I'm Back!

Preteen boys are designed to discover sports and girls. My addiction was the soft breath of a diamond tipped needle laid to rest on the severed edges of black vinyl. Born to Rock. But for this Montana bread hell raiser it wouldn't be the mastering of strings, picks, sticks and stage presence. The performance of a lifetime: Radio

I sold my soul and hit the road. If carefully crafting a Radio studio capable of Broadcasting nearly two blocks from a poster laced bedroom counts as a career; then I've been here for 38 years.

Not just a jock. Being "Arroe" was permission enough to untangle the handwritten liner cards and four songs in a row without talk. The 70's bumped while the 90's thumped. The 80's introduced CD's while the new millennium welded the door closed forever on hundreds of thousands of brilliant Radio shows.

Then came the internet. I could say, play and make waves without over touted Radio research shutting me off. Ten taps onto the keyboard leaping toward a computer screen connected my passion for Rock Radio to Russia, Sweden, The Netherlands, UK, South Korea, Canada and more. Within minutes ten more taps adds to instant hits with numbers in the high thirty and forty thousand range.

February 4, 2013 I return to Radio. Except this time the total focus falls into the core of the diamond tipped needle. If but for one second I can convince your IPod carrying ass to hit replay my job is done. Relationship with music and those who make it is nearly extinct. I'm the bastard that's about to give you a little more cutting edge in your search for why you were planted on this planet.

Memories begin with music. But you don't know the stars effing the ears that brought you here. That's nothing more than legal prostitution. If you aren't puking Rock when I'm done then blame your lack of music love on Radio's construction of destruction. More to come

KISS My Trophy

First there's Hollywood's Golden Globe Awards then the Oscars of Classic Rock. While the prettiest of pretty parade down a bright red carpet and the mouthiest of dry humor driven actors and actresses attempt to entertain a worldly television population in the billions with protests and campy experiences...the fingerprints connected to hard plastic guitar picks receive their honors via a website hidden somewhere between free downloads and porn. The 2012 presentations have made their way into the history book. Wait! I should've tapped into the face of this computer KISS-tory book. Kiss were the clear champs of our reader-selected 2012 Ultimate Classic Rock Awards, taking home trophies in six of the 11 categories — including Album and Artist of the Year. It was a very busy year for the greasepaint-wearing legends, who released a “resurrected” version of their classic ‘Destroyer’ album in addition to the brand-new record ‘Monster.’ The former won Best Reissue or Archival Release honors by nearly a four-to-one margin (48% to 13%) over the nearest competitor, Pink Floyd‘s massive ‘The Wall: Experience Edition’ box set. Meanwhile, ‘Monster’ earned 44% of the vote in the Album of the Year race, easily outpacing Van Halen‘s ‘A Different Kind of Truth’ (14%) and Rush‘s ‘Clockwork Angels’ (10%). The album’s second single, ‘Long Way Down,’ took home the Song of the Year prize with 35% of the vote, with Journey‘s ‘Resonate’ (11%) and Motley Crue‘s ‘Sex’ (10%) also earning medals. As you can imagine, racking up wins in all those big categories also made it pretty clear that Kiss was the Artist of the Year in the eyes of our readers, and indeed they beat Van Halen (14%) and Aerosmith (10%) out for that honor by capturing 42% of the vote. The makeup-wearing marvels also took home prizes for Commercial of the Year (although we wonder if even they might agree Rush and Eddie Money got robbed there) and Photo of the Year, for a series of shots unveiling the latest versions of their famous stage costumes. Together with summer tour mates Motley Crue, Kiss also came in second place in the Tour of the Year category.

