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Donald Fagen – Nightfly Trilogy

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Donald Fagen – Nightfly Trilogy

More personal than Steely Dan’s records but every bit as acerbic, Donald Fagen’s solo LPs are united not just by their sophistication but also by a sense of nostalgia for what has been irretrievably lost – Duke Ellington and Ray Charles, the promise and optimism of postwar America and Fagen’s own innocence. The three albums make a powerful cumulative point – as memories recede, from adolescence through midlife to encroaching mortality, the associated emotions intensify. On The Nightfly Trilogy, the sleek contours, and soulful female backing vocals provide a counterpoint to the anxiety that permeates the lyrics, forming a smooth coating of familiarity around the increasingly bitter pill of the material. As Fagen puts it in his newly penned notes to Morph The Cat, “paranoia just wasn’t any fun anymore in the age of Al Qaeda.” If unease is the trilogy’s recurring tonality, fierce intelligence and unerring taste are the gears that turn its complexities. On 1982’s The Nightfly (Fagen’s reflection on adolescence), Dan mainstays like guitarist Larry Carlton and drummer Jeff Porcaro play with seemingly effortless virtuosity on the beguiling “Green Flower Street” and “The Goodbye Look”. Eleven years later, Kamakiriad (the “midlife” album) boasts an entirely new crew, including partner Walter Becker on lead guitar, gliding back to the future on “Trans-Island Skyway”. For 2006’s Morph The Cat, the core line-up of the reformed Dan band seems as unruffled gamboling through the nightmare zeitgeist narratives of “Mary Shut The Garden Door” and the title song as they do on Fagen’s silky ode to Brother Ray, “It’s What I Do”. Free of the thematic weight of the proper albums, the 10 little-heard songs on the bonus disc provide pleasurable marginalia as they embrace Henry Mancini, and the big-band era. The opener, a delectably funky 2006 cover of Al Green’s “Rhymes” created in collaboration with Todd Rundgren, makes a tantalizing case for a joint album from the two iconoclasts. That would be just the thing to snap Fagen out of own morose state: the prospect of a fourth solo project is simply too unsettling to contemplate. BUD SCOPPA Q&A DONALD FAGEN: UNCUT: The trilogy is startling in its thematic cohesiveness. DONALD FAGEN: While I was doing The Nightfly, I realized that the songs had the point of view of someone in early adolescence. And when I did Kamakiriad, although it had a science fiction framing device, it was actually about midlife. At that point I kind of knew I was going to do a third album that would make it a kind of trilogy. So Morph The Cat was more premeditated as to its theme. What’s the difference between a Steely Dan record and a solo album? When I’m in my studio and I say, “Hey Walter, what do you think of this?,” and no one answers, that’s the difference. But every once in a while I’ll come up with a song that is more personal or subjective in some way. And sometimes there are things I’ve shown to Walter that he didn’t feel like working on; maybe he sensed that they were songs I should work on by myself. INTERVIEW: BUD SCOPPA

More personal than Steely Dan’s records but every bit as acerbic, Donald Fagen’s solo LPs are united not just by their sophistication but also by a sense of nostalgia for what has been irretrievably lost – Duke Ellington and Ray Charles, the promise and optimism of postwar America and Fagen’s own innocence. The three albums make a powerful cumulative point – as memories recede, from adolescence through midlife to encroaching mortality, the associated emotions intensify.

On The Nightfly Trilogy, the sleek contours, and soulful female backing vocals provide a counterpoint to the anxiety that permeates the lyrics, forming a smooth coating of familiarity around the increasingly bitter pill of the material. As Fagen puts it in his newly penned notes to Morph The Cat, “paranoia just wasn’t any fun anymore in the age of Al Qaeda.”

If unease is the trilogy’s recurring tonality, fierce intelligence and unerring taste are the gears that turn its complexities.

On 1982’s The Nightfly (Fagen’s reflection on adolescence), Dan mainstays like guitarist Larry Carlton and drummer Jeff Porcaro play with seemingly effortless virtuosity on the beguiling “Green Flower Street” and “The Goodbye Look”. Eleven years later, Kamakiriad (the “midlife” album) boasts an entirely new crew, including partner Walter Becker on lead guitar, gliding back to the future on “Trans-Island Skyway”. For 2006’s Morph The Cat, the core line-up of the reformed Dan band seems as unruffled gamboling through the nightmare zeitgeist narratives of “Mary Shut The Garden Door” and the title song as they do on Fagen’s silky ode to Brother Ray, “It’s What I Do”.

Free of the thematic weight of the proper albums, the 10 little-heard songs on the bonus disc provide pleasurable marginalia as they embrace Henry Mancini, and the big-band era. The opener, a delectably funky 2006 cover of Al Green’s “Rhymes” created in collaboration with Todd Rundgren, makes a tantalizing case for a joint album from the two iconoclasts. That would be just the thing to snap Fagen out of own morose state: the prospect of a fourth solo project is simply too unsettling to contemplate.

BUD SCOPPA

Q&A DONALD FAGEN:

UNCUT: The trilogy is startling in its thematic cohesiveness.

DONALD FAGEN: While I was doing The Nightfly, I realized that the songs had the point of view of someone in early adolescence. And when I did Kamakiriad, although it had a science fiction framing device, it was actually about midlife. At that point I kind of knew I was going to do a third album that would make it a kind of trilogy. So Morph The Cat was more premeditated as to its theme.

What’s the difference between a Steely Dan record and a solo album?

When I’m in my studio and I say, “Hey Walter, what do you think of this?,” and no one answers, that’s the difference. But every once in a while I’ll come up with a song that is more personal or subjective in some way. And sometimes there are things I’ve shown to Walter that he didn’t feel like working on; maybe he sensed that they were songs I should work on by myself.

INTERVIEW: BUD SCOPPA

Countdown To Led Zeppelin Reunion

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Countdown To Led Zeppelin Reunion

Led Zeppelin are due to headline the tribute to Ahmet Ertegun concert is tonight (December 10), with the legends due to perform at 9pm (GMT). The band, comprising the three original members of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones will be playing a two-hour set with Jason Bonham, the late John Bonham's son on drums at the reunion show which takes place at London's O2 Arena. Also playing the tribute to the late Atlantic Records' founder are Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, Paul Rodgers, Foreigner, Paolo Nutini who was the last artist that Ertegun mentored. The show is due to start at 7pm, with the running order yet to be confirmed, though www.uncut.co.uk will be bringing you the build up from inside the O2 Arena from 5pm today. Stay tuned as tonight we'll be bringing you news reports throughout the night, including a live blog of what tracks Led Zeppelin perform. The songs have been a closely guarded secret, though the band have already promised us there will be some set list surprises! Meanwhile in conjunction with our sister title nme.com there's still time for you for your ultimate Led Zep rock tracks. Just head to the special vote page here: Rate The Song and rate which songs you'd like to see the band play! We'll be publishing the final results ahead of tonight's highly anticipated gig! Pic credit: PA Photos

Led Zeppelin are due to headline the tribute to Ahmet Ertegun concert is tonight (December 10), with the legends due to perform at 9pm (GMT).

The band, comprising the three original members of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones will be playing a two-hour set with Jason Bonham, the late John Bonham’s son on drums at the reunion show which takes place at London’s O2 Arena.

Also playing the tribute to the late Atlantic Records’ founder are Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, Paul Rodgers, Foreigner, Paolo Nutini who was the last artist that Ertegun mentored.

The show is due to start at 7pm, with the running order yet to be confirmed, though www.uncut.co.uk will be bringing you the build up from inside the O2 Arena from 5pm today.

Stay tuned as tonight we’ll be bringing you news reports throughout the night, including a live blog of what tracks Led Zeppelin perform.

The songs have been a closely guarded secret, though the band have already promised us there will be some set list surprises!

Meanwhile in conjunction with our sister title nme.com there’s still time for you for your ultimate Led Zep rock tracks.

Just head to the special vote page here: Rate The Song and rate which songs you’d like to see the band play! We’ll be publishing the final results ahead of tonight’s highly anticipated gig!

Pic credit: PA Photos

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers

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Invasion Of The Body Snatchers

