Phil Lynott's family accept man as rocker's son

Macdaragh Lambe is a Galway-based sculptor who lives in Dublin, Ireland. In 2003, Lambe made headlines when he claimed that he was the son of the late Thin Lizzy bassist, Phil Lynott. No one acknowledged his announcement until now. In a newspaper interview yesterday Lynott's mother, Philomena, state that Lambe is indeed Lynott's son. She is quoted to saying that father and son both have the same eyes and thumbs (as Lynott used to play bass). Lambe is delighted by the news, but he's more happy for his son Rory (who was born April of this year) can say who he really is. Lambe's story of his childhood is interesting. Lambe was born in 1968 in Dublin, Ireland. He was born due to a relationship between his mother and Lynott. He was put up for adoption and taken in the care of Oliver and Martina Lambe. As Lambe grew up, people were telling him he looked Phil Lynott. When Lambe's parents died when he was 35, Lambe searched for his adoption papers. By father's name, it said "Phillip" and his occupation was "musician". Lambe figure there weren't many black musicians named Phillip so he then concluded that Phil Lynott was his biological father. It was confirmed once Lambe met his birth mother. Lambe and his partner are currently raising his son Rory, he is said to have a head of black hair...just like grandpa.

This is really a fascinating story. I'm aware that Phil did have two daughters with his wife Caroline. This is news to me. I think Lambe looks like Phil. I really do. Go see for yourself...

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/lynott-sons-joy-as-phils-family-recognise-him-2272443.html

AC/DC's "Back In Black" is 30

AC/DC

Back In Black

1980

Rating: **** 1/2

It has been called many things but no matter what, Back in Black is one of the most amazing hard rock albums ever made by anybody. The album has sold over 49 million copies and is up there with Michael Jackson’s Thriller as one of the best selling albums of all time.

By the end the 1970’s, AC/DC were one of the most successful rock bands in the world. Formed in Australia, the band consisted of brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams, Phil Rudd, and the charismatic Bon Scott. The band had released the big selling Highway to Hell in 1979 and was ready to write material for their next album. However, the band suffered a huge blow on February 19, 1980. That night, Bon Scott had passed away after a long night of drinking. He was only 33 years old. The band’s future was left in question for months. Could the band really go on without Bon? As advised by Bon’s family, the band was told to go on without their lead singer as Bon would’ve wanted them to go on. After a bunch of auditions, the band decided on Brian Johnson. Johnson was formerly of glam band, Geordie. While Scott’s vocals were high, Johnson’s went even higher. He was the perfect replacement…but would the fans like him? On July 25, Back in Black was released. The album received positive reviews and when the band toured, fans loved Johnson. It worked out perfectly. Aside from a few personnel changes in the band’s drummers, this line-up of AC/DC is still together as of today.

The bells you hear at the beginning “Hell’s Bells” is the band’s little tribute to Bon Scott. The song then gets rocking. Johnson’s gravely vocals are wonderful and the listener can now start breathing again: AC/DC will be okay! “Shoot to Thrill” is a fast paced rocker and just hearing Johnson scream “Shoot you!” at the end is great. “What Do You For Money, Honey” is a dirty little song, as is “Givin’ The Dog A Bone”. “Let Me Put My Love Into You” is another dirty song but this time, someone was listening: years later in 1985, the PMRC listed his song on their “Filthy 15”. Does this affect the song? Not at all! I mean, with a line like “Let me cut your cake with my knife”, you know that AC/DC is doing what they do best: pissing off parents. The self-titled track, like “Highway to Hell”, has one of the most iconic opening guitar riffs ever. The song itself could define hard-rock as a whole. “You Shook Me All Night Long” is all good fun along with “Have a Drink on Me”. Things get rough with “Shake a Leg”, as Angus plays furiously on the guitar. The album ends with “Rock N Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” and I can’t think of a better closer for this album. Once this albums ends, you know for sure that rock n roll ain’t noise pollution. It’s just rock n roll. Yeah!

Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali documentary in the making

A documentary on Frankie Banali is currently in the works, according to BlabberMouth. Banali was the drummer for Quiet Riot, who hit it big in 1983 with their #1 album Metal Health. Although the band struggled to find success after, Banali stayed with the band until the sudden death of singer Kevin DuBrow in 2007. This documentary will follow Banali's current life as a single father raising his daughter. The documentary will also reveal never-before-seen home videos of Quiet Riot at the peak of their career. It will show the band on the road, as well as backstage antics. The movie will also go into the friendship between DuBrow and Banali.

Well, this is exciting. As a big Quiet Riot fan, I really want to see this documentary. I would love to see home videos from Frankie. This is a really cool idea.

The link below is to a teaser video of what the documentary could be like. You can make donations ($10 to an astounding $10,000- in which you'll get to be in the credits!) to help make this project work. I'm going to think about donating money. I really want to see this happen. Anyways, enjoy the link!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/795871699/frankie-banali-quiet-riot-documentary-0

Apple Records to reissue catalogue on CD and for digital download

Apple Records has announced they will re-release 15 albums from their catalogue. All albums have been remastered by the same people who remastered the Beatles albums back in 2009. Some discs will include bonus tracks along with the original albums. Apple Records might be best known for the Beatles but they had quite a roster: James Taylor, Badfinger, Billy Preston, Mary Hopkin, Doris Troy, and Jackie Lomax. For the first time, Apple will allow their albums to be released for digital download. You can look for these Apple remasters on October 26:

Badfinger- Magic Christian Music

Badfinger- No Dice

Badfinger- Straight Up

Badfinger- Ass

James Taylor- James Taylor

Mary Hopkin- Post Card

Mary Hopkin- Earth Song, Ocean Song

Billy Preston- That's The God Planned It

Billy Preston- Encouraging Words

Doris Troy- Doris Troy

Jackie Lomax- Is This What You Want?

