EAGLES: Keeping it going
Though Don Henley told us there were no plans for the Eagles beyond Classic West and Classic East, we now know that is no longer the case as Classic Northwest is set for September 30th in Seattle. And Joe Walsh says there will be more:
"We have a vehicle here to play our music some more and make people happy. And we're not booking a big huge tour. We're not gonna do it that way. We're gonna pick carefully and find shows that we could really make special. But, you haven't heard the last of the Eagles, that's for sure."
Walsh says the missing link to trying to make this work following the death last year of Glenn Frey was Vince Gill:
"He's that magic voice in the harmonies. He's like David Crosby. You know, you don't hear him, but he's the foundation that the whole thing is built on. And that's what we were worried about finding if we were gonna continue and Vince stepped up. So we're good to go."
And of course rounding out the lineup is Glenn's son, Deacon Frey, who impressed Walsh:
"Well, I guess he's pretty much my nephew. You know, I got his back and he knows that. He's great. He's just young. He's 24 and this is some big shoes to fill for him. But he did fantastic in Los Angeles [at Classic West]. I knew he was doing great at rehearsal, but, you know, you get up in front of 40,000 people and there's a lot of variables. He did just great. He did great."
The Eagles headline Classic East at Citi Field in New York City on Saturday with The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan once again opening. On Sunday it's Fleetwood Mac along with Journey and Earth, Wind and Fire.
GREGG ALLMAN: Final album drops this fall
Gregg Allman's final album, Southern Blood, will come out on September 8th. Produced by Don Was, it contains 10 songs, including the lead single "My Only True Friend."
Don says the song is "Gregg’s attempt to contextualize the course of his life. The man that his fans saw performing onstage was the essential Gregg Allman -- he was whole and truly satisfied when he was up there playing music. The trials and troubles he faced in life were mostly the result of not knowing what to do with himself in between shows. In this song, he’s addressing a woman and explaining that, although he loves her and doesn’t want to face living his life alone, being away on the road and performing every night is his lifeblood. If you understand this about Gregg Allman, every other aspect of his life makes complete sense.”
Though the other nine songs are all covers, Gregg carefully chose the ones that his manager, Michael Lehman, says "reflected his mood, where he was presently in life both on a personal level and professional level, as well as what would be on his fans’ minds later on.”
Among the songs he put his stamp on are Bob Dylan's "Going Going Gone," The Grateful Dead's "Black Muddy River," Willie Dixon's "I Love the Life I Live," Little Feat's "Willin'" and Jackson Browne's "Song for Adam," with a contribution from Browne, Gregg's long-ago roommate.
Southern Blood was recorded at the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where his brother Duane did a lot of session work in the late '60s. Lehman says, “A constant discussion during all of my nearly 15 years working with Gregg was his desire to return to Muscle Shoals. He always would talk about how he needed to get back to FAME Studios to bring him full circle.”
The album is now available for pre-order in numerous configurations. A limited-edition numbered double-sided picture disc will be available on August 4th.
JOURNEY: Now in the racing game
The band has sponsored driver Ryan Norman, and his Mazda Indy car now sports their logo.
Norman says, "It’s unique to have a rock band sponsoring a race car. Journey was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, which is my hometown, so it makes the next race at Mid-Ohio very special to me. I love Journey’s music, and having ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’ on the side of my car is very fitting. This song has inspired a lot of people, including athletes like myself.”
The seeds for the deal were sown in 2015 at the Indianapolis 500’s 100th anniversary festivities, which Journey was a part of. Guitarist Neal Schon went for a ride in a two-seater Indy car with the legendary Mario Andretti, whose son Michael owns Andretti Autosport, the team Norman races for. Schon says, "This is very exciting to see this all unfolding from acquaintance with Mario Andretti and playing Indy 100th."
Other artists who have sponsored race cars include KISS and Aerosmith.