Don Siegel has acquired neither a fanatical cult following nor the iconic status of his most famous protégés, Sam Peckinpah and Clint Eastwood. And yet, he still continues to exert influence today. Jodie Foster's vigilante drama The Brave One plays like a Dirty Harry revenge movie, while The Invasion, starring Nicole Kidman, makes the third official remake of his 1955 sci-fi classic - and that's not counting the slew of films it unofficially "inspired," from Quatermass 2 (1957) to The Faculty (1998). Adapted from Jack Finney's novella The Body Snatchers, this is set in a sunny American small-town, where local doctor Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is bemused by the string of patients coming to see him claiming their relatives are not, in fact, their relatives. A hysterical little boy swears his mother is not his mother; a young woman feels sudden distance from her uncle. Each complaint is the same: they look the same, but "...there's something *missing*." Bennell prescribes sedatives, mutters "mass hysteria," but he's nagged by the feeling something else is going on. Then his friends Jack and Theodora call him to their house to share an eerie discovery: lying there on their billiard table, a blank, half-formed figure, slowly growing to resemble Jack. In the garden, they find huge alien seedpods, splitting open to reveal incomplete replicas of them all. Crafting a Blue Velvet-ish sense of the weird behind neat picket fences, Siegel has built slowly, but now the brakes are off. Bennell, losing his friends one by one, works out the invaders can only take over when their human models are asleep. Soon everyone in town (including a young Peckinpah) has been replaced. They look, sound, even remember the same way - but lack emotion, passion, soul. Finally only Bennell and his girlfriend are left, gobbling amphetamines to stay awake, and watching in horror as colonised townsfolk begin loading trucks with pods destined to spread their invisible invasion nationwide. Released as the Cold War was beginning to freeze, Siegel's movie has been decried as a typical Red Menace flick. But its nightmarish picture of square, bland suburbanites happily surrendering individuality is equally plausible as a comment on the witch-hunt climate and consumerist ideals that brainwashed the American '50s. Siegel was adept at such straight-faced ambiguity; years later, critics couldn't decide whether Dirty Harry was a fascist fantasy, or a warning. It's a measure of his accomplishment that this film, shot in an astonishing 19 days, manages to survive severe studio interference. Panicked by his stark non-ending - a rabid, deranged McCarthy, running through highway traffic screaming, "They're HERE!!!" - the producers insisted on inserting a placatory prologue and epilogue, showing the authorities springing into action. In '60s America, underground cinemas made a ritual of showing the movie with the studio bookends chopped out and in 1978, Philip Kaufman, directing the first remake, ignored them all together, beginning where Siegel ended: McCarthy, in a cameo, still screaming in the traffic. Kaufman's chill movie took Siegel's lead, using the story to comment on his times, describing an America turning from social awareness and activism toward passive self-absorption. In 1993, for his underrated update, Bodysnatchers, Abel Ferrara continued the tradition, transferring the action to a US military base for a film that questioned the blind nationalism whipped up around Gulf War I. For all their merits, however, no remake has matched Siegel's original. A concise but ambiguous masterpiece of paranoia, its sharp, haunting brilliance grows clearer with the appearance of each subsequent replicant. What the big-budget Kidman version has to tell us about today remains to be seen. Perhaps that the pod-people are now making movies? EXTRAS: A missed opportunity. Instead of seeking to restore Siegel's cut, this features a pointlessly "colorized" version alongside the black and white original; a pretty washed-out print, too. 1* DAMIEN LOVE

Don Siegel has acquired neither a fanatical cult following nor the iconic status of his most famous protégés, Sam Peckinpah and Clint Eastwood. And yet, he still continues to exert influence today. Jodie Foster‘s vigilante drama The Brave One plays like a Dirty Harry revenge movie, while The Invasion, starring Nicole Kidman, makes the third official remake of his 1955 sci-fi classic – and that’s not counting the slew of films it unofficially “inspired,” from Quatermass 2 (1957) to The Faculty (1998).

Adapted from Jack Finney’s novella The Body Snatchers, this is set in a sunny American small-town, where local doctor Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is bemused by the string of patients coming to see him claiming their relatives are not, in fact, their relatives. A hysterical little boy swears his mother is not his mother; a young woman feels sudden distance from her uncle. Each complaint is the same: they look the same, but “…there’s something *missing*.”

Bennell prescribes sedatives, mutters “mass hysteria,” but he’s nagged by the feeling something else is going on. Then his friends Jack and Theodora call him to their house to share an eerie discovery: lying there on their billiard table, a blank, half-formed figure, slowly growing to resemble Jack. In the garden, they find huge alien seedpods, splitting open to reveal incomplete replicas of them all.

Crafting a Blue Velvet-ish sense of the weird behind neat picket fences, Siegel has built slowly, but now the brakes are off. Bennell, losing his friends one by one, works out the invaders can only take over when their human models are asleep. Soon everyone in town (including a young Peckinpah) has been replaced. They look, sound, even remember the same way – but lack emotion, passion, soul. Finally only Bennell and his girlfriend are left, gobbling amphetamines to stay awake, and watching in horror as colonised townsfolk begin loading trucks with pods destined to spread their invisible invasion nationwide.

Released as the Cold War was beginning to freeze, Siegel’s movie has been decried as a typical Red Menace flick. But its nightmarish picture of square, bland suburbanites happily surrendering individuality is equally plausible as a comment on the witch-hunt climate and consumerist ideals that brainwashed the American ’50s. Siegel was adept at such straight-faced ambiguity; years later, critics couldn’t decide whether Dirty Harry was a fascist fantasy, or a warning.

It’s a measure of his accomplishment that this film, shot in an astonishing 19 days, manages to survive severe studio interference. Panicked by his stark non-ending – a rabid, deranged McCarthy, running through highway traffic screaming, “They’re HERE!!!” – the producers insisted on inserting a placatory prologue and epilogue, showing the authorities springing into action.

In ’60s America, underground cinemas made a ritual of showing the movie with the studio bookends chopped out and in 1978, Philip Kaufman, directing the first remake, ignored them all together, beginning where Siegel ended: McCarthy, in a cameo, still screaming in the traffic. Kaufman’s chill movie took Siegel’s lead, using the story to comment on his times, describing an America turning from social awareness and activism toward passive self-absorption. In 1993, for his underrated update, Bodysnatchers, Abel Ferrara continued the tradition, transferring the action to a US military base for a film that questioned the blind nationalism whipped up around Gulf War I.

For all their merits, however, no remake has matched Siegel’s original. A concise but ambiguous masterpiece of paranoia, its sharp, haunting brilliance grows clearer with the appearance of each subsequent replicant. What the big-budget Kidman version has to tell us about today remains to be seen. Perhaps that the pod-people are now making movies?

EXTRAS: A missed opportunity. Instead of seeking to restore Siegel’s cut, this features a pointlessly “colorized” version alongside the black and white original; a pretty washed-out print, too.

1*

DAMIEN LOVE

AC/DC – Plug Me In

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AC/DC – Plug Me In

In December 1989, US forces attempting to smoke Panamanian dictator General Noriega out of hiding played AC/DC at ear-splitting volume until he finally surrendered. A note for Special Forces then: Plug Me In will do the trick in half the time. A five hour riff-kreig of AC/DC in concert (or seven, if you bag the Collectors edition) Plug Me In is not for the uninitiated. There are points - particularly in the latter stages of DVD 2, where the band are captured gurning through "The Jack" live in 2001 - that even the most fanatical fan will acknowledge that their salty, Chuck Berry meets Benny Hill boogie loses some of it's magic in the journey from enormodome to living room. Yet as footage of the Bon Scott years, the righteous mayhem of Back In Black and even the gonzoid stadium smut of "Stiff Upper Lip" show, Plug Me In offers a route into a riotously un-PC world of sweat, jugs and rock'n'roll where Hell is fun, hookers have a heart of gold and sexual diseases are something to brag about. We begin, then, with a TV performance of "High Voltage" from 1975. With the band dressed up in garish Carnaby Street threads and Bon Scott terrorising the front row in a lace up catsuit, they could almost be an Antipodean answer to The Sweet, if Angus wasn't jitter-like bugging across stage like a crazed Jeanette Kranky. Following some grainy footage taken at their first ever gig in Sydney, we're soon witnessing AC/DC in their pumped-up pomp. You can almost smell the liquor 'n' sawdust during cranked up renditions of "Dog Eat Dog" and "Let There Be Rock" filmed at a raucous Glasgow Apollo in 1978. But it's a clip of "Highway To Hell" from Dutch TV in 1979 which marks their transition from feisty outsiders to genuine cock-rock contenders. Stripped to the waist and with the band superglue tight behind him, Scott is Rod, Ozzy and Alex Harvey rolled into one - a bar-room screamer who''ll steal your girl, start a fight and drink you under the table and still give you the best night of your life. If DVD 2 - the Brian Johnson years - see the band mutate from fun-loving riff-rats to stadium-levelling rock titans, their tongue remains firmly in cheek throughout. Seeing the Beavis & Butthead intro film for 1996's Ballbreaker, where the sniggering pair are seen off by a cartoon of a bug-like Angus and a ten foot dominatrix, reminds you that as well as being a biting satire on male adolecent fantasises, AC/DC are above all, as they'd put it, bloody great entertainment. It's only when they enter the real world for a plain awful version of "Rock Me Baby" with The Rolling Stones in 2003, where the Young brothers, for once, look lost, that the spell gets broken. "How many dirty deeds have you done in the last year?" an interviewer asks Angus during a promo flick for Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. A filthy grin, a quick touch of the grubby school cap. "Err, about four hundred and fifty..." Let there be rock. EXTRA'S: Interviews, tour promo films and alternate live versions. DVD 3 features the never-before-seen 1983 show from the Houston Summit PAUL MOODY Pic credit: Rex

In December 1989, US forces attempting to smoke Panamanian dictator General Noriega out of hiding played AC/DC at ear-splitting volume until he finally surrendered. A note for Special Forces then: Plug Me In will do the trick in half the time.

A five hour riff-kreig of AC/DC in concert (or seven, if you bag the Collectors edition) Plug Me In is not for the uninitiated. There are points – particularly in the latter stages of DVD 2, where the band are captured gurning through “The Jack” live in 2001 – that even the most fanatical fan will acknowledge that their salty, Chuck Berry meets Benny Hill boogie loses some of it’s magic in the journey from enormodome to living room.

Yet as footage of the Bon Scott years, the righteous mayhem of Back In Black and even the gonzoid stadium smut of “Stiff Upper Lip” show, Plug Me In offers a route into a riotously un-PC world of sweat, jugs and rock’n’roll where Hell is fun, hookers have a heart of gold and sexual diseases are something to brag about.

We begin, then, with a TV performance of “High Voltage” from 1975. With the band dressed up in garish Carnaby Street threads and Bon Scott terrorising the front row in a lace up catsuit, they could almost be an Antipodean answer to The Sweet, if Angus wasn’t jitter-like bugging across stage like a crazed Jeanette Kranky.

