Twenty-seven years ago today, Sony introduced the CDP-101 to market: The $2,200 piece of electronics (pictured at left) was the first compact-disc player, and the company went on to sell 20,000 units over the three months following its debut. In addition to the hardware, Sony issued 50 of its titles on CD at a price that would equal between $33 and $45 in 2009 dollars; the “first” entry in the compact-disc catalog was Billy Joel’s 52nd Street, and a bunch of other albums from Sony’s corporate rock, Japanese pop, and classical units fell in line behind it. Is there a dusty copy of one of the 50 titles after the jump in your library? More »
Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott told The Irish News that while he’s honored to tour with the likes of Styx and REO Speedwagon, don’t expect to see his band on the road with any of the bands who shared chart space with it during the Hysteria era. “We refused to go out with Poison or Winger or Warrant or any of those shite bands,” he said. “It’s a real pity that a lot of the newer bands we’ve dug over the years haven’t actually dug us. But that’s just music, man.” Those “newer” bands include Stereophonics and Manic Street Preachers, just to give you an idea of Elliott’s internal timeline and, uh, general assessment of what isn’t “shite.” Well! Let’s see what is and isn’t “shite” in your eyes, readers. I picked my favorite songs from each of the artists Old Joe disses–as well as one from his own band, and one from each of his U.S. touring partners this summer. Which do you prefer?
While the blogs were all abuzz about Frightened Rabbit, REO Speedwagon released a new single, “Find Your Own Way Home,” and after a solid first month it’s still hanging around the playlists of Adult Contemporary stations across America. (330 spins so far this month!) More »
I noted during last night’s Idol eliminations that the harmonizers of Boyz II Men would be on Don’t Forget The Lyrics, the song-remembering game show that sends its viewers rushing to Google during its commercial breaks. More »
Last week, two members of REO Speedwagon performed at a Wal-Mart in Eagan, Minnesota, an event that was thankfully captured by a local news team. More »
