MIKE PORTNOY Says DAVID GILMOUR Releasing New PINK FLOYD Album Is 'Disrespectful' To ROGER WATERS

 

In October, PINK FLOYD will release its first new studio set in 20 years, called "The Endless River". The unexpected news of the album was announced by David Gilmour's wife and sometime lyricist Polly Samson, with a tweet that read: "[By the way] PINK FLOYD album out in October is called 'The Endless River', based on 1994 sessions is Rick Wright's swan song and very beautiful."

According to The Pulse Of Radio, some of the new material was laid down during the sessions for FLOYD's last studio set, 1994's "The Division Bell", which accounts for Wright's contribution. Wright died in 2008 following a bout with cancer. By all accounts — despite Gilmour and Roger Waters being on speaking terms and even performing together on occasion — Waters is not involved in "The Endless River", which is strictly a Gilmour and Nick Mason project. Mason, who is the sole member of PINK FLOYD to perform in all of its various lineups, co-owns the band's name, trademark, and license with Gilmour.

In a post on his Facebook page, veteran drummer, and self-proclaimed huge PINK FLOYD fan, Mike Portnoy (THE WINERY DOGS, TRANSATLANTIC, DREAM THEATER) weighed in on the idea of a new PINK FLOYD record, writing: "What's this about a new PINK FLOYD album? Last I checked, Waters is no longer in the band and Wright and [Syd] Barrett are dead. If these are leftovers from 'The Division Bell' sessions, then just put 'em on a 'The Division Bell' special-edition release! It's disrespectful to Roger and everything he built for all those years! Just do a solo album, Dave."

He added: "In my opinion, the PINK FLOYD heyday was 'Atom Heart Mother' through 'The Wall', and those were mainly driven by Roger (conceptually, musically, everything). 'A Momentary Lapse Of Reason' and 'The Division Bell' are essentially David Gilmour solo albums 'as' PINK FLOYD (granted, just as 'The Final Cut' was a Roger Waters solo album 'as' PINK FLOYD).

"If you really want, I'll meet you, Gilmour fans, halfway and at least concede with saying, okay, 'real' PINK FLOYD is really only when Waters and Gilmour work together."

Rolling Stone reported that FLOYD studio and stage veteran Durga McBroom-Hudson posted an update on her Facebook page, explaining, "The recording did start during 'The Division Bell' sessions (and yes, it was the side project originally titled 'THE BIG SPLIFF' that Nick Mason spoke about). Which is why there are Richard Wright tracks on it. But David and Nick have gone in and done a lot more since then. It was originally to be a completely instrumental recording, but I came in last December and sang on a few tracks. David then expanded on my backing vocals and has done a lead on at least one of them." She added that "The Endless River" consists of "completely unreleased songs."

In a 2011 interview with Greece's Rock Hard magazine, Portnoy compared his departure from DREAM THEATER to the split between Waters and Gilmour. Commenting on some DREAM THEATER fans' opinion that the "magic is gone" from the band's sound and songwriting chemistry now that he is no longer part of the group, Portnoy said: "I always thought that the strongest elements and personalities in DREAM THEATER were me and [guitarist] John Petrucci. And in the early days Kevin Moore [former DREAM THEATER keyboardist] was a big, big part of that chemistry, and then in the later days Jordan Rudess was a big part of that chemistry. But at the end of the day, it was always me and John [Petrucci]. And John Myung, of course, but he's a quieter person, so he's not as strong of an element because he's quiet by nature. But yeah, John Petrucci and myself were, and I think will always be, the sound and the style and the heart and the soul of DREAM THEATER. And I think if you take either one of us out, I think it's like when Roger Waters and David Gilmour split. David Gilmour carried on PINK FLOYD without Roger Waters, but as far as I was concerned, it was never the same. Roger Waters was a big part of the [sound on] all the classic PINK FLOYD albums, and once he left, I think PINK FLOYD sounded like a David Gilmour solo band. I honestly think if John Petrucci came to me [in 2010] and said he needed a break, I wouldn't have continued DREAM THEATER without him; I would have absolutely respected his desire for a break and I would have put the band on hold and waited for him. So it saddens me that he wouldn't do that for me, because I think DREAM THEATER, at the end of the day, was always about the chemistry between me and him."

