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Sex Pistols Hit the Jackpot at Only U.S. Stop on Summer Tour
The social ironies of the Sex Pistols showing up in a Vegas casino for a concert were all confronted the last time the band played the Hard Rock, home of the Sid Vicious slot machine, a few years ago. Now, the Sex Pistols are another reunited oldies act: just more self-aware and ironic than, say, […]
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Van Halen Relaunch Tour With Flashy, Hit-Laden Sin City Performance
When Van Halen last hit Vegas for a pair of shows in December, the group's legendary guitarist was not doing too well. On the first night, despite his health history, Eddie Van Halen kept a cigarette affixed to his axe for easy access. Even more disconcertingly, fans noticed the guitarist was wobbly on his feet […]
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Vegoose Festival Report: the Stooges, Shins, Daft Punk, More
For three years now, the Vegoose festival has been bringing Las Vegas the sort of eclectic acts the city normally shuns: metal, hip-hop, politically motivated tunage and indie rock's latest beloved. This year was no exception: the first day alone delivered Mastodon, Public Enemy, M.I.A. and the Shins. Throw in Saturday night performances by Iggy […]
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Inside Michael Jackson's Wacko Vegas Fire Sale
Michael Jackson's random crap has, much like the pop star himself, been biding its time in Las Vegas since late last year, arriving in Sin City by way of a bizarre and circuitous path that included courts and controversy. Jackson no longer owns the boxes of clothing, documents, pictures and toys that are being auctioned […]
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Lest We Forget - The Best Of
It is hard to believe that a few years ago Middle America had no better nightmare than Marilyn Manson's arena-rock evil. Best of is a fitting tombstone to Manson's moment in the mainstream: It includes all of his essential pied-piper calls to alienated suburban youth such as "The Dope Show," "The Beautiful People" and his […]
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What's Wrong With This Picture?
On the title track of What's Wrong With This Picture?, an ode to his ever-changing self, Van Morrison proclaims with uncharacteristic giggle, "It don't mean a thing/if it ain't got that swing.And a ring-a-ding-ding." True to his word, on his first album for the legendary jazz label Blue Note, Morrison blends Duke Ellington's mantra with […]
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Vicious Cycle
Seventies Southern-rock giants Lynyrd Skynyrd continue to defy reality with their ongoing career: Now down to only two original members, Skynyrd have kept rolling as a live act with the late Ronnie Van Zandt's sound-alike little brother Johnny in front, and have been replenished over the years by veterans of bands such as the Outlaws, […]
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The Love Songs Collection
Green's classic love songs haven't become dated, because he never made mood music or schmaltz. Instead, on tracks such as "Love and Happiness," "Let's Stay Together" and "Call Me," producer Willie Mitchell used a driving band to equal Green's stirring vocals. Green has plenty of greatest-hits collections, but this is as fine a place as […]
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Rastaman Vibration
It is hard to believe that in 1976, when Rastaman Vibration was first released in America, it took Bob Marley into the Top Ten alongside disco records and corporate rock. Despite the good cheer of the title track and the upbeat "Roots, Rock, Reggae," Rastaman Vibration contains some of Marley's most intense images of oppression, […]
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