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Neil Young has just released the second song and video from his ‘Americana‘ album, which will be released June 5. As has been widely reported, the album reunites him with longtime co-conspirators Crazy Horse as they put their unique sound on classic American folk tunes. Here, Young and his pals take on ‘She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain,’ which is renamed ‘Jesus’ Chariot’ on the album.

Young’s liner notes gives the history and double meaning of the song. “Written in the 1800s based on an old Negro spiritual,” he writes. “This song refers to the second coming of Jesus, and ‘she’ is the chariot Jesus is coming on. Some interpret this as the end of the world. Others have said that ‘she’ refers to union organizer Mary Harris ‘Mother’ Jones going to promote formation of labor unions in the Appalachian coal-mining camps.”

If you thought his somewhat lecherous take on Stephen Foster’s ‘Oh Susannah‘ was cool, you’re likely to enjoy what he did with ‘She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain.’ Ralph Molina’s drums pound away as the electric guitars surge forward in a minor key. The new arrangement gives the song a more ominous feeling instead of the celebratory manner in which it’s usually sung.

The darker tone is reflected by the video, which uses footage from D.W. Griffith’s 1915 film ‘Birth of a Nation.’ The movie has earned criticism for its negative portrayal of African Africans during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras. Young has often sung out against racism, most famously in 1970′s ‘Southern Man.’

Watch the Video for ‘She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain’ by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

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While we’re celebrating the 45th anniversary of Jimi Hendrix‘s ‘Are You Experienced,’ we’d be remiss if we didn’t pass along this strange bit of news that passed across our desk the other day. Apparently Leonard Nimoy, best known as Mr. Spock on the ‘Star Trek’ television series and movies, had a close encounter with Jimi Hendrix.

As part of a lengthy video interview with Geoff Boucher of the L.A. Times, the actor-director-singer-photographer talks about meeting Hendrix shortly before the rock legend’s death in 1970. While in Cleveland promoting his album ‘The New World Of Leonard Nimoy,’ which features Nimoy’s take on folk-rock and country standards such as ‘I Walk the Line’ and ‘Proud Mary,’ Nimoy was thrown a dinner with local music industry people.

“During the course of the evening, somebody came to me and said, ‘Jimi Hendrix is in the next room. He heard you were here, he would like to come and say hello,’” Nimoy said. “I thought about it for a nanosecond, and I said ‘bring him in.’”

About Hendrix, Nimoy says he was “charming,” “very nice” and a “great, great artist” who “died much too young.” Boucher and Nimoy then discuss how ‘Star Trek’ and Hendrix’s music reflected the cosmic sensibilities that were prevalent at the time.

Leonard Nimoy released five albums between 1967 and 1970. As with the records released at the same time by his ‘Star Trek’ co-star William Shatner, the albums are more loved for their novelty value and camp appeal than for their musical merit.

For those of you who may not believe it, a picture of the meeting, which also contains bassist Noel Redding, is offered in the video below.

Watch Leonard Nimoy Talk About Meeting Jimi Hendrix

Sony Legacy

Can it really be 45 years since the Jimi Hendrix Experience unleashed their classic debut album on an unsuspecting public? Well, yes it can! As those years fly by in a purple haze, all of a sudden it’s too late. So yeah, 45 years…how bout them cosmic apples!

Released May 12, 1967, ‘Are You Experienced’ was another one of those albums you could easily call a “game changer,’ especially among musicians. Upon first hearing the album, nearly every guitarist seemingly thought to themselves, ‘Oh s—, what do I do now?!’

This was not your stock Chuck Berry riffing going on, nor was it McGuinn styled picking or Dave Davies-esque power chords. Jimi Hendrix developed a whole new language for the electric guitar, a language that, 45 years later, is still being translated by generation after generation of would-be guitar hero.

It’s hard to fully comprehend just how revolutionary this record was for its time, but before it, there really was no record that sounded like it and after it, those that did were pale imitations. Hendrix, however, was not alone in the assault. The more than profound rhythm section of drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Noel Redding provided the concrete block upon which Hendrix could build his sound. Though Cream predated the Experience slightly, this was the ultimate power trio, their sound and style would be infused into many a rock band from that day on.