Pink Floyd News

David Gilmour's wife has revealed that Pink Floyd will release a new album this October. The Endless River is the group's first album since 1994's The Division Bell, and was reportedly inspired by the same recording sessions.

Polly Samson, who married Gilmour in 1994, unveiled Pink Floyd's secret plans on her Twitter account. In addition to announcing the album's title and release date, she referred to the record as "Rick Wright's swansong". Wright, who co-founded Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett, Nick Mason and Roger Waters, died in 2008.

Vocalist Durga McBroom-Hudson, who has toured with Gilmour and Pink Floyd, subsequently shared some further details. "The recording did start during The Division Bell sessions (and yes, it was the side project originally titled The Big Spliff that Nick Mason spoke about)," she wrote on Facebook. "David and Nick have gone in and done a lot more since then." That "Big Spliff" session was described in Mason's memoir Inside Out, where he called it "ambient mood music" akin to "bands like the Orb".

According to McBroom-Hudson, The Endless River "was originally to be a completely instrumental recording". But Gilmour gradually changed his mind, inviting McBroom-Hudson to record backup vocals last December and adding more singing since then. Gilmour has "done a lead on at least one [track]," she said, and Samson, who co-wrote seven of The Division Bell's tracks, described herself on Twitter as one of The Endless River's lyricists.

In addition to finishing Pink Floyd's 15th studio album, Gilmour is also allegedly still working on a new solo album. And McBroom-Hudson said that the band could indeed mount a new tour. "STAY TUNED," she wrote. When Pink Floyd last hit the road, in 1994, it was the highest-grossing rock tour in history.

The Division Bell, which originally debuted at No 1, was reissued in a deluxe set on 30 June. This new edition landed at No 52.

Grey Lady Down Live in August!

News from Grey Lady Down:

Hi all! Sorry we've been quiet lately. We are still in the process of trying to track down that elusive new singer, but in the meantime, you have a chance to see us live in August! We will be playing outside the Brasenose Arms for the Fringe of the wonderful Cropredy Festival in rural north Oxfordshire on Saturday August 9th at noon precisely. The gig is free of charge. The main festival has a really proggy lineup this year with Steve Hackett playing on the Thursday, the Australian Pink Floyd on the Saturday and, of course, Marillion on the Saturday. Fear not, though, we won't clash with them as they are playing in the early evening. It does mean however that there should be a lot of prog fans there to come down and enjoy our set too! The pub is just a few hundred yards from the main festival site and has a huge garden in which we and the other Fringe bands will be playing. Full details of the venue can be found here... http://www.brasenosearms.com/festival.html Confused? Who's singing! Will it be Jazz Odyssey? Well, fear not! The wonderful Martin Wilson has leapt into the breach for this great opportunity for the band. So, if you never got that chance to say farewell to Martin, here is another chance to see GLD with four out of five original members plus the lovely Steve Anderson (from the 'Fear' CD and the double live album) on guitar and the wonderful Piers de Lavison (also of G2) on keyboards. It'll be great to blow off the live cobwebs and we hope to see as many of you there as possible! In the meantime, if you do happen to sing or know someone that does, please do get in touch with us. You'll find more info on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/greyladydown or at our website, www.greyladydown.net Bye for now, and see you at Cropredy... Sean, Piers, Julian, Mark and Steve at Grey Lady Down

BRUCE DICKINSON, GLENN HUGHES, DEEP PURPLE Featured On 'Celebrating Jon Lord - At The Royal Albert Hall'

"Celebrating Jon Lord - At The Royal Albert Hall" will be released on DVD, Blu-ray and CD on September 26 via earMUSIC.

It was in 2006 when, once a year, a group of stellar musicians and stars of rock started meeting up in London for a night of live music. The main intent was to raise money for a charity called The Sunflower Jam.

At first the rumours about these sessions with DEEP PURPLE, Robert Plant, Brian May and Alice Cooper were too good to be true, to the point that a few thought that they were nothing else than an urban legend.