Following some grainy footage taken at their first ever gig in Sydney, we’re soon witnessing AC/DC in their pumped-up pomp. You can almost smell the liquor ‘n’ sawdust during cranked up renditions of “Dog Eat Dog” and “Let There Be Rock” filmed at a raucous Glasgow Apollo in 1978. But it’s a clip of “Highway To Hell” from Dutch TV in 1979 which marks their transition from feisty outsiders to genuine cock-rock contenders. Stripped to the waist and with the band superglue tight behind him, Scott is Rod, Ozzy and Alex Harvey rolled into one – a bar-room screamer who”ll steal your girl, start a fight and drink you under the table and still give you the best night of your life.

If DVD 2 – the Brian Johnson years – see the band mutate from fun-loving riff-rats to stadium-levelling rock titans, their tongue remains firmly in cheek throughout. Seeing the Beavis & Butthead intro film for 1996’s Ballbreaker, where the sniggering pair are seen off by a cartoon of a bug-like Angus and a ten foot dominatrix, reminds you that as well as being a biting satire on male adolecent fantasises, AC/DC are above all, as they’d put it, bloody great entertainment.

It’s only when they enter the real world for a plain awful version of “Rock Me Baby” with The Rolling Stones in 2003, where the Young brothers, for once, look lost, that the spell gets broken.

“How many dirty deeds have you done in the last year?” an interviewer asks Angus during a promo flick for Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.

A filthy grin, a quick touch of the grubby school cap.

“Err, about four hundred and fifty…”

Let there be rock.

EXTRA’S: Interviews, tour promo films and alternate live versions. DVD 3 features the never-before-seen 1983 show from the Houston Summit

PAUL MOODY

Pic credit: Rex

Paul McCartney – The McCartney Years

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Paul McCartney – The McCartney Years

"All pizza and fairytales," was John Lennon's withering mid-70s putdown of the McCartney canon, and while this new DVD box of solo videos, Wings footage, live shows, duets, interviews and documentaries certainly has its fair share of three-cheese crust and Disney schmaltz, it also has enough to suggest that a life without either of those things would be pretty dismal. McCartney himself recalls, on the extensive track-by-track commentary, Bruce Springsteen approaching him at an awards show, telling him that for the longest time he never could get the point of "Silly Love Songs". "But now I've got a wife and kids myself, well, it makes a lot more sense." You would have hardly thought The Boss would be in need of such sentimental education. As the title of the collection hints, The McCartney Years often feels as much like a belated memorial for Linda as it is a round-up of old promos and live shows. The pair famously spent only a week apart over the course of three decades - and that only when Paul was busted in Japan. The best videos on the first disc - covering the Seventies and early 80s, from Ram, Wings and "Mull of Kintyre" to the duets with Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson - are the simplest, Paul and Linda and the kids escaping the fall-out from The Beatles in rural Scotland, captured in photos and home movies on "Maybe I'm Amazed" and "Heart of the Country". The contentment he found here undoubtedly demotivated him as a writer. Having conquered the world in the 60s, proved himself again and found domestic bliss in the 70s, what was left for him to do in the 80s and 90s? The second disc is best when McCartney is simply remembering the music that first inspired him - a verse of Eddie Cochrane's "20 Flight Rock" on the Parkinson show, a cover of The Vipers' skiffle b-side "No Other Baby", a snatch of the first Buddy Holly pastiche he wrote as a fourteen year old. The third disc collects three live performances: Wings' 1976 Rockshow, a mellow, Unplugged from 1991 and ultimately the eccentrically exuberant Glastonbury set from 2004, where McCartney, with all his cheese, showbiz singalong wisdom, melody and magic, finally seemed to have found his ideal home. EXTRAS: Track commentaries, Melvyn Bragg and Parkinson interviews, Creating Chaos documentary, Live Aid footage, alternate takes. 4* STEPHEN TROUSSÉ

“All pizza and fairytales,” was John Lennon‘s withering mid-70s putdown of the McCartney canon, and while this new DVD box of solo videos, Wings footage, live shows, duets, interviews and documentaries certainly has its fair share of three-cheese crust and Disney schmaltz, it also has enough to suggest that a life without either of those things would be pretty dismal.

McCartney himself recalls, on the extensive track-by-track commentary, Bruce Springsteen approaching him at an awards show, telling him that for the longest time he never could get the point of “Silly Love Songs”. “But now I’ve got a wife and kids myself, well, it makes a lot more sense.” You would have hardly thought The Boss would be in need of such sentimental education.

As the title of the collection hints, The McCartney Years often feels as much like a belated memorial for Linda as it is a round-up of old promos and live shows. The pair famously spent only a week apart over the course of three decades – and that only when Paul was busted in Japan. The best videos on the first disc – covering the Seventies and early 80s, from Ram, Wings and “Mull of Kintyre” to the duets with Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson – are the simplest, Paul and Linda and the kids escaping the fall-out from The Beatles in rural Scotland, captured in photos and home movies on “Maybe I’m Amazed” and “Heart of the Country”.

The contentment he found here undoubtedly demotivated him as a writer. Having conquered the world in the 60s, proved himself again and found domestic bliss in the 70s, what was left for him to do in the 80s and 90s? The second disc is best when McCartney is simply remembering the music that first inspired him – a verse of Eddie Cochrane‘s “20 Flight Rock” on the Parkinson show, a cover of The Vipers‘ skiffle b-side “No Other Baby”, a snatch of the first Buddy Holly pastiche he wrote as a fourteen year old.

The third disc collects three live performances: Wings’ 1976 Rockshow, a mellow, Unplugged from 1991 and ultimately the eccentrically exuberant Glastonbury set from 2004, where McCartney, with all his cheese, showbiz singalong wisdom, melody and magic, finally seemed to have found his ideal home.

EXTRAS: Track commentaries, Melvyn Bragg and Parkinson interviews, Creating Chaos documentary, Live Aid footage, alternate takes.

4*

STEPHEN TROUSSÉ

John Lennon – Stars Pick Their Favourite Tracks

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John Lennon – Stars Pick Their Favourite Tracks

The January issue of UNCUT is on sale now, featuring an all-star panel of musicians selecting their favourite song by the late Beatle John Lennon. Which Lennon song "flipped out" Brian Wilson when he first heard it? Which one reminds Arctic Monkey Alex Turner of his mum and dad? And when we asked The Who's Roger Daltrey for his favourite, what on earth led him to conclude: "I can see why people go completely mad in this business."? And there's many, many brilliant contributions from the likes of Yoko Ono, John Cale, John Lydon, Jarvis Cocker and Liam Gallagher. Meanwhile, Uncut.co.uk will be running online exclusives throughout the month, today is Alan McGee's pick. Coming up: Richmond Fontaine's Willy Vlautin, Josh Ritter, Roy Wood and more will be picking out their favourite tracks. ~ Robyn Hitchcock: "WELL, WELL, WELL" From the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album (December 1970) It’s my favourite off the Plastic Ono Band record. It’s just so to the point. He’d been doing Primal Therapy. But that also really suited the way he sang. He was able to make his voice break up and splinter in a way that sounded attractive and soulful. He could belt it out like Beefheart or Robert Plant, but he could also sing beautiful, high harmonies like the Beach Boys. The great strength of John Lennon is the number of emotional layers that are in him. On the surface he was funny, then underneath he was nasty, and then under that he was really sad. There’s so many feelings in his voice. And he could write pop songs - but he could also sing really heavy blues. And “Well, Well, Well” is one of the great blues rants. The lyrics just shrug at times - “Oh, well”. Because what can you do? He’s not singing about, “Man, we’re gonna change things.” He’s saying, “Well, here we are, wandering around talking - who gives a shit?” It always makes me cry. It connects with an emotional truth, which is how sad living is, and how fucked up. But it doesn’t pontificate about it. Instead it’s a vehicle for his voice. If Neil Young had written that, it would have sounded like a cat being boiled. You have to have that kind of voice, to get away with that kind of song. To me that is absolutely the perfect rock vocal. It’s not a tumescent bellow, it’s a soulful, wounded bellow. It’s a human elephant heading for the graveyard. There’s been nothing like it before or since. ~ Plus! What do you think Lennon's greatest song is? You can vote for your choice, and tell us why, by clicking here for the special poll. We'll be publishing your choices in a future issue of Uncut, along with a reader Top 10. VOTE HERE!

The January issue of UNCUT is on sale now, featuring an all-star panel of musicians selecting their favourite song by the late Beatle John Lennon.

Which Lennon song “flipped out” Brian Wilson when he first heard it?

Which one reminds Arctic Monkey Alex Turner of his mum and dad?

And when we asked The Who‘s Roger Daltrey for his favourite, what on earth led him to conclude: “I can see why people go completely mad in this business.”?

And there’s many, many brilliant contributions from the likes of Yoko Ono, John Cale, John Lydon, Jarvis Cocker and Liam Gallagher.

Meanwhile, Uncut.co.uk will be running online exclusives throughout the month, today is Alan McGee‘s pick.

Coming up: Richmond Fontaine‘s Willy Vlautin, Josh Ritter, Roy Wood and more will be picking out their favourite tracks.

~

Robyn Hitchcock:

“WELL, WELL, WELL”

From the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album (December 1970)

It’s my favourite off the Plastic Ono Band record. It’s just so to the point. He’d been doing Primal Therapy. But that also really suited the way he sang. He was able to make his voice break up and splinter in a way that sounded attractive and soulful. He could belt it out like Beefheart or Robert Plant, but he could also sing beautiful, high harmonies like the Beach Boys.

The great strength of John Lennon is the number of emotional layers that are in him. On the surface he was funny, then underneath he was nasty, and then under that he was really sad. There’s so many feelings in his voice. And he could write pop songs – but he could also sing really heavy blues. And “Well, Well, Well” is one of the great blues rants.