All this would, however, mean nothing if it weren’t for one other little detail: the man wrote some amazing songs. Guitar heroics aside, without the great songs to use that flash in, this wouldn’t be an album we’d be talking about  all these years later. ‘Foxey Lady,’ ‘Manic Depression,’ ‘The Wind Cries Mary,’ ‘Purple Haze,’ ‘I Don’t Live Today.’ Simply incredible stuff, and that’s only half the album! The U.K. and U.S. versions differed somewhat. Because of the common practice in the U.K. of not including singles on an LP, the British version had ‘Can You See Me’ and the raw blues of ‘Red House’ in place of ‘Purple Haze’ and ‘The Wind Cries Mary,’ both of which were singles over there.

Perfectly produced by Jimi’s manager and former Animals bassist Chas Chandler who, along with engineer Eddie Kramer, explored sonic terrain previously uncharted at the time. The recording sessions began in late-1966 at De Lane Lea and CBS Studios and finished up at the legendary Olympic studios. In the DVD documentary on the making of the album, Chander recalled “The great asset about Olympic seems to be that you could play louder than in other studios we’d been in.”

On his website, Kramer says of Hendrix, “His ideas came fast and furious with a devilish glint in his eye as he would rack up a particular sound from his amp that would give me a challenge to interpret what was going on from the floor of the studio to bringing that enormous sound into the control room.”

As the “Summer of Love” was kicking into gear, the release of ‘Are You Experienced?’ preceded the Beatles ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ by nearly a month, which was a big time frame in 1967 terms.  New sounds and styles exploded at every turn. It’s hard to imagine the speed at which it all moved back then in this slow-paced music world we have in 2012, but back then, a month or two made all the difference. 1967 was an incredible year for music.

The U.S. got its first real taste of Hendrix on June 18, 1967  when the band made their live U.S. debut on the third day of the Monterey International Pop Festival. After a legendary dispute over time slots, the Who went on prior to Hendrix. Already a sensation in England, Pete Townshend and company were well aware of what Jimi was all about and didn’t want to follow his act. At the same time, Hendrix was familiar with the Who’s antics and didn’t want to follow them either. A coin was famously tossed and the Who went on before Hendrix (with the Grateful Dead sandwiched in between, poor guys). The Who did their thing and smashed their gear, so Hendrix upped the ante and set his guitar ablaze. The gimmick certainly got people’s attention, but not as much as the music did.

That Monterey performance, along with the power of songs like’ Fire’ and ‘Hey Joe,’ pushed the Jimi Hendrix Experience to the forefront of the ‘new sound’ and seemingly overnight, louder-than-loud guitars were in vogue. Everyone started to ‘get heavy’ and push boundaries both on stage and in the studio. The aural overload of the title track is still a monster today. The album sounds unlike anything before or since and, far from being merely a period piece, it has aged very well indeed.

The cover was as eye catching as the music was ear catching. That fish eye lens photo by Karl Ferris, plus the psychedelic infused lettering makes very much it of its time, but there’s a futuristic angle at play as well. The U.K. sleeve design was a more simple band photo.

So we ask you, have you ever been experienced? Yeah, we thought so…

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Unsuspecting barbecue lovers in Los Angeles received a special treat to go with their pulled pork sandwiches on Thursday (May 10). No, it wasn’t a free side order of mac and cheese (although that would have been nice, too), but rather a surprise performance by Tenacious D.

The gig was part of VEVO’s “GO Show” series, which features artists performing in unusual venues that mean something to them. The restaurant, Ribs USA in Burbank, is a favorite of the D’s Jack Black and Kyle Gass, so they chose to play a few favorites and cuts from their upcoming album ‘Rize of the Fenix’ while customers devoured ribs and their “Gorilla Style” fries. ‘Rize of the Fenix’ will be released on May 15.

This is not the only connection Ribs USA has to great music. Their menu advertises a entree consisting of a pound of BBQ rib tips and two sides that they call “Glad Its Knight & the Tips.”