"The Jam", as it soon started to be called, quickly became a cult night. A real must first of all for the artists themselves, finally free and happy to leave their commercial thoughts outside the venue and able to enjoy playing music together with colleagues, friends and maybe even secret rivals and for the audience, who often could simply not believe their eyes.

The Sunflower Jam started as an idea from Jacky Paice, who very often could count on the drumming of her husband Ian. Who would turn down playing with him?

The first editions were mainly open to guests and music business professionals that would contribute to the charity. Later "The Jam" became too good not to be available for the public.

It is in one of the earlier SFJs that Jon Lord played for the last time with his friends with DEEP PURPLE, duetting in a peaceful "war of Hammonds" with Don Airey, who had replaced Lord in DEEP PURPLE when he decided it was enough with a life spent on the road, and after a lifetime dedicated to rock and roll, Lord left to concentrate to his first love: classical music and the combination of rock elements in it.

Lord sadly passed away in 2012. Considering the amount of respect, friendship and love expressed on any occasion by anybody who had worked, played or simply met Jon, it is not a surprise that the 2014 Jam would be dedicated totally to his music. The night turned out to be an historical moment in rock music: A full orchestra, a director — Paul Mann — crazy enough to give wonderful arrangements to a repertoire going back and forth through fifty years of music, many old friends for an unforgettable night.

All the wonderful musicians who played at the "Celebrating Jon Lord" Sunflower Jam have left a precious mark but how not to mention the 45 minutes finale by DEEP PURPLE, the PURPLE Mk III songs played by Paice with the old friend Glenn Hughes, together with IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson, Rick Wakeman of YES fame, Steve Balsamo (who sang in the late Jon Lord band and in his last studio album "Concerto"), members of THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT, ex members of WHITESNAKE, Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody, the "modfather" Paul Weller.

Ian Paice remembers the "Celebrating Jon Lord" night with vivid memory considering the time all the artists had to rehearse the music for the concert (in DEEP PURPLE's case two hours the day before the show!), the resulting performance were nothing less than miraculous. A testament to the quality of the players and love for Jon and his works.

"It was like no concert I have ever played," Paice said. "To a person everyone in the Hall was there for a common purpose to honour a wonderful man and a great musician. The Royal Albert Hall is fairly large venue and can be intimidating, but that evening it was more like a gathering of friends at their local,(if slightly oversized) pub than a regular show.
I believe all the artists, the people in the audience and even the crew helping to make the show work, felt the difference that night."

MASTODON's 'Once More 'Round The Sun' Cracks U.S. Top 10

"Once More 'Round The Sun", the sixth album from Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON, sold around 34,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on June 24 via Reprise Records.

MASTODON's fifth album, 2011's "The Hunter", opened with 39,000 units to enter the chart at No. 10. The band's previous CD, "Crack The Skye", registered a first-week tally of 41,000 copies back in April 2009 to debut at No. 11. MASTODON's 2006 effort, "Blood Mountain", came in with just over 24,000 units — significantly more than the 8,000 first-week total of its predecessor, 2004's "Leviathan" — which put it at No. 32.

"Once More 'Round The Sun" was recorded in Nashville with Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz, who is known for his work with RUSH, DEFTONES, FOO FIGHTERS and ALICE IN CHAINS. Also available on June 24 was a stunning deluxe 2LP vinyl edition of "Once More 'Round The Sun". This limited edition includes two discs pressed onto 180-gram black vinyl housed in a quadruple gatefold vinyl jacket featuring artwork by Skinner, plus a CD of the complete album. The package includes four exclusive lithographs derived from the album artwork.

Regarding the new MASTODON album title, singer and bassist Troy Sanders told Paste Magazine: "The idea was generated before we recorded the title track on the record, but the title was thought up many months ago.

"After we finished the two-year touring cycle on our last record, 'The Hunter', we were kind of gearing up to go back to our rehearsal space in Atlanta. And we were starting the effort, the time, the blood, the energy, the months of driving, the recording and the long process between recording and the release day.

