back out on the road sooner than we think. I just hope he chooses not to rush his recovery and allows himself the time to rest that he needs.

The Rolling Stone Staff Are Now Blogging
Just released this week, some of your favorite staff writers from Rolling Stone magazine will be blogging regularly for all to enjoy. Rolling Stone.com has totally remade their website and this was a big part of the re-launch. Perhaps they were a little worried that Cousin Ryo was taking some of their market share.

Pearl Jam Offering Lots Of Goodies This Summer
Has it really been ten years since Pearl Jam started their bootleg offerings? Wow! What excites me most about this article, however, is that Pearl Jam will finally be releasing the final shows from the Spectrum (from October of 2009). I’ve heard bootleg copies of these shows, but to have an official box set release has me salivating.

For more news, reviews, commentary, quips, and shenanigans, you should follow me on Twitter. www.twitter.com/ryovie

Monday, August 24, 2009

The Beatles Make The Cover of Rolling Stone ... Again


I just finished reading the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine (issue 1086) which features The Beatles on the cover for an unprecedented 33rd time. The reason for their cover appearance is a new article by Mikal Gilmore that looks at the breakup of arguably the greatest band ever from a new angle.

Most people are quick to joke (or really believe) that Yoko Ono was the reason for the Beatles demise. And while it is well known that the other Beatles resented her presence in the studio and her input into the bands’ recordings (as if she were an actual member), she is not the reason that The Beatles called it a day. There was so much more going on behind the scenes that forced the end of this “little band” (to paraphrase John Lennon).

Gilmore takes an in depth look at these other outside forces that factored into the groups breakup and the end result is simply amazing. This is some of the best music journalism that I’ve read in quite some time. With a 13 page spread devoted to this cover story, Why the Beatles Broke Up reads more like a mini-novel than a Rolling Stone article. Packed with details, in sight, and emotional remembrances of these brilliant musicians, the cover story of the latest Rolling Stone is simply put, a masterpiece.

This is required reading for any fan of The Beatles or any fan of true rock and roll drama. When the story first released earlier this week, there were comments on Rolling Stone.com that it was time to put it to rest, it happened 40 years ago, no one cares, etc. I have to disagree with all of those statements. Gilmore’s article is brilliant, and with the entire Beatles catalog being released in remastered format on September 9th, the article is current and relevant to what is happening in the world of The Beatles today. We are blessed with an opportunity to look back at the end of their career while enjoying their entire body of work in an updated audio quality format. Not to mention that Rock Band: The Beatles video game comes out that same day. The Beatles are as relevant today as they were 40 years ago when they broke up, and if writers like Gilmore continue to churn out masterpieces about the band, their legacy will likely live on for another 40 years (or longer).

With excellent photos that accompany the time period being captured, and a nice sidebar discussing the upcoming remastered CD releases, Why the Beatles Broke Up, is a brilliant piece of writing sure to be enjoyed by any fan of the band. I was mesmerized from the opening paragraph, and I know that I will be spending some time later this week (and probably next week as well) re-reading this article and enjoying it with as much enthusiasm all over again.

Comments are open. Feel free to post some.