The Modern Jazz Quartet- Under the Jasmine Tree & Space (two albums on one CD)

John Tavener- The Whale & Celtic Requiem (two albums on one CD)

This is pretty cool news. Of the artists mentioned, I am most excited about Badfinger. I'm a big Badfinger fan. I own everything by them (including their one album as The Iveys, which I notice isn't getting reissued. Shame.) but I'll have to think about buying them again. I'll definetely get Ass because the album was poorly mixed in the bootleg Complete Ass. If these are going on iTunes and elsewhere, I have a feeling it won't be long till the Beatles are on there...or not.

Brian Jones (1942-1969) and Jim Morrison (1943-1971)

Brian Jones

February 28, 1942- July 3, 1969

41 years later

Jim Morrison

December 8, 1943- July 3, 1971

39 Years Later

Today marks the anniversaries of the deaths of two rock legends. One was a Rolling Stone and one was a Door. I'm, of course, talking about Brian Jones and Jim Morrison. Both died on the same day, different years.

Brian Jones died on July 3, 1969. The story goes that Jones was having a party at his house, which was in Cotchford Farm in East Sussex. This house used to belong to A.A. Milne, author of the Winnie The Pooh books. Jones was no longer with the Rolling Stones, as he had either left or was fired. Jones was no longer interested in the Stones. He wanted to do world music. At this party, Jones had several of his friends there and it came to the point when Jones wanted to put his swimming trunks on. Jones was told not to as he had been drinking but Jones went swimming nevertheless. It's unclear what happened after this but sooner or later, Brian's girlfriend found him at the bottom of the pool. The doctors came but it was too late: Brian Jones had died at the age of 27. Jones' death was ruled a drowning. However in 1994, Frank Thorogood, Brian's builder and friend, admitted at his death bed that he killed Brian. Thorogood died before being questioned further. As a result, the death of Brian Jones remains a mystery. Two days after Jones' death, the Stones played a free gig at Hyde Park. Mick Jagger read a poem and after the poem was finished, hundreds of butterflies were released in memory of Brian.

Two years later, Jim Morrison had died in Paris, France. Morrison and his longtime girlfriend Pamela Courson were living in Paris. Morrison wanted to take a break from the Doors. Sources say that Morrison had woke up that night vomiting blood. Courson helped by holding a frying pan. Morrison then decided to take a bath, probably thinking the pain in his chest would go away. When Courson woke up in the morning, Morrison was lying dead in the bathtub. He was 27 years old. Morrison's body wasn't actually buried until three days later. No autopsy was performed and his death was ruled as a heart attack. Other people have their own theories as to how Jim Morrison really died. In his will, Morrison left everything to Courson. Courson later admitted to one Doors author that she might have killed Morrison by injecting heroin in him while he was sleeping, as Morrison had a fear for using needles. Courson would die from a drug overdose in 1974. When Morrison died, the three surviving Doors actually tried going on without him. After two albums, it just wasn't working out. So in 1973, the Doors split.

Rest in peace Brian and Jim.

Reissues: John Lennon and Thin Lizzy

There has been news of reissues from two artists.

First, there's John Lennon. This year will mark what would have been Lennon's 70th birthday. So on October 5th, eight albums by Lennon will be reissued. All the albums have been remastered and remixed. According to Yoko Ono, the reissue of Double Fantasy will include a stripped version of the album. The following albums will be reissued: Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, Sometime in New York City, Mind Games, Walls And Bridges, Rock N Roll, Double Fantasy, and Milk And Honey. Lennon's birthday is October 9. I personally think this is too soon to reissue Lennon's album as they were remastered just the last decade. Still, I'll buy what I don't have.

Thin Lizzy axeman Scott Gorham recently revealed in an interview with a UK magazine that Universal is on board to remix and reissue the Thin Lizzy albums. According to Gorham, Universal may give the album the two-disc deluxe edition treatment. Gorham is saying Def Leppard's Joe Elliot will allow them to remaster the albums in Dublin. I'm in favor of this. I own all of Lizzy's albums but I would gladly repurchase Chinatown, Renegade, and Thunder and Lightning. The remastering on them from 2002 is hideous. I'm also in favor of two-discs. Also, the new Thin Lizzy will be on tour around the world, mostly Europe. Of the members Gorham, original drummer Brian Downey, and keyboardist Darren Wharton will be 3 of the 6 members in the new Thin Lizzy.

Alice Cooper's next album: sequel to Welcome To My Nightmare

According to Blabbermouth.com, Alice Cooper is working on his next album. The album will be produced by Bob Ezrin. Ezrin is best known for producing the Alice Cooper band's classic albums back in the 1970's and producing other bands such as Pink Floyd and Kiss. The title and theme of the album was under lock and key...until now. Cooper, 62, has confirmed that his next studio album will indeed be a sequel to 1975's Welcome To My Nightmare. Cooper said the album, which as a working title of Welcome 2 My Nightmare, will be a 1970's return-to-form sound. Cooper also said that he and Ezrin were thinking about bringing back guitarists Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter, who were in Alice's band during the Nightmare era. Welcome To My Nightmare 2 or Welcome 2 My Nightmare is due for release in 2011.

This is pretty cool. Honestly I would prefer if Alice did a standard album but this is fine. Welcome To My Nightmare already has a sequel in some way with 1976's Alice Cooper Goes To Hell. However, I didn't feel that Hell was a direct sequel to Nightmare, although it did use the Steven character. Still, I'm ready to hear some new stuff from Alice, especially if he has Bob Ezrin is back on board. I can't wait!