Own A Piece Of The Beatles Legally

Somewhere along the lines of creative flow I was easily convinced when "Art" falls from the tips of your fingerprints it belongs to the maker. he or she that was willing to share with the world. Performers with their producers have fought endlessly to protect what little is left. Like baseball cards the universe keeps delivering babies vowing to become Rock Stars. Each one delivered is a little weaker therefore mountains of talent are beginning to look like stone rubble from a collapsed relic. I've been involved in many verbal disputes fed by ITunes fans demanding new rules of ownership based on what happens after the purchase. While collecting 45's and albums in the 1970's...if I didn't want the music anymore I gave it away. It was mine to do so right? Not really. It kills me to fall witness to flea market and antique store boxes packed with tossed out vibrations. The physical site stings but the true pain is knowing the people involved with creating the music are getting nothing. And it doesn't end there. Classic Rock Magazine reports that if you'd like to own a first pressing of the Beatles‘ ‘Love Me Do,’ but don’t have thousands of dollars in the bank? Good news: Thanks to European copyright law, the Fab Four’s first single is now part of the public domain, meaning anyone can issue new copies for sale. As VVN Music reports, a number of labels have already been quick to take advantage of the copyright’s expiry, with two companies — Digital Remasterings and Pristine Classical — leading the charge. Digital Remasterings has apparently included ‘Love Me Do’ (and its b-side, ‘P.S. I Love You’) on a new compilation of early Beatles cuts, including the perennially reissued Hamburg Star Club live performances, while Pristine Classical is said to be releasing its own version of the single as a protest of sorts. As detailed in the VVN Music report, European copyright limits are shorter than those in the States, where intense lobbying by media companies has increased American copyright length repeatedly over the last several decades (it currently stands at 95 years). But it appears that the European Union is following America’s lead; the law “may be changed before the end of this year, moving the threshold to 70 years” — good news for anyone who makes a living from royalties, but a setback for labels like Pristine Classical, whose catalog consists entirely of recordings in the public domain. It’s a fascinating fight for copyright scholars — and for Beatles fans, well, it’s something of an opportunity to purchase more memorabilia.

Bob Seger's Detroit Roots Are About To Set Fire To America's Rock n Roll Addiction

Discovering Bob Seger didn't suddenly happen. Although AM radio stations in Po-dunk USA basked in his glory; all that static stuffed into a battery operated transistor device led a nation of good Rock lovin fans of music straight to the nearest record store to hoist all they made on albums and 8-track tapes. Like a blood transfusion Seger was pumped into your system via a high school kegger or while re-mastering a car sound system erection caused by being noticed cruising downtown anywhere America on a Friday or Saturday night. We were skinny dipping at the Gravel Pits south of Billings, Montana the first time I heard Bob hop out of the front seat connected to an ugly white Ford Rambler's dashboard. It wasn't Zeppelin, ZZ Top or Bad Company. It was far from KISS, Alice Cooper and Frampton. There was something bombastically Rock that cut through the night ripping from me every desire to swim closer to girls. I had to know who was doing some frickin song called Still The Same. Don't tell a Seger fan that he or she has been attached to his umbilical guitar chord for forty years because at no time during a Seger piece to do you feeling anything sweeter than being a teen destine to piss off parents while out thinking the local cop shop's addiction to digging up private places of party. The Detroit Rocker hasn't pulled off a final performance nor does he intend to. Classic Rock Magazine reports Seger and his Silver Bullet Band will hit the road this spring for the first leg of their Rock & Roll Never Forgets Tour. It starts in Toledo, Ohio, on February 27th, then rolls through the Midwest, West Coast and Canada. Seger took a long break from music after wrapping up a tour in support of his 1995 LP, It's a Mystery. He returned 11 years later with a new album, Face the Promise, and an American tour. He did another tour in 2011 and has been slowly chipping away at a new album, though it's unclear when that will come out. Generally, Seger's shows focus on his deep catalog of hits, including "Night Moves," "Hollywood Nights," "Turn the Page," "Rock & Roll Never Forgets," "Roll Me Away" and "Old Time Rock & Roll." In a 2011 interview with Rolling Stone, Seger said he didn't know how much longer he was going to remain active. "My career's winding down," he said. "What can I say? I can't do this much longer. My manager is 70. We've been together for 45 years now and we need to stop pretty soon and turn it over to the Kid Rocks and Eminems. I guess we're in the final stages here." Tickets for most shows will go on sale on January 19th, and Bob Seger fan club members will have early access to tickets at the rocker's website. A full list of dates are below, and more will be announced soon. 2/27 Toledo, OH - The Huntington Center 3/5 Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena 3/7 Green Bay, WI - Resch Center 3/12 Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre 3/19 Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome 3/21 Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place 3/23 Saskatoon, SK - Credit Union Centre 3/27 Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena 3/29 Seattle, WA - Tacoma Dome 3/30 Portland, OR - Rose Garden 4/2 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center