The concert will premiere on the Facebook page of Starburst, who sponsors the series, in a few weeks, after which it will available on VEVO and its partner sites.

eBay

A rare leather jacket from Motley Crue‘s ‘Dr, Feelgood’ tour has sold for $850 on eBay. While that may seem like a steep price, it’s possible that the jacket, sized women’s extra small, has a connection to the band.

The seller claims that the brown jacket, made by rock merchandisers Brockum, once belonged to singer Vince Neil‘s girlfriend. While there is no official document certifying its authenticity, the name “Laura” is embroidered in script on a front pocket, and “BAND” is also embroidered on the right sleeve below the logo, suggesting that this may not have been bought at the merch table. Motley Crue’s logo extends across the back, and five skulls are on the right shoulder.

We presume that, for that price, it has hopefully been dry-cleaned, given the Crue’s notorious decadence.

Released in 1989, ‘Dr. Feelgood’ tour was Motley Crue’s most successful album, topping the Billboard 200 and selling more than six million copies. They went on a massive tour in support of the album, headlining arenas around the world, including Australia and Japan.

Watch Motley Crue Perform ‘Dr. Feelgood’ in 1989

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New York Yankees fans are notoriously unwelcome in Boston, and even less so in the not-so-friendly confines of Fenway Park. However, Red Sox fans will turn their boos to shouts of “BRUCE!” when famous Yankees fan Bruce Springsteen rocks the 100-year old stadium on Aug. 14.

With the show, Springsteen will hit the trifecta of Boston-area stadiums and arenas on the ‘Wrecking Ball’ tour. Back in March he performed at the TD Garden. Four days after the Fenway show, Springsteen will play Gilette Stadium, home of a football team that has lost two Super Bowls to a team that plays in Springsteen’s home of New Jersey, in nearby Foxboro.

This will be Springsteen’s second trip to Fenway. He played two nights there in Sept. 2003 in support of ‘The Rising,’ the first-ever concerts at the stadium. At both shows, Peter Wolf of the J. Geils band joined Springsteen for an encore of the Boston anthem ‘Dirty Water’ by the Standells, who were actually from Los Angeles.

Despite their obvious conflict in sports fandom, Boston has always been one of Springsteen’s best markets. His four-night stand at the Music Hall in 1977 rank among his most legendary shows, and his concert at the Harvard Square Theatre on May 9, 1974 caused his future manager Jon Landau to write, “I saw rock and roll future and its name is Bruce Springsteen” in the Real Paper.

Universal

The sprawling double album is a dangerous undertaking in rock because the possibility for overload is too great. Even the biggest fans of, say, the Beatles or Bruce Springsteen will admit that ‘The Beatles’ or ‘The River’ could have been better as a single album with the fat trimmed. However, the Rolling Stones‘ ‘Exile on Main Street,’ which was released 40 years ago today, not only doesn’t suffer from a lack of filler, but it’s length is actually one of its selling points.

Always influenced by American music, ‘Exile’ saw the Stones going deeper into country (‘Torn and Frayed’), folk (‘Sweet Black Angel’) and even gospel (‘I Just Want to See His Face’). They didn’t abandon the blues — they covered Slim Harpo’s ‘Shake Your Hips’ and Robert Johnson’s ‘Stop Breaking Down’ with gusto — so expanding ‘Exile’ allowed them the explore some of those musical ideas in greater depth than they had previously done.

And, of course, there was still plenty of time for some straightforward rock n’ roll, too. ‘Tumbling Dice’ and ‘Happy’ were Top 40 hits, but ‘All Down the Line’ also gets some radio airplay. ‘Exile also kicks off with one of the great one-two punches in rock history — ‘Rocks Off’ and ‘Rip This Joint.’

The most incredible fact about ‘Exile’ is that it even got made. In 1971 the band were forced to leave England due to tax issues. Most of the band moved to the south of France, while Mick Jagger stayed in Paris to be with his new wife, Bianca. The Stones’ mobile studio set up shop outside Keith Richards‘ villa, Nellcote, and the band went to work.