"In a nutshell: we're fortunate enough to do this again, but there's this feeling of this yearly cycle. It's not a bad thing. We get to go tour a bunch, we get to record a bunch of songs we love. It's embracing the positive — the wonderful side, to be able to have the same four dudes who love doing what we do so much. And like anything in the MASTODON world, it's open to interpretation."

"Once More 'Round The Sun" track listing:

01. Tread Lightly
02. The Motherload
03. High Road
04. Once More 'Round The Sun
05. Chimes At Midnight
06. Asleep In The Deep
07. Feast Your Eyes
08. Aunt Lisa
09. Ember City
10. Halloween
11. Diamond In The Witch House (feat. Scott Kelly of NEUROSIS)

MASTODON's BRANN DAILOR Talks About His Musical...

Drummer Brann Dailor of Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON dropped by the Vintage Room at Guitar Center in Hollywood, California to talk about his musical upbringings and motivations. In addition, he really lets loose on a Tama kit. Check out the footage below.

MASTODON's sixth album, "Once More 'Round The Sun", is likely to sell between 25,000 and 28,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, according to industry web site Hits Daily Double. The estimate was based on one-day sales reports compiled after the record arrived in stores on June 24 via Reprise Records. The chart will be unveiled on Wednesday, July 2.

MASTODON's fifth album, 2011's "The Hunter", opened with 39,000 units to land at position No. 10 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Crack The Skye", registered a first-week tally of 41,000 copies back in April 2009 to debut at No. 11. MASTODON's 2006 effort, "Blood Mountain", came in with just over 24,000 units — significantly more than the 8,000 first-week total of its predecessor, 2004's "Leviathan" — which put it at No. 32.

"Once More 'Round The Sun" was recorded in Nashville with Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz, who is known for his work with RUSH, DEFTONES, FOO FIGHTERS and ALICE IN CHAINS. Also available on June 24 was a stunning deluxe 2LP vinyl edition of "Once More 'Round The Sun". This limited edition includes two discs pressed onto 180-gram black vinyl housed in a quadruple gatefold vinyl jacket featuring artwork by Skinner, plus a CD of the complete album. The package includes four exclusive lithographs derived from the album artwork. 

YES To Release 'Heaven & Earth' Album In July; Artwork, Track Listing Revealed

 

Seminal progressive rock heroes YES will release their 21st studio album, "Heaven & Earth", on July 22 via Frontiers Records.

Having sold nearly 40 million albums in a career that has so far spanned more than four decades, YES continues with its tradition of symphonic progressive rock that remains timelessly fresh and innovative.

"Heaven & Earth" contains eight new tracks, each of which boasts the unique musicianship and craftsmanship that have come to be known as "the YES sound." YES' distinctive layered music, swirling arrangements, brilliant vocals and harmonies are all in abundance.

For "Heaven & Earth", YES teamed up with legendary Grammy Award winner Roy Thomas Baker (QUEEN, THE CARS, GUNS N’ ROSES, FOREIGNER, SMASHING PUMPKINS, ALICE COOPER), who handled the production and Billy Sherwood (TOTO, PAUL RODGERS, AIR SUPPLY) who mixed the album. Also onboard is longtime YES artist, the world-renowned Roger Dean, who again brings his masterful artistic creativity to the album's cover art and packaging.

"Heaven & Earth" track listing:

01. Believe Again
02. The Game
03. Step Beyond
04. To Ascend
05. In A World Of Our Own
06. Light Of The Ages
07. It Was All We Knew
08. Subway Walls

To coincide with the release of "Heaven & Earth", YES wil launch a 35-date summer tour featuring the band performing 1971's groundbreaking album "Fragile" in its entirety for the first time ever and a repeat performance from last year's tour of 1972's "Close To The Edge", followed by an encore of the band's greatest hits.

YES is:

Steve Howe - Electric, Acoustic, & Steel Guitars. Backing Vocals
Chris Squire - Bass Guitar. Backing Vocals
Alan White - Drums. Percussion
Geoff Downes - Keyboards. Computer Programming
Jon Davison - Lead & Backing Vocals. Acoustic Guitar