Can Paradise Theater Survive When Performed By Just Dennis DeYoung

"Theatrical Rock" caused multitudes of disjointed storms by way of making waves in the 1970's. Freddie Mercury and Queen weren't an overnight success and what about this thing, it, creation called Alice Cooper? It's been written a few hundred times by critics more famous than your mother that "Theatrical Rock" took root in the backwoods connected to The World of Arthur Brown whose off the beaten path psychedelic song Fire ignited newer reasons to explore un-invented avenues that would one day lead the world of music to Ziggy Stardust and KISS and Styx. Tommy Shaw and company didn't have to wear paint...their only requirement was Dennis Deyoung's ability to write in ways that shared stories. I caught the heavily produced Paradise Theater and Kilroy Was Here on stage and happily admit have never been the same since. It always seemed boring to watch Marshall Tucker, Van Halen and Jethro Tull to bang out a tune only to stand on a dark stage while my sister Susan screamed at the top of her lungs for more. Paradise Theater was a production. Pre-Michael Jackson Thriller and Madonna chorographically maintaining a plan to endlessly reinvent. Word from the front of the stage is Former Styx front man Dennis DeYoung is about to get a little dramatic again. Although he hasn’t been an active member of the group he helped found since 1999, Ultimate Classic Rock Magazine reports he still makes his living by playing their greatest hits. DeYoung’s current solo band is geared toward recreating the classic Styx sound as closely as possible, and the singer, songwriter and keyboardist has revealed that he is hoping to re-stage the superstar rock group’s most successful tour for an upcoming DVD release. Styx released ‘Paradise Theatre’ in January of 1981. Featuring DeYoung’s hit ballad ‘The Best of Times’ and guitarist Tommy Shaw’s ‘Too Much Time on My Hands,’ it became Styx’ only No. 1 album, and the conceptual road show in support of the record was one of the most successful tours in rock music history to that point. Shaw left the group during their next tour in support of 1983′s ‘Kilroy Was Here,’ but reunited with his former bandmates in 1996 for the Return to Paradise tour, which re-staged the original show almost note-for-note and spawned a hit live album and home video. DeYoung’s current solo act is geared toward Styx’s greatest hits, which has proven so popular that he is planning to incorporate his current band into a re-staging of the ‘Paradise Theatre’ tour, with an eye toward putting out a DVD. This would be the third time the show has been staged in its entirety, which DeYoung acknowledged in the following humorous posting to his official website: I’ve toyed with the idea of recreating the Paradise theater tour one more time, janitor, back drops, simulated marquee and all but I’ll have to get permission from the United Tour Association of That Again. Possible tour names are Paradise Now and Forever, Return to the Return of the Return of Paradise or simply Tonights The Night We’ll Repeat History. We did recreate the scenic elements for a show in Montrreal in I think ’08 but without some of the songs we currently perform. I have a copy of the original setlist from 1981 and It could be great with this band. I’ve already ordered one blond wig, an afro wig, a tux, a fake Tom Selleck moustache a space suit and a Shakey’s Pizza uniform. Nothing like red satin pants on a 65 year old.Seriously I think this show will make a great DVD. Or maybe will just do The Serpent Is Rising start to finish including Handel’s Messiah done with the Moron Tabernacle Choir. They’re not as good as the Mormons but their cheaper. I believe I just heard the sound of no tickets being sold. Good grief get this guy a shot at open mic night at Zanies Comedy Club. Of course, DeYoung is not the first classic rocker to re-stage his older work for a new tour. In fact, his former Styx bandmates performed both ‘The Grand Illusion’ and ‘Pieces of Eight’ live in their entirety for a tour in 2010, releasing a DVD of the show in January of 2012.

Lost: Fleetwood Mac. Found: Chrstine McVie

Awesome...is when the ink from your writing instrument influences three other corners of the world. In the old days of radio when listener connection was based on snail mail and 1-800 studio lines; getting an honest reaction to a vocal blurb often came four days too late. By the time a listener's reaction made it to the radio studio the program director had already hot lined you calling the band mention or stunt the most idiotic intro talk over he'd heard in fifteen years. Which always made me laugh because the lips still hooked to that studio microphone wanted to ask, "Am I performing to you or those who've taken the time out of their busy life to suck in a few vibes of their favorite song?" Which is why I immediately gravitated to the Social Network. From this writing instrument ink has swelled...questions from you, "Where the hell is Christine McVie in all this revamping of the Mac?"

