PEARL JAM TO REISSUE TEN

In March, Pearl Jam is going to reissue their classic debut, 1992's Ten, kicking off a two-year reissue campaign lasting through 2011, the band's 20th anniversary. Of course the band don't want to make this some BS lame-ass reissue. They had Brendan O'Brien remix the entire album: Rick Parashar produced the album, but Brendan produced their next few albums, Vs., Vitalogy and No Code, and will be producing their next one also. They've often said that they wished he produced Ten, and he actually did remix some Ten tracks for their rearviewmirror best of. Plus, Jeff Ament, who was the art director on the debut, got to rework some of the art.

They're going all out with four different editions: the "Legacy Edition" just has the remastered original album and the new remix, plus six bonus tracks. The "Deluxe Edition" adds a DVD of their legendary episode of MTV Unplugged, including "Oceans," which didn't make the broadcast. The "Vinyl Collection" is the remastered and the remixed versions on vinyl.

But the big kahuna is the "Super Deluxe Edition," which includes all of the above, plus a 2 LP live set recorded 9/20/92 in Seattle (mixed by Brendan OBrien) and a cassette - yes a cassette - replicating the original "Momma-Son" Pearl Jam demo, the music recorded by Jeff, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready and their friend (and future drummer) Jack Irons, which they sent to Eddie Vedder, who wrote lyrics and recorded his