By Ian Liberman
IN MEMORIAM
LEONARD COHEN (9/21/34 – 11/7/16)
Leonard Cohen, born in 1934 in Montreal, was one of Canada`s most prolific and famous artists. He became world famous as a poet, author, songwriter and vocalist. Cohen transcended countless genres of music from pop to country to folk, in addition to earning the respect of hard rockers.
Cohen participated and performed at the Isle of Wright concert, meeting such luminary artists as Jimi Hendrix and the Doors. His first album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, sold moderately well for an initial pressing. Some of his popular tunes include “Hallelujah,” “So Long, Marianne,” “Bird on the Wire,” “First We Take Manhattan” and “Suzanne.”
Paul Stanley of KISS called Cohen…“ A poet, songwriter and rogue till the end” on Twitter.
Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello tweeted…“L. Cohen was an angel of cultural redemption. From his Tower of Song, he delivered a beautiful sermon of dark romance and quiet resistance.”
Theory of A Deadman has transformed and fashioned an immensely creative version of “Hallelujah” that is shooting up the active rock charts in Canada.
Cohen’s last tune, “You Want it Darker,” conjured up his roots of Orthodoxy in the Jewish Religion.
RIP Leonard.
LEON RUSSELL (9/2/42 – 11/13/16)
Leon Russell died in Nashville on November 13th at the age of 74. I had a chance to witness Russell`s brilliance one night when he was on stage with Joe Cocker. He sat behind his grand piano playing with dexterity and resourceful manipulation. I remember his raspy vocals, the way that he joked with audience, and his songs permeating the concert hall. Russell had a habit of adlibbing during his concerts, and the audience appreciated him taking the time to interject these personal anecdotal forms of whimsical contributions.
Russell worked with The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton (both of whom influenced his music, as did Jimi Hendrix).
After learning of Russell’s passing, Charlie Daniels tweeted…“Just got word that Leon Russell has passed away. Rest in peace Leon. You left a lot of great music behind you.”
Who can forget albums like Carney, Leon Russell and the Shelter People and Leon Live?
Before he died, Russell was captured on film giving a behind-the-scenes look at his preparation before concerts, and the post-performance breakdown by musicians and the staff. The film is called A Poem is a Naked Person. It will be coming to a streaming station near you soon.
RIP Leon. You will be missed.
THE GOLDEN GOD AWARDS RETURN TO AMERICA…(SORT OF)
I was quite upset last year when the Golden God Awards took place in Europe. Through social media, they were having fabulous parties and distributing awards to all of my favorite rock bands. Meanwhile, back in North America, rock and metal fans were left out in the cold.
Traditionally, the Golden God Awards were broadcast by Epiphone and Revolver Magazine, providing an alternative to the Grammys and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (both of which tend to shun hard rock and metal).
2016 has been a year of tremendous loss in the rock world, but the silver lining is the return of the Golden God Awards to North America. Well, sort of…
The awards have been rebranded as the “Epiphone Revolver Music Awards.” The event is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, December 13th, at Webster Hall in New York City. The RMAs will be live streamed by Twitch.TV, and hosted by metal legend / Megadeth frontman, Dave Mustaine, who will co-host with SiriusXM’s Jose Mangin.
Click here to see this year’s nominees.
POLITICAL ROCKERS IN A “POST-TRUTH” WORLD
“Post-Truth” is a term that has become very popular in North America these days as a result of fake articles that permeated social media during this year’s election.
The Oxford Dictionary defines Post-Truth as…
“relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal beliefs.”
During this year’s American Music Awards, we learned why rock categories at awards shows are shown off camera. The industry fears their unpredictability. Unlike pop stars, who for the most part, do not write their own music or exhibit strong opinions about the world at large, rockers like Green Day use their status to deliver a real message in a “post-truth” world.
During their performance at the AMAs, Green Day launched into a musical attack on Donald Trump, and his connections to the “alt right.” It takes artists like Green Day, who craft their own message and have control over their careers, to step up and have their voices be heard in a “post-truth” world.
INFERNO OF ROCK TRIVIA QUESTIONS:
If trivia is up your alley, make sure to check out the Inferno of Rock Trivia Card Game available on Amazon or worldwide from Rock From Hell.
DECEMBER 2016 TRIVIA QUESTIONS
Which band has been criticized for appearing on the X Factor TV Show in Australia?
The Vigilante Classical Music Orchestra in Belgium will do their first non-classical tour using metal rock tunes. Which band and tune will they use?
[a] Led Zeppelin – “Stairway to Heaven”
[b] Pink Floyd – “The Wall”
[c] Tool – “Stinkfist”
An award winning metal band has said that their 2017 release will have “the return of the deity.” Name the band…
NOVEMBER 2016 TRIVIA QUESTIONS
Which record company started the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame awards? Atlantic Records
Which band has a female and male vocalist? A. Halestorm B. The Runaways C. White Stripes
Which band is using a puppet play for their new single and it has become a huge success on the Internet? Avenged Sevenfold
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