Paging back to a separate chapter we learn she truly enjoyed a wild ride as a member of Fleetwood Mac, but nowadays the retired rocker prefers a quiet life out of the spotlight. In a new interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, the legendary singer and songwriter shares her fond and not-so-fond memories of the past, and says she has no problem with her former bandmates moving on without her. McVie looks back on the landmark album ‘Rumours’ in a rare public interview with Mojo magazine. Released in February of 1977, the album spawned a string of commercial hits including ‘Don’t Stop,’ ‘The Chain’ and ‘Dreams.’ McVie contributed ‘You Make Loving Fun,’ ‘Don’t Stop,’ ‘Oh Daddy’ and ‘Songbird,’ but she recalls that her rocky relationship with ex-husband John McVie, as well as the strain between Lindsey Buckingham and Steve Nicks, made for a stressful situation. “John and I have long since made friends, and I’m sure Stevie and Lindsey have as well. But I am often still flabbergasted at how the hell we managed to make [the album] in the first place,” McVie says incredulously. “But that was what tied us together — we knew that the music was good. The chemistry was such that we brought the best out in each other.” Still, McVie acknowledges that the group’s crazy, drug-fueled antics impacted the recording sessions. “They were wild days,” she admits. “I can’t deny there was a lot of lunacy in the studio. But Stevie and I rented a condominium in Sausalito to get away from all of that. It was the boys who all stayed at the Record Plant house. So that’s where all the madness was happening.” The musician still enjoys the music on ‘Rumours’ after all these years. “It was a real pleasure to listen to it again,” she states. “I’ve had it lying around but not listened to it for years. It’s like if you live next door to Buckingham Palace, you don’t go and look at it every day.” McVie departed Fleetwood Mac in 1998, returned to her native England and has since kept a very low profile. She has seen her old band in concert a few times since, though she has steadfastly not joined them onstage. “I have a really good time when I go. I can stand at the sound board and watch them sweat,” she says with a laugh. “They do my songs, ‘Don’t Stop’ and ‘World Turning,’ but they are limited to what they can do of mine. I think they tried ‘You Make Loving Fun,’ but I don’t think the sound of their vocals were right. But I wish them well.” McVie appears to have no future plan to return to music, and she says she has shelved any plans she once had of opening a restaurant, which was part of her intent when she left the group. “I didn’t open a restaurant but I did go to a few cooking schools,” she says, adding, “It was too much like hard work!”

The Golden Rule: Don't Piss Off A British Rocker

Nothing cranks me up louder than a quality driven behind the scenes Rock n Roll surge of energy designed to knock decision makers off their pedestals. Too much of today's success is credited to the wrong front office. Jumping on the true "Working Man" wagon is Joe Elliott from Def Leppard who loudly exclaims that his former record label, Universal, should treat the band with more respect because “we built their penthouse sushi bar”. Leppard are re-recording as much of their back catalogue as possible after failing to reach an agreement with Universal over digital releases. And last month the band cut five acoustic songs performed during their Rock Of Ages tour for a medley released to iTunes. “We’re trying to wrestle back our career and ownership of these songs,” said Elliott in an interview in the latest issue of Classic Rock. “They [Universal] own the originals, we’re at loggerheads with them over the digital rights. And as long as they’re playing silly buggers we’ll just keep recording them again.” The singer continued: “Until we can come to some kind of humane conclusion to this ridiculous stand-off, we’re going to say: ‘F*** you!’ We were offered a great deal two years ago and shook hands on it. And then some other twat at the label put a stop to it. It’s our life and our music and we’re not going to let them exploit us to the extent that they’re trying to.” Elliott said Uiversal wouldn’t be the major player it is today without the help of Leppard’s multi-million-selling releases. “Between us and Bon Jovi we built that company,” he insisted. “We built their penthouse sushi bar, wherever it may be, and they just treated us like ****. We can either roll over like little dandelions or we can stand up and punch them in the bollocks. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”