Journey, Heart, Cheap Trick Hit the Road

Journey, with its fourth singer, will hit the road this summer on a big classic rock tour that also includes Heart and Cheap Trick.

Not relying solely on their past, Journey will be supporting a new album called Revelation that will be only available at Wal-Mart.
Which means I won't be buying it.

The first disc will consist of 11 re-recorded classics (another reason I won't be buying it), presumably sung by new guy Arnel Pineda. The second disc is filled with 11 new songs, and the third is a live, in-concert DVD.

About this new material, producer Kevin Shirley says on his Web site:

...what has me the most excited about it, is the new album with eleven original tracks. Ballads, rockers, progressive pieces - even a gorgeous instrumental to close - and I think the fans, both old and new, will love hearing what I think is the best album from Journey since Escape. (I know press releases have hinted at these things before, but I wouldn't say it if i didn't believe it). Schon and Cain's playing and writing is tuned into some higher source on this one.... well, you'll see soon enough.

While I am a fan of some Journey music (the older the better), I was a little soured on the band when I read an insanely long interview with former manager Herbie Herbert. Seems that these guys are a-holes of the highest caliber.

Still, a show with Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick would be pretty sweet. It comes to Portland on a Sunday in September, so maybe I'll hit it. That would be a good use of a Sunday night.

I have not seen any of these three bands, so what the heck?

The tour dates are listed here.

Lennon's OTHER Supergroup

Ok I swear after this one, I am done with The Beatles for a while.

But I just had to post this. From one of my new readers, 1938 Music, comes this absolute gem that I had never heard a thing about until two days ago. Seems that Ono, McCartney, Harrison and Starr were not the only ones to take a Lennon vocal and build a whole song around it, a la The Beatles Anthology songs Free As A Bird and Real Love.

One half of Cheap Trick and bassist Tony Levin got together in the late 90s to put out this kick ass little rave up of Lennon's I'm Losing You.

I dug Cheap Trick as a kid and still think they rock, and what can you say about Tony Levin? His work with King Crimson and Peter Gabriel alone rank him up at the top, top of my bass player list of greats.

These guys are a really weird combo, much less adding John flipping Lennon to the mix. But somehow, it works!

Enjoy.

Update: I guess this song, with this lineup, was recorded during the Milk and Honey sessions and came out on Lennon's Anthology set, which I own. D'uh! The liner notes credit Cheap Trick's Tom Peterssen on bass, but it's Levin for sure. The video, however, is indeed from the late 90s. I mean, look at Rick Nielsen's crazy goatee! Thanks to Bob K and Don Capone for straightening me out!