Sort of. The work they did wasn’t always on the album. Nellcote turned into a constant party with plenty of friends and hangers-on with occasional bouts of recording whenever enough members would show up and were capable of playing their instruments. Even though the recording was being done in his house, Keith Richards, whose heroin addiction had recently taken hold, was rarely in a condition to lead the sessions. Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman don’t even play on several songs.

By December, the sessions moved to Los Angeles for overdubs and some new tracks. With Jagger around more, he was able to take control and see the project to completion in time for its release on May 12, 1972.

But it’s the decadence of the basement at Nellcote, which will soon be the subject of a film, that is found within ‘Exile’s’ grooves. Its murkiness, with Jagger’s vocals further down in the mix than usual, can make it impenetrable on first few listens, but eventually its brilliance sinks in as you peel back the layers and discover everything underneath. Later reissues, most recently in 2010, have improved the sound with state-of-the-art technology, but kept the mystery intact.

So if the May sunshine bores the daylights out of you today, crank up your copy of ‘Exile on Main Street,’ be it vinyl, CD or mp3. You’re bound to hear something within that you’ve never noticed before.

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While Neil Young documents his own ‘Journeys’ with an upcoming film directed by longtime friend Jonathan Demme, a new book takes a look at the Canadian legend and attempts to clear the vaults out to share some Young factoids you might not have heard before.

Author Glen Boyd has written the ‘Neil Young FAQ,’ subtitled as “Everything Left To Know About The Iconic And Mercurial Rocker.” The book is the latest in a series of similarly themed releases published by Backbeat Books [one of the more recent entries is an excellent book devoted to the Beach Boys]. The Young volume was published earlier this month and digs into quite a few interesting subjects.

Even as Young has taken stock of his own vault of rarities with the ‘Archives’ set and assorted archival releases, there’s still quite a bit of mystery that swirls around some of the lesser-known music that remains unreleased.

The book delves deeper into the sessions that produced as-yet unreleased albums such as ‘Homegrown,’ ‘Toast,’ ‘Chrome Dreams’ and ‘Oceanside,’ while also covering Young’s celebrated authorized output including ‘Harvest,’ ‘Tonight’s The Night’ and ‘Rust Never Sleeps.’

Not limited to merely the audio side, Boyd also tackles Young’s extensive videography to shed some light on nuggets from the out-of-print concert performances (all of which, like most Neil Young fans, we’d love to see re-releases of!).

Boyd will share some of those videos with fellow fans during an upcoming book signing in Seattle on June 1. All proceeds from books sold that night will go to benefit Young’s Bridge School organization.

Young himself will debut a memoir later this year. ‘Waging Heavy Peace’ is set for release on October 2.

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Greg Lake has revealed the truth behind rumors stating Jimi Hendrix was planning to collaborate with Emerson, Lake and Palmer shortly before his death.

Lake has been a fixture on the rock scene since he made his presence known as vocalist and bassist on the first two incredible albums by King Crimson — 1969′s ‘In The Court Of The Crimson King’ and ‘In The Wake Of Poseidon’ fromm 1970. Since then he has, of course, gone on to the higher realms of success with Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Asia.

Currently on his ‘Songs Of A Lifetime‘ solo tour, he spoke with the Phoenix New Times about a musical union that never quite materialized between himself and Hendrix: “Jimi used to come and watch King Crimson,” Lake said, “When Keith [Emerson] and I got together we went looking for a drummer. The first person I talked to was Mitch Mitchell because the Experience had just broken up and Jimi was off doing this Band of Gypsies thing. Mitch was available at the time, and he said maybe we should get Jimi together. He’ll be finished with this band of Gypsies thing in a few weeks, and we can get together and maybe the four of us should play. I said, ‘fair enough,’ and that’s how we left it.”

“A couple of days later,” he continues, “we got a call from Roger Stigwood (Bee Gees and Cream manager), who said ‘Look, I’ve got the perfect drummer for you. A guy called Carl Palmer.’  We played together, it was instantaneously obvious that the chemistry was right. That was the band we were looking for. And so that was it really. We made a decision on the spot. A short while after Jimi was found dead in an apartment in London. The press got a hold of the story that we might jam with Jimi, and speculated that the group would be called HELP. But, alas, it was just a rumor.”