The lyrics just shrug at times – “Oh, well”. Because what can you do? He’s not singing about, “Man, we’re gonna change things.” He’s saying, “Well, here we are, wandering around talking – who gives a shit?” It always makes me cry. It connects with an emotional truth, which is how sad living is, and how fucked up. But it doesn’t pontificate about it. Instead it’s a vehicle for his voice. If Neil Young had written that, it would have sounded like a cat being boiled. You have to have that kind of voice, to get away with that kind of song. To me that is absolutely the perfect rock vocal. It’s not a tumescent bellow, it’s a soulful, wounded bellow. It’s a human elephant heading for the graveyard. There’s been nothing like it before or since.

~

Plus! What do you think Lennon’s greatest song is? You can vote for your choice, and tell us why, by clicking here for the special poll. We’ll be publishing your choices in a future issue of Uncut, along with a reader Top 10. VOTE HERE!

Led Zeppelin – Knebworth ’79 – Your memories

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Led Zeppelin – Knebworth ’79 – Your memories

In last month's UNCUT magazine - we delved back into the photo archives to bring you Simon Fowler's memories of recording the sell-out record-breaking attendence show - now with Led Zeppelin about to do it all again, here we publish your memories from 1979. Don't forget UNCUT.co.uk and NME.com will both be at the reunion gig, bringing you comprehensive live coverage of the led Zep show at the O2 Arena. So over to you for part 1 of your recollections...come back tomorrow for another batch from the front-line. Mel Lambert: I covered the two weekends of Knebworth for Sound International, a sadly now defunct musician's magazine that sent me north to check out the remote recordings that had been organized by the band and Swan Song. My contact for the Knebworth concerts in August 1979 was my pal George Chkiantz, who was one of the recording and mixing engineers, who during the late-Sixties, worked on Led Zeppelin II and other albums at Olympic Studios, Barnes. Jimmy Page and Zeppelin’s management had hired George to record the Knebworth concerts using the world-famous Rolling Stones mobile recording truck; George invited me along to prepare a ”behind-the-scenes” article for Sound International. As the weekend matured, the atmosphere within the mobile became increasingly fraught. There was some inevitable conflict between fulfilling the rigid requirements of the live-sound crew, who had erected a huge sound system designed to deafen anybody within 200 feet of the front of the stage area - and satisfying the more exacting needs of the multitrack recording process. I slunk off to find a beer, and ended up out of harm’s way on the roof of the mobile truck, from which vantage point I could see the comings and goings backstage. Robert Plant arrived mid-morning with a glamorous retinue, looking very relaxed – he impressed me immediately as being in total control of the proceedings; nothing was going to happen until he was sure that he and the band’s gear were just the way they wanted it. Everyone within his immediate circle was moving like a shoal of fish; turning and moving off to anticipate his next physical move, and emotional requirements, as the ensemble made its collective way through the gathering throng backstage. Plant came to visit with George and his recording crew, checking that they had everything they needed, and ensuring that his exacting requirement were being met. He was obviously distracted by a lot of external – and maybe chemical – influences, but dazzled everybody close by when his face broke into an all to rare smile, as he joked with his minders. But beneath the surface, you could sense that Page was a force to be reckoned with; quixotic in temperament, you just knew that he could move with lightning speed from an easy-going guitar player and music producer, to somebody that could render you incapable, if provoked, of even simple bodily functions. I recall almost colliding with Keith Richards and Ron Wood as they came sprinting out of their trailer, obviously in a viciously altered state of mind, and charging off for one of their few live performances as The New Barbarians. Their combination of flowing, medieval garb and high-speed crouching-sprint – and what blazing eyes - reminded me more of a demonic Groucho Marx than two guys who proved that the Stones was a better performance experience than their brief flirtation with whatever The New Barbarians were supposed to achieve. The shows, of course, were major success, proving that Zeppelin could outperform anybody – it just took a lot of audio and video paraphernalia to complete the illusion. I was again fortunate enough to spend most of the second weekend’s concert backstage, rendered speechless both by the sound volume that the bands’ instruments could produce – John Bonham's double-handed stick work could waken the dead – and the sheer concentration of the show crew. For months, everyone involved had been working towards this event; that is should be marred by even a simple oversight was unthinkable. When the band came off stage at the end of their long set, and sprinted to the waiting limos that were to speed them off to wherever speeding limos eventually end up, you just knew that they’d had a great time. And who can blame them? ~ David G Connell: Two reasonably fresh-faced 20-year-olds from Huntly managed to get tickets for Knebworth and enjoyed basking in the glorious sunshine – Zeppelin coming onstage I remember just as the sun was setting. Many have talked about the concert but I have never heard anything about people getting home afterward Nervous about getting back in London and back to our digs in Chelsea, we left I think as the first encore was being played - I certainly remember climbing out of the vast natural amphitheatre to the sound of 'Rock ‘n’ Roll'. We boarded probably one of the first trains out of Knebworth that evening and set off, but within maybe 20 minutes our train ground to a halt in a shower of electric sparks as the power cables came down around us onto the roof of the train. As the temperature started to rise we sat and waited for probably an hour or two before railway staff came to lead us out of the carriages - and led us, Gulag like by torch light along the tracks to the nearest station where we boarded a second train. On getting back to Kings Cross we realised we would never get a taxi so took it upon ourselves to walk back to Chelsea - arriving just in time for breakfast. I have often wondered if others share this memory of the wonderful day but equally epic night getting home from Knebworth? Worth it? 'Course. ~ Slim,Wild man of the Accordion: I was both surprised and chuffed to see a picture of my younger self in your crowd shot from Knebworth. At the time of the gig I was hanging out with the Blockheads, having won the NME Champion Blockhead competition the previous year, who were playing a whole week of gigs at the Hammersmith Odeon. I'd already bought a ticket for Knebworth, so I gave the Blockheads a miss for the night and sloped off to Knebworth. I wasn't particularly into Led Zeppelin at the time, and had mainly gone along to see Keith Richard's band, the New Barbarians. I must admit that I don't remember much about the gig, but I did manage to get down the front for long enough to be photographed. I got into Zeppelin much later having met Robert Plant a few times when he came down to the Saturday lunchtime Rockabilly gigs at Dingwalls for which I was the doorman. He was always very pleasant and knowledgeable the music. He never once came across as a big rock star, and, I think, enjoyed the fact that he could hang and listen to the music there, without being hassled. ~ Muchtytam: The Knebworth article brought back fantastic memories, and it is far from nostalgia that places the Led Zep performance as one of the highlights of my gig-going years. They were stunning, and I'm sure that everyone there will always remember the explosion of sound and light when they came on. A lot to be said for those early festivals. A hot summers day, fed by plastic cup lager, and the no-nonsense pleasure of sitting in the grass just waiting for each act to make an appearance. I remember little of Southside Johnny or Todd Rundgren. The New Barbarians came on late, and we assumed at the time that they had been on the helicopter which flew in 15 minutes before they took to the stage. Strange, however, that my recollection of Knebworth is book-ended by the sublime and the ridiculous. My mate and I had travelled down overnight from Fife, catching a morning train to Stevenage before arriving at Knebworth to set up our tent. Who started the show? As the tent pegs went in we were graced by the distant swirling sound of “Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit”. Sad to say, apart from the Zep set, its the only song I can remember from the whole day. ~ Andy McKeown: I was fortunate to have access to a restricted area at Knebworth 79 and I had a chat with Todd Rundgren and a very nice guy he was - so much so that he was very polite when the only thing I could remember was " I Saw The Light" (I hadn't realised his Meatloaf connection yet). I also spoke to Nicky Horne, who tried to tell me that it was not pLemmy standing next to us, he changed his mind when a guy came up and embraced him and said "How are you, Lemmy?" When the gig started I was standing next to Johnny Fingers – can’t remember if he had the trademark jim-jams or the trews were LOUD! After the dust had settled from this epic I went to see Zep get into their mothership, which turned out to be a kind of people carrier thingy except Jimmy Page he got into the back of a Volvo with two "handpicked babes". I was left with a 450 mile trip home but could not wait to tell my mate what a day he had missed. He was holidaying in Ibiza with his girl, and when he got home his first words were, "I bought Robert Plant a drink in Ibiza" and he’d also done a couple of songs in this bar in Ibiza. Anyway, we all lived happy ever after PS I thought yellow made Todd look fat! ~ www.uncut.co.uk will be publishing more of your recollections tomorrow, as part of our countdown to the reunion show this Monday (December 10). Pic credit: LFI

In last month’s UNCUT magazine – we delved back into the photo archives to bring you Simon Fowler’s memories of recording the sell-out record-breaking attendence show – now with Led Zeppelin about to do it all again, here we publish your memories from 1979.

Don’t forget UNCUT.co.uk and NME.com will both be at the reunion gig, bringing you comprehensive live coverage of the led Zep show at the O2 Arena.

So over to you for part 1 of your recollections…come back tomorrow for another batch from the front-line.

Mel Lambert:

I covered the two weekends of Knebworth for Sound International, a sadly now defunct musician’s magazine that sent me north to check out the remote recordings that had been organized by the band and Swan Song. My contact for the Knebworth concerts in August 1979 was my pal George Chkiantz, who was one of the recording and mixing engineers, who during the late-Sixties, worked on Led Zeppelin II and other albums at Olympic Studios, Barnes. Jimmy Page and Zeppelin’s management had hired George to record the Knebworth concerts using the world-famous Rolling Stones mobile recording truck; George invited me along to prepare a ”behind-the-scenes” article for Sound International.

