VAN HALEN ANNOUNCES TOUR AND ALBUM NEWS
Rock ‘n’ roll legends Van Halen, with Diamond David Lee Roth back in tow, announced its return to the live stage with an upcoming 2012 North American tour, including a June 1 concert at STAPLES Center. In an unexpected turn, prompting a ‘WTF?’ question from rock fans, Kool & The Gang will be opening on select tour dates.
In addition, Van Halen confirmed its new album, A Different Kind Of Truth, will be released in the U.S. by Interscope Records on February 7. A Different Kind Of Truth is Van Halen's first original studio album with singer David Lee Roth since the band’s classic multi-platinum album 1984. I found the new Single “Tattoo” disappointing upon first listen but hopefully it will get better in time as it is great to have Dave back in the band making new music.
Fans can expect Van Halen to perform selections from A Different Kind Of Truth alongside songs from its arsenal of epic hits that include: "Eruption," "Running with the Devil," "Jamie's Cryin'," "You Really Got Me," "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love,” "Everybody Wants Some," "Unchained," "And The Cradle Will Rock,” "Beautiful Girls,” "Mean Street," "Somebody Get Me A Doctor,” "Jump," “Panama," "Hot For Teacher," "I'll Wait," and more from the band’s classic albums.
VIP Packages, which are reportedly going for as much as $2,000 per person (again, WTF?), will be available through VIP Nation, including premium seats, exclusive merchandise and more.
Van Halen local area shows include the following:
5/27/12—Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
6/1/12—Los Angeles, CA @ STAPLES Center
6/3/12—Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
6/5/12—San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
6/12/12—Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
6/14/12—San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena
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U2’S ‘ACHTUNG BABY’ TURNS 20
It’s hart to believe that 20 years ago we saw the debut of Pearl Jam and the seventh release from U2, the groundbreaking Achtung Baby. Believe me, it’s a definite reality check and makes me feel real old when I have to come to terms that some of my favorite records by my favorite (contemporary) bands are 20 years old.
A departure for the Irish band, Achtung Baby was described by Bono at the time as “the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree.”
The album went on to win a Grammy for Best Rock Performance and became one of the most significant records of the nineties and of U2’s career. Now, the band has released the Achtung Baby Anniversary Edition featuring six discs, including previously unreleased songs and new documentary.
Recorded in Berlin, standout tracks on Achtung Baby included “The Fly,” “Mysterious Ways,” “One,” “Even Better Than The Real Thing” and “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses.” The record also gave way to the highly ambitious ZOO TV world tour that helped redefine the stadium rock experience.
Earlier this year U2 returned to Hansa Studio in Berlin to discuss Achtung Baby in the film From The Sky Down, directed by Academy Award-winning director Davis Guggenheim (Waiting for Superman, An Inconvenient Truth). The film opened the Toronto International Film Festival in September and is included in the anniversary edition.
While die-hards will already have a lot of the B-sides and rarities featured, they’ll also want to have this collector’s set. This is a must-have for the casual U2 fan because it will contain dozens of songs they’ve never heard before.
The anniversary edition of Achtung Baby is available in the following formats:
A limited, numbered Uber Deluxe Edition in a magnetic puzzle tiled box contains six CDs, including the original Achtung Baby album, the follow-up album, Zooropa, B-sides, remixes and re-workings of previously unheard material recorded during the Achtung Baby sessions. Four DVDs including 'From The Sky Down', 'Zoo TV: Live From Sydney', all the videos from Achtung Baby plus bonus material.
There will also be the Achtung Baby double vinyl album plus five clear 7" vinyl singles in their original sleeves, 16 art prints taken from the original album sleeve, an 84-page hardback book, a copy of Propaganda magazine, 4 badges, a sticker sheet, and a pair of Bono’s trademark 'The Fly' sunglasses.
The Super Deluxe Edition will contain the six CDs and four DVDs, in addition to a 92-page hardback book and 16 art prints in a wallet.
The Vinyl Box Set is a limited release containing four LPs, two of which are pressed on translucent blue vinyl containing remixes and B-sides. The box includes a 16-page booklet. The Deluxe Edition is a two CD set containing the reissue of the original album plus B-sides and rarities.
Following the huge success of The Joshua Tree, most bands would have fizzled but U2 changed it’s course, altered its style, and completely reinvented itself. The landmark record still holds up well today and it’s a wonderful revisit to a band still widely popular today in its prime.
Top photo by: John Shearer
Photography by: Brantley Gutierrez