As the weekend matured, the atmosphere within the mobile became increasingly fraught. There was some inevitable conflict between fulfilling the rigid requirements of the live-sound crew, who had erected a huge sound system designed to deafen anybody within 200 feet of the front of the stage area – and satisfying the more exacting needs of the multitrack recording process. I slunk off to find a beer, and ended up out of harm’s way on the roof of the mobile truck, from which vantage point I could see the comings and goings backstage.

Robert Plant arrived mid-morning with a glamorous retinue, looking very relaxed – he impressed me immediately as being in total control of the proceedings; nothing was going to happen until he was sure that he and the band’s gear were just the way they wanted it. Everyone within his immediate circle was moving like a shoal of fish; turning and moving off to anticipate his next physical move, and emotional requirements, as the ensemble made its collective way through the gathering throng backstage.

Plant came to visit with George and his recording crew, checking that they had everything they needed, and ensuring that his exacting requirement were being met.

He was obviously distracted by a lot of external – and maybe chemical – influences, but dazzled everybody close by when his face broke into an all to rare smile, as he joked with his minders. But beneath the surface, you could sense that Page was a force to be reckoned with; quixotic in temperament, you just knew that he could move with lightning speed from an easy-going guitar player and music producer, to somebody that could render you incapable, if provoked, of even simple bodily functions.

I recall almost colliding with Keith Richards and Ron Wood as they came sprinting out of their trailer, obviously in a viciously altered state of mind, and charging off for one of their few live performances as The New Barbarians. Their combination of flowing, medieval garb and high-speed crouching-sprint – and what blazing eyes – reminded me more of a demonic Groucho Marx than two guys who proved that the Stones was a better performance experience than their brief flirtation with whatever The New Barbarians were supposed to achieve.

The shows, of course, were major success, proving that Zeppelin could outperform anybody – it just took a lot of audio and video paraphernalia to complete the illusion. I was again fortunate enough to spend most of the second weekend’s concert backstage, rendered speechless both by the sound volume that the bands’ instruments could produce – John Bonham‘s double-handed stick work could waken the dead – and the sheer concentration of the show crew. For months, everyone involved had been working towards this event; that is should be marred by even a simple oversight was unthinkable. When the band came off stage at the end of their long set, and sprinted to the waiting limos that were to speed them off to wherever speeding limos eventually end up, you just knew that they’d had a great time. And who can blame them?

~

David G Connell:

Two reasonably fresh-faced 20-year-olds from Huntly managed to get tickets for Knebworth and enjoyed basking in the glorious sunshine – Zeppelin coming onstage I remember just as the sun was setting.

Many have talked about the concert but I have never heard anything about people getting home afterward Nervous about getting back in London and back to our digs in Chelsea, we left I think as the first encore was being played – I certainly remember climbing out of the vast natural amphitheatre to the sound of ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’.

We boarded probably one of the first trains out of Knebworth that evening and set off, but within maybe 20 minutes our train ground to a halt in a shower of electric sparks as the power cables came down around us onto the roof of the train.

As the temperature started to rise we sat and waited for probably an hour or two before railway staff came to lead us out of the carriages – and led us, Gulag like by torch light along the tracks to the nearest station where we boarded a second train.

On getting back to Kings Cross we realised we would never get a taxi so took it upon ourselves to walk back to Chelsea – arriving just in time for breakfast. I have often wondered if others share this memory of the wonderful day but equally epic night getting home from Knebworth?

Worth it? ‘Course.

~

Slim,Wild man of the Accordion:

I was both surprised and chuffed to see a picture of my younger self in your crowd shot from Knebworth. At the time of the gig I was hanging out with the Blockheads, having won the NME Champion Blockhead competition the previous year, who were playing a whole week of gigs at the Hammersmith Odeon. I’d already bought a ticket for Knebworth, so I gave the Blockheads a miss for the night and sloped off to Knebworth. I wasn’t particularly into Led Zeppelin at the time, and had mainly gone along to see Keith Richard‘s band, the New Barbarians.

I must admit that I don’t remember much about the gig, but I did manage to get down the front for long enough to be photographed. I got into Zeppelin much later having met Robert Plant a few times when he came down to the Saturday lunchtime Rockabilly gigs at Dingwalls for which I was the doorman. He was always very pleasant and knowledgeable the music. He never once came across as a big rock star, and, I think, enjoyed the fact that he could hang and listen to the music there, without being hassled.

~

Muchtytam:

The Knebworth article brought back fantastic memories, and it is far from nostalgia that places the Led Zep performance as one of the highlights of my gig-going years. They were stunning, and I’m sure that everyone there will always remember the explosion of sound and light when they came on.

A lot to be said for those early festivals. A hot summers day, fed by plastic cup lager, and the no-nonsense pleasure of sitting in the grass just waiting for each act to make an appearance. I remember little of Southside Johnny or Todd Rundgren. The New Barbarians came on late, and we assumed at the time that they had been on the helicopter which flew in 15 minutes before they took to the stage.

Strange, however, that my recollection of Knebworth is book-ended by the sublime and the ridiculous. My mate and I had travelled down overnight from Fife, catching a morning train to Stevenage before arriving at Knebworth to set up our tent. Who started the show? As the tent pegs went in we were graced by the distant swirling sound of “Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit”. Sad to say, apart from the Zep set, its the only song I can remember from the whole day.

~

Andy McKeown:

I was fortunate to have access to a restricted area at Knebworth 79 and I had a chat with Todd Rundgren and a very nice guy he was – so much so that he was very polite when the only thing I could remember was ” I Saw The Light” (I hadn’t realised his Meatloaf connection yet). I also spoke to Nicky Horne, who tried to tell me that it was not pLemmy standing next to us, he changed his mind when a guy came up and embraced him and said “How are you, Lemmy?” When the gig started I was standing next to Johnny Fingers – can’t remember if he had the trademark jim-jams or the trews were LOUD!

After the dust had settled from this epic I went to see Zep get into their mothership, which turned out to be a kind of people carrier thingy except Jimmy Page he got into the back of a Volvo with two “handpicked babes”. I was left with a 450 mile trip home but could not wait to tell my mate what a day he had missed. He was holidaying in Ibiza with his girl, and when he got home his first words were, “I bought Robert Plant a drink in Ibiza” and he’d also done a couple of songs in this bar in Ibiza. Anyway, we all lived happy ever after

PS I thought yellow made Todd look fat!

~

www.uncut.co.uk will be publishing more of your recollections tomorrow, as part of our countdown to the reunion show this Monday (December 10).

Pic credit: LFI

Yoko Ono Makes ‘War Is Over’ Artwork Available

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Yoko Ono Makes ‘War Is Over’ Artwork Available

Yoko Ono has issued a statement today (December 7) reflecting on the eve of the anniversary of her late husband John Lennon's death. The message of peace includes a link to to the Imaginepeace website, from where you will be able to download free 'War Is Over' artwork as well as a video tomorrow. The website also has a letter that Yoko has written to Lennon. The message reads: "Dear Friends This December 8th is the 27th anniversary of John Lennon's passing. Please visit www.IMAGINEPEACE.com at any time on Dec 8th for a special message & video. WAR IS OVER! artwork is now available for download here. Please print & display in your window, workplace, school, street, car, computer & elsewhere over the holiday season. On December 8th, 11.15pm (your local time) please remember John by taking a moment of quiet reflection. If you would like to play or sing "Imagine" and IMAGINE a world of PEACE, we will all be together at that moment in every time zone as IMAGINE PEACE makes its way around the world - every hour for 24 hours. Please send in stories & photos of what you did on December 8th to stories@imaginepeace.com and tell us of your experiences. That would be lovely! With deepest love Yoko Ono Lennon" Meanwhile, this month's UNCUT cover feature is stars picking their top 30 favourite Lennon song. Vote for your favourite Lennon track here! We'll be publishing your choices in a future issue of Uncut, along with a reader Top 10. Pic credit: PA Photos

Yoko Ono has issued a statement today (December 7) reflecting on the eve of the anniversary of her late husband John Lennon‘s death.

The message of peace includes a link to to the Imaginepeace website, from where you will be able to download free ‘War Is Over’ artwork as well as a video tomorrow.

The website also has a letter that Yoko has written to Lennon.

The message reads:

“Dear Friends

This December 8th is the 27th anniversary of John Lennon’s passing.

Please visit www.IMAGINEPEACE.com at any time on Dec 8th for a special message & video.

WAR IS OVER! artwork is now available for download here.

Please print & display in your window, workplace, school, street, car, computer & elsewhere over the holiday season.

On December 8th, 11.15pm (your local time) please remember John by taking a moment of quiet reflection. If you would like to play or sing “Imagine” and IMAGINE a world of PEACE, we will all be together at that moment in every time zone as IMAGINE PEACE makes its way around the world – every hour for 24 hours.

Please send in stories & photos of what you did on December 8th to stories@imaginepeace.com and tell us of your experiences. That would be lovely!

With deepest love

Yoko Ono Lennon”

Meanwhile, this month’s UNCUT cover feature is stars picking their top 30 favourite Lennon song.

Vote for your favourite Lennon track here!

We’ll be publishing your choices in a future issue of Uncut, along with a reader Top 10.

Pic credit: PA Photos

Unknown Bob Dylan Lyric Offered For Sale

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Unknown Bob Dylan Lyric Offered For Sale

The handwritten lyrics of an unknown Bob Dylan song have come to light and are being offered at auction. The song, titled ''NYC Blues'', was written by Dylan in 1961 shortly after he arrived in Greenwich Village. Although it comes from his earliest, tentative days as a songwriter and the lyric was swiftly discarded, it contains at least one classic line : "I went to sleep at nite clean as I could be, When I awoke in the morning dirt all overme". The lyric, written in pencil on lined paper, was left by Dylan at the East 28th Street apartment of Mac and Eve McKenzie, with whom he stayed when he first arrived in New York. The document is being offered for sale by their son, Peter McKenzie, who inherited it with other papers left by Dylan at the McKenzie home. It is being sold with a certificate of authenticationand a letter from Peter McKenzie, stating: "This handwritten lyric by Bob Dylan for the song 'NYC Blues' is authentic and comes from my collection. Bob Dylan lived with my family during the early 1960s." Dylan wrote two well-known songs about his early days in the city; "Talking New York" which appeared on his debut album, and "Hard Times In New York Town", which eventually got an official release 30 years after it was recorded on the Bootleg Series Vols 1-3. The lyric of "NYC Blues"appears to predate both but the song is not listed in any of the standard Dylan reference works. The full lyric is divided into six lines of uneven length and reads: You ever been walking down the streets in NY town Walking down east fourth St, Call for the Mayor to fix the trouble there, mayor'll say there ain't no trouble, it's all down in Wash-S Standing on the corner of Broadway an' 49th seen so many people I never saw in my life I went to sleep at nite clean as I could be when I awoke in the morning dirt all over me Now I don't mind dirt cause there's dirt on the land but did you ever see dirty - that's one thing I can't stand A seventh line begins "I..." and then stops, indicating that Dylan was dissatisfied with the lyric and at this point abandoned the song. Bids are invited at http://www.rrauction.com/bidtracker_detail.cfm?IN=600

The handwritten lyrics of an unknown Bob Dylan song have come to light and are being offered at auction.

The song, titled ”NYC Blues”, was written by Dylan in 1961 shortly after he arrived in Greenwich Village. Although it comes from his earliest, tentative days as a songwriter and the lyric was swiftly discarded, it contains at least one classic line : “I went to sleep at nite clean as I could be, When I awoke in the morning dirt all overme”.

The lyric, written in pencil on lined paper, was left by Dylan at the East 28th Street apartment of Mac and Eve McKenzie, with whom he stayed when he first arrived in New York.

The document is being offered for sale by their son, Peter McKenzie, who inherited it with other papers left by Dylan at the McKenzie home.

It is being sold with a certificate of authenticationand a letter from Peter McKenzie, stating: “This handwritten lyric by Bob Dylan for the song ‘NYC Blues’ is authentic and comes from my collection. Bob Dylan lived with my family during the early 1960s.”

Dylan wrote two well-known songs about his early days in the city; “Talking New York” which appeared on his debut album, and “Hard Times In New York Town”, which eventually got an official release 30 years after it was recorded on the Bootleg Series Vols 1-3.

The lyric of “NYC Blues”appears to predate both but the song is not listed in any of the standard Dylan reference works.

The full lyric is divided into six lines of uneven length and reads:

You ever been walking down the streets in NY town

Walking down east fourth St,

Call for the Mayor to fix the trouble there, mayor’ll say there ain’t no

trouble, it’s all down in Wash-S

Standing on the corner of Broadway an’ 49th seen so many people I never saw in my life

I went to sleep at nite clean as I could be when I awoke in the morning

dirt all over me

Now I don’t mind dirt cause there’s dirt on the land but did you ever see

dirty – that’s one thing I can’t stand

A seventh line begins “I…” and then stops, indicating that Dylan was dissatisfied with the lyric and at this point abandoned the song.

Bids are invited at http://www.rrauction.com/bidtracker_detail.cfm?IN=600

Madonna Unveils Her Sweet New Album

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Madonna Unveils Her Sweet New Album

Madonna's latest studio album is to be entitled 'Licorice' and will be released next April, according to a report on US music website Billboard. However, a Madonna fan site 'Drowned Madonna' have seperately reported that the new 13-track album is to be called 'Give It To Me.' Whichever is the case, this is the last album release for Madonna on her current record deal with her longtime label Warners. All future recordings are to be released through an all en-compassing recording and touring deal with promoter's Live Nation. Two tracks from the new album, 'Candy Shop' and 'The Beat Goes On' have been now been played on former Billboard editor Larry Flick's radio show, as well as being leaked online. Kanye West and Pharell Williams have both contributed to the new album. According to 'Drowned Madonna' - the singer filled a room with sweets and a candy theme when playing the album to record label staff in New York for the first time. Pic credit: PA Photos

Madonna‘s latest studio album is to be entitled ‘Licorice’ and will be released next April, according to a report on US music website Billboard.

However, a Madonna fan site ‘Drowned Madonna’ have seperately reported that the new 13-track album is to be called ‘Give It To Me.’

Whichever is the case, this is the last album release for Madonna on her current record deal with her longtime label Warners. All future recordings are to be released through an all en-compassing recording and touring deal with promoter’s Live Nation.

Two tracks from the new album, ‘Candy Shop’ and ‘The Beat Goes On’ have been now been played on former Billboard editor Larry Flick’s radio show, as well as being leaked online.

Kanye West and Pharell Williams have both contributed to the new album.

According to ‘Drowned Madonna’ – the singer filled a room with sweets and a candy theme when playing the album to record label staff in New York for the first time.

Pic credit: PA Photos

When Nicole Kidman acts

Michael Bonner
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0

You may have noticed that the big movie for this Christmas period is The Golden Compass, a $90 million adaptation of the first volume of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. It's got talking bears, witches on broomsticks and Nicole Kidman, as the film's villain, Mrs Coulter. It's the best performance in a film that has many surprisingly smart casting choices (Tom Courtenay, Daniel Craig, Jim Carter, Derek Jacobi), despite its rather hamfisted handling of the source material. Kidman's Mrs Coulter is glacial, controlling; a Hitchcock femme fatale channelling the soul of the Wicked Witch of the West. It's a relief, after having been stuck on autopilot for what now seems like an eternity, to see her act again. The same is true of Margot At The Wedding, Noah Baumbach's follow-up to the brilliant Squid And The Whale, which Kidman excels in. It's something of a disappointment, then, to report that Kidman's performance is pretty much the only thing to recommend this film. Like Wes Anderson, with whom he co-wrote The Life Aquatic, Baumbach's primary inspiration seems to be the dysfunctional family unit. The Squid & The Whale was a largely autobiographical take on his own parents' break up, with sympathetic performances from Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney, and a witty, literate script. He revisits the idea of families falling apart here, but this is an ugly, mean and sour film. The problem -- and it's a pretty big one -- is that all the characters are utterly unlikeable, toxic and monstrous. There's Margot (Kidman), a short story writer with passive-agressive issues. She's married to another writer, Jim (John Turturro) but having an affair with another writer Dick (Ciaran Hinds). She and Jim have a son, Claude (Zane Pais), who she oscillates between being cruel and kind to. She has a sister, Pauline (Jennifer Jason Lee), who she resents because their mother gave her the family home. Oh, and she hates Pauline's fiance, unemployed artist and all-round slob, Malcolm (Jack Black). Basically, it involves a lot of people shouting at each other, squabbling, being catty behind each other's backs and generally undergoing intensely emotional and psychological meltdowns. It is, as you might have guessed by now, pretty grim viewing. I've nothing against excoriating family crack-up dramas, but Margot and co are vile, self-absorbed, selfish, vicious, narcissistic, cold people, their constant fights and arguments utterly draining. With such a horrid cast opf characters, it's pretty hard to find any reason to like this film. But it is easy to admire Kidman's brilliant performance. Margot is an absolute monster; and, as her marriage drifts further to the rocks, the suggestion that she is herself beginning to suffer some kind of mental destabilisation presents itself. We see her popping Valiums, drinking wine pretty constantly throughout, her face subtely distorting itself with minor tics, her eyes widening, her voice pitching that bit higher, her moods drifting precariously from loving and concerned to spiteful, almost bipolar. As a performance, it reminds you quite why Kidman is a great actress. After the dross of The Stepford Wives, Bewitched and The Invasion, it's brilliant to see her engaging with the kind of work that really stretches her talents. Think back to the peaks of that filmography -- Malice, To Die For, Moulin Rouge, The Others, The Hours, Dogville, Cold Mountain, Birth -- and you can see an actress with a formidable range, pretty fearless in her decisions. For all its many faults, Margot At The Wedding is, at least, reassuring evidence that, when she's working with the right material, Kidman is still the finest actress of her generation. Margot At The weddings opens on February 29

You may have noticed that the big movie for this Christmas period is The Golden Compass, a $90 million adaptation of the first volume of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy.

It’s got talking bears, witches on broomsticks and Nicole Kidman, as the film’s villain, Mrs Coulter. It’s the best performance in a film that has many surprisingly smart casting choices (Tom Courtenay, Daniel Craig, Jim Carter, Derek Jacobi), despite its rather hamfisted handling of the source material.

Continue

Amy Winehouse Scoops Six Grammy Nominations

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Amy Winehouse Scoops Six Grammy Nominations

Amy Winehouse has been nominated for six US Grammy Awards, including Best Song and Best Album. The singer, who recently cancelled the rest of her UK tour dates saying she couldn't perform while her husband Blake Fielder-Civil is in prison awaiting trial, has sold over a million copies of her album 'Back To Black' in the US. The 24-year old singer's nominations include Best New Artist and Album of The Year, as well as Record of the Year and Song of the Year for her track 'Rehab'. Winehouse is expected to appear at the Grammy Awards ceremony, the 50th, taking place in Los Angeles on February 10, after successfully applying for a US work visa. Kanye West leads the Grammy nominations with eight nominations, u0p against Winehouse in the Album of the year category. The White Stripes have also done well, earning themselves four nominations including Best Alternative Album for their latest 'Icky Thump' and Best Rock Song. Bruce Springsteen's 'Magic' and Wilco's 'Blue Sky Blue' were also nominated for Best Rock Album. Other nominees include the Foo Fighters who received nominations for Record of the Year and Best Rock Album, as well as Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi and Timbaland.

Amy Winehouse has been nominated for six US Grammy Awards, including Best Song and Best Album.

The singer, who recently cancelled the rest of her UK tour dates saying she couldn’t perform while her husband Blake Fielder-Civil is in prison awaiting trial, has sold over a million copies of her album ‘Back To Black’ in the US.

The 24-year old singer’s nominations include Best New Artist and Album of The Year, as well as Record of the Year and Song of the Year for her track ‘Rehab’.

Winehouse is expected to appear at the Grammy Awards ceremony, the 50th, taking place in Los Angeles on February 10, after successfully applying for a US work visa.

Kanye West leads the Grammy nominations with eight nominations, u0p against Winehouse in the Album of the year category.

The White Stripes have also done well, earning themselves four nominations including Best Alternative Album for their latest ‘Icky Thump’ and Best Rock Song.

Bruce Springsteen‘s ‘Magic’ and Wilco‘s ‘Blue Sky Blue’ were also nominated for Best Rock Album.

Other nominees include the Foo Fighters who received nominations for Record of the Year and Best Rock Album, as well as Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi and Timbaland.

Led Zep Would Not Have Reformed If Not For Family

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Led Zep Would Not Have Reformed If Not For Family

Robert Plant has explained how Led Zeppelin would not have reformed for Monday's reunion gig (December 10) if they didnt have the family connection with their new drummer. Jason Bonham, the late John Bonham's son will be drumming with the group for the one-off reunion show at the O2 Arena. Singer Robert Plant has said it was important that they kept the reunion within the 'family. Speaking to The Sun's Something For The Weekend today, he said: "I've know the Bonham family since I was 15 and I know Pat, John's widow. I've know Jason since he was born." He added:"I've spent so much time talking to Jason over the years. He's such a good guy and I've got very close. Jason's such a great drummer and he's now in his reformation character." Don't forget to vote for your ultimate Led Zeppelin set list here: Rate The Song we'll be publishing the final scores on Monday, ahead of Monday night's highly anticipated gig! UNCUT.CO.UK and NME.com will both be at the reunion gig, bringing you comprehensive coverage of the Tribute To Ahmet Ertegun Concert at the 02 Arena. We've already started our daily Led Zep countdown to December 10, and on the night we will have live coverage straight from the 02 Arena including news, pictures and a special blog. Stay tuned for all the action. Pic credit: Rex Features

Robert Plant has explained how Led Zeppelin would not have reformed for Monday’s reunion gig (December 10) if they didnt have the family connection with their new drummer.

Jason Bonham, the late John Bonham’s son will be drumming with the group for the one-off reunion show at the O2 Arena.

Singer Robert Plant has said it was important that they kept the reunion within the ‘family. Speaking to The Sun’s Something For The Weekend today, he said: “I’ve know the Bonham family since I was 15 and I know Pat, John’s widow. I’ve know Jason since he was born.”

He added:”I’ve spent so much time talking to Jason over the years. He’s such a good guy and I’ve got very close. Jason’s such a great drummer and he’s now in his reformation character.”

Don’t forget to vote for your ultimate Led Zeppelin set list here: Rate The Song we’ll be publishing the final scores on Monday, ahead of Monday night’s highly anticipated gig!

UNCUT.CO.UK and NME.com will both be at the reunion gig, bringing you comprehensive coverage of the Tribute To Ahmet Ertegun Concert at the 02 Arena.

We’ve already started our daily Led Zep countdown to December 10, and on the night we will have live coverage straight from the 02 Arena including news, pictures and a special blog.

Stay tuned for all the action.

Pic credit: Rex Features

Babyshambles Play On Despite No Show From Doherty

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Babyshambles Play On Despite No Show From Doherty

Pete Doherty failed to show at the NME Awards launch party at the O2 Arena tonight (December 6), but the rest of Babyshambles soldiered on bravely without him. After sets from current NME faves Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong and The Wombats, Pete Doherty failed to show to lead planned headliner's Babyshambles. Instead, the band carried on without him, with bassist Drew McConnell taking vocal duties. After pulling a member from the audience to sing "Carry On Up The Morning", Drew delivered vocals for five songs, joined by Josh from The Paddingtons, who sang vocals on a cover of The Clash's "Janie Jones". The Shockwaves NME Awards are set to take place at the Indig02 on February 28, 2008.

Pete Doherty failed to show at the NME Awards launch party at the O2 Arena tonight (December 6), but the rest of Babyshambles soldiered on bravely without him.

After sets from current NME faves Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong and The Wombats, Pete Doherty failed to show to lead planned headliner’s Babyshambles.

Instead, the band carried on without him, with bassist Drew McConnell taking vocal duties.

After pulling a member from the audience to sing “Carry On Up The Morning”, Drew delivered vocals for five songs, joined by Josh from The Paddingtons, who sang vocals on a cover of The Clash’s “Janie Jones”.

The Shockwaves NME Awards are set to take place at the Indig02 on February 28, 2008.

John Lennon – Stars Pick Their Favourite Tracks

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John Lennon – Stars Pick Their Favourite Tracks

The January issue of UNCUT is on sale now, featuring an all-star panel of musicians selecting their favourite song by the late Beatle John Lennon. Which Lennon song "flipped out" Brian Wilson when he first heard it? Which one reminds Arctic Monkey Alex Turner of his mum and dad? And when we asked The Who's Roger Daltrey for his favourite, what on earth led him to conclude: "I can see why people go completely mad in this business."? And there's many, many brilliant contributions from the likes of Yoko Ono, John Cale, John Lydon, Jarvis Cocker and Liam Gallagher. Meanwhile, Uncut.co.uk will be running online exclusives throughout the month, today is Alan McGee's pick. Coming up: Richmond Fontaine's Willy Vlautin, Josh Ritter, Roy Wood and more will be picking out their favourite tracks. ~ COLD TURKEY Plastic Ono Band single (October 1969). High chart postion: 14 Alan McGee: I suppose I first heard the song when I about 14, probably on [compilation] Shaved Fish, and had no idea what it was about. It’s an incredible piece of work. And what’s unbelievable is that Eric Clapton is playing guitar on it. I mean, this is the man who plays 23 nights at the Royal Albert Hall and who’s never made a decent record in his life, yet he’s playing guitar on this amazing song. Probably the greatest thing he’s ever done. I remember Primal Scream doing a brilliant version of “Cold Turkey”, which they used to do live, but I don’t think they recorded it [it’s available on several early ‘90s live bootlegs]. People always ask what the difference was between Lennon and McCartney. Well, Lennon was the genius songwriter with attitude, McCartney the genius with a melody. They were amazing apart, but better together. “Cold Turkey” was in the same vein as “Mother” or “Working Class Hero”, in that he was often drawing on personal experience and writing in the first person. He was a fucking pop genius. You’ve gotta love it. I mean, Lennon was punk rock before fucking punk was even thought of. He was a visionary songwriter. ~ Plus! What do you think Lennon's greatest song is? You can vote for your choice, and tell us why, by clicking here for the special poll. We'll be publishing your choices in a future issue of Uncut, along with a reader Top 10. VOTE HERE!

The January issue of UNCUT is on sale now, featuring an all-star panel of musicians selecting their favourite song by the late Beatle John Lennon.

Which Lennon song “flipped out” Brian Wilson when he first heard it?

Which one reminds Arctic Monkey Alex Turner of his mum and dad?

And when we asked The Who‘s Roger Daltrey for his favourite, what on earth led him to conclude: “I can see why people go completely mad in this business.”?

And there’s many, many brilliant contributions from the likes of Yoko Ono, John Cale, John Lydon, Jarvis Cocker and Liam Gallagher.

Meanwhile, Uncut.co.uk will be running online exclusives throughout the month, today is Alan McGee‘s pick.

Coming up: Richmond Fontaine‘s Willy Vlautin, Josh Ritter, Roy Wood and more will be picking out their favourite tracks.

~

COLD TURKEY

Plastic Ono Band single (October 1969). High chart postion: 14

Alan McGee:

I suppose I first heard the song when I about 14, probably on [compilation] Shaved Fish, and had no idea what it was about. It’s an incredible piece of work. And what’s unbelievable is that Eric Clapton is playing guitar on it.

I mean, this is the man who plays 23 nights at the Royal Albert Hall and who’s never made a decent record in his life, yet he’s playing guitar on this amazing song. Probably the greatest thing he’s ever done. I remember Primal Scream doing a brilliant version of “Cold Turkey”, which they used to do live, but I don’t think they recorded it [it’s available on several early ‘90s live bootlegs].

People always ask what the difference was between Lennon and McCartney. Well, Lennon was the genius songwriter with attitude, McCartney the genius with a melody. They were amazing apart, but better together.

“Cold Turkey” was in the same vein as “Mother” or “Working Class Hero”, in that he was often drawing on personal experience and writing in the first person. He was a fucking pop genius. You’ve gotta love it.

I mean, Lennon was punk rock before fucking punk was even thought of. He was a visionary songwriter.

~

Plus! What do you think Lennon’s greatest song is? You can vote for your choice, and tell us why, by clicking here for the special poll. We’ll be publishing your choices in a future issue of Uncut, along with a reader Top 10. VOTE HERE!

Rare Keith Richards Tracks Available Online

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Rare Keith Richards Tracks Available Online

Keith Richards' will be making two of his rare solo tracks available as downloads on iTunes from December 11. The songs are both covers. The first, Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run", was released in 1979 as a limited edition 7"; it's been unavailable since then. The second is Toots And The Maytals' "Pressure Drop", recorded in 2003 in New York. Keith will next be seen in Martin Scorsese's Stones' concert doc, Shine A Light, which is released in the UK in April next year.

Keith Richards’ will be making two of his rare solo tracks available as downloads on iTunes from December 11.

The songs are both covers. The first, Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run”, was released in 1979 as a limited edition 7″; it’s been unavailable since then.

The second is Toots And The Maytals’ “Pressure Drop”, recorded in 2003 in New York.

Keith will next be seen in Martin Scorsese’s Stones’ concert doc, Shine A Light, which is released in the UK in April next year.

World’s First ABBA Museum To Open In 2009

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World’s First ABBA Museum To Open In 2009

The world's first dedicated ABBA museum, first proposed last year, is set to open in the band's hometown, Stockholm in June 2009. Initiators of the museum Ulf Westman and his wife Ewa Wigenheim have declared that they will launch the complex between 'June 3 to 7, it will be an inaugural week,' at a presentation of their plans in Stockholm yesterday (December 5). The pair added that "It will be an international museum with a lot of technological and multimedia aspects," explaining that visitors will be able to take part in many aspects of ABBA's 70s fame. Visitors will be able to record tracks like 'Waterloo' in a recreation of Polar Studio in Stockholm, where the group recorded their hits. The four original ABBA members, Bjoern Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faeltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad have all given their backing to the museum which is planned to fill three floors of a waterfront building on the island of Soedermalm. The quartet will be donating many items, especially clothing that will fill the 'wardrobe room' - including sequinned bellbottoms and catsuits for which they were renowned. Despite having broken up over 25 years ago, surprisingly, ABBA still sells between two and three million albums a year worldwide.

The world’s first dedicated ABBA museum, first proposed last year, is set to open in the band’s hometown, Stockholm in June 2009.

Initiators of the museum Ulf Westman and his wife Ewa Wigenheim have declared that they will launch the complex between ‘June 3 to 7, it will be an inaugural week,’ at a presentation of their plans in Stockholm yesterday (December 5).

The pair added that “It will be an international museum with a lot of technological and multimedia aspects,” explaining that visitors will be able to take part in many aspects of ABBA’s 70s fame.

Visitors will be able to record tracks like ‘Waterloo’ in a recreation of Polar Studio in Stockholm, where the group recorded their hits.

The four original ABBA members, Bjoern Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faeltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad have all given their backing to the museum which is planned to fill three floors of a waterfront building on the island of Soedermalm.

The quartet will be donating many items, especially clothing that will fill the ‘wardrobe room’ – including sequinned bellbottoms and catsuits for which they were renowned.

Despite having broken up over 25 years ago, surprisingly, ABBA still sells between two and three million albums a year worldwide.

Arctic Monkeys Team Up With The Big Issue

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Arctic Monkeys Team Up With The Big Issue

The Arctic Monkeys have made their own magazine-style tour supplement for their forthcoming UK tourdates. The band have teamed up with homeless charitable magazine 'The Big Issue' for their bumper Christmas special, out next week, to create an Arctic Monkeys tour supplement featuring exclusive never-seen-before photos and text by the band. As well as being part of the Chrismas issue, the Monkeys' magazine will first be made available to fans at all of their tour venues exclusively. A spokesperson for The Big Issue said:"'The Big Issue' are delighted to be working with Arctic Monkeys and proud to be including this unique collectors item with our special Xmas bumper issue." Arctic Monkeys' tour kicks off at London's Alexandra Palace this Saturday (December 8).

The Arctic Monkeys have made their own magazine-style tour supplement for their forthcoming UK tourdates.

The band have teamed up with homeless charitable magazine ‘The Big Issue’ for their bumper Christmas special, out next week, to create an Arctic Monkeys tour supplement featuring exclusive never-seen-before photos and text by the band.

As well as being part of the Chrismas issue, the Monkeys’ magazine will first be made available to fans at all of their tour venues exclusively.

A spokesperson for The Big Issue said:”‘The Big Issue’ are delighted to be working with Arctic Monkeys and proud to be including this unique collectors item with our special Xmas bumper issue.”

Arctic Monkeys’ tour kicks off at London’s Alexandra Palace this Saturday (December 8).

See Led Zeppelin Play Live On Monday

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See Led Zeppelin Play Live On Monday

Vue Cinemas are organising for a special evening of Led Zeppelin live footage to be screened this Monday (December 10), as the band take to the stage at the O2 Arena for their 'reunion' show. As previously reported, Led Zeppelin's performance at the O2 will not be filmed or broadcast. Only the lucky 20, 000 ticket holders will be able to see their one-off performance. However, fans needn't have a totally non-Led Zep night, live performances from throughout Led Zep's career will be broadcast at cinemas including the Greenwich O2 where the concert is taking place to as far away as the Edinburgh Ocean cinema, in conjunction with Warner Music. The special collation of footage includes the band playing live in the 1970s, including from the Royal Albert Hall in '70, the band's five-night residency of Earl's Court in 1975 and Knebworth in '79. The screenings will be in Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, and the sound and colour in the images have been restored - under the personal supervision of Jimmy Page and director Dick Carruthers. The Vue are selling tickets for the screenings through their website, here: www.myvue.com The Led Zeppelin screenings are to take place at the following Vue cinemas: Greenwich O2 Manchester Lowry Leeds Kirkstall Birmingham Star City Bristol Longwell Green Thurrock Lakeside Shopping Centre Edinburgh Ocean Dublin Liffey Valley Shopping Centre Don't forget to vote for your ultimate Led Zeppelin set list here: Rate The Song we'll be publishing the final scores on Monday, ahead of Monday night's highly anticipated gig! UNCUT.CO.UK and NME.com will both be at the reunion gig, bringing you comprehensive coverage of the Tribute To Ahmet Ertegun Concert at the 02 Arena. We've already started our daily Led Zep countdown to December 10, and on the night we will have live coverage straight from the 02 Arena including news, pictures and a special blog. Pic credit: Rex Features

Vue Cinemas are organising for a special evening of Led Zeppelin live footage to be screened this Monday (December 10), as the band take to the stage at the O2 Arena for their ‘reunion’ show.

As previously reported, Led Zeppelin’s performance at the O2 will not be filmed or broadcast. Only the lucky 20, 000 ticket holders will be able to see their one-off performance.

However, fans needn’t have a totally non-Led Zep night, live performances from throughout Led Zep’s career will be broadcast at cinemas including the Greenwich O2 where the concert is taking place to as far away as the Edinburgh Ocean cinema, in conjunction with Warner Music.

The special collation of footage includes the band playing live in the 1970s, including from the Royal Albert Hall in ’70, the band’s five-night residency of Earl’s Court in 1975 and Knebworth in ’79.

The screenings will be in Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound, and the sound and colour in the images have been restored – under the personal supervision of Jimmy Page and director Dick Carruthers.

The Vue are selling tickets for the screenings through their website, here: www.myvue.com

The Led Zeppelin screenings are to take place at the following Vue cinemas:

Greenwich O2

Manchester Lowry

Leeds Kirkstall

Birmingham Star City

Bristol Longwell Green

Thurrock Lakeside Shopping Centre

Edinburgh Ocean

Dublin Liffey Valley Shopping Centre

Don’t forget to vote for your ultimate Led Zeppelin set list here: Rate The Song we’ll be publishing the final scores on Monday, ahead of Monday night’s highly anticipated gig!

UNCUT.CO.UK and NME.com will both be at the reunion gig, bringing you comprehensive coverage of the Tribute To Ahmet Ertegun Concert at the 02 Arena.

We’ve already started our daily Led Zep countdown to December 10, and on the night we will have live coverage straight from the 02 Arena including news, pictures and a special blog.

Pic credit: Rex Features

Kaiser Chiefs Confirmed For Isle Of Wight

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Kaiser Chiefs Confirmed For Isle Of Wight

Kaiser Chiefs have been confirmed as headliners for next Summer's Isle Of Wight Festival. The band from Leeds led by Ricky Wilson, will headline the 2008 festival on the event's opening night (June 13). The Kaiser Chiefs join the Sex Pistols and The Police as bill headliners. The Pistols and Police, as previously reported, both reunited this year in celebration of their 30th anniversaries. Tickets for the 2008 festival, which takes place June 13 - 15, go on general sale on December 10, however ferry company Red Funnel have an exclusive pre-sale offer starting three days earlier. From December 7, Isle of Wight festival tickets can be bought on their own or as part of a travel package, with weekend tickets including camping at £130 for adults and £65 for children (subject to handling and postage charge). Non-camping tickets are also available. See the bookings website www.redfunnel.co.uk/isleofwightfestival for more details or phone the ticket hotline 0871 222 1010. Pic credit: Live Photography

Kaiser Chiefs have been confirmed as headliners for next Summer’s Isle Of Wight Festival.

The band from Leeds led by Ricky Wilson, will headline the 2008 festival on the event’s opening night (June 13).

The Kaiser Chiefs join the Sex Pistols and The Police as bill headliners.

The Pistols and Police, as previously reported, both reunited this year in celebration of their 30th anniversaries.

Tickets for the 2008 festival, which takes place June 13 – 15, go on general sale on December 10, however ferry company Red Funnel have an exclusive pre-sale offer starting three days earlier.

From December 7, Isle of Wight festival tickets can be bought on their own or as part of a travel package, with weekend tickets including camping at £130 for adults and £65 for children (subject to handling and postage charge). Non-camping tickets are also available.

See the bookings website www.redfunnel.co.uk/isleofwightfestival for more details or phone the ticket hotline 0871 222 1010.

Pic credit: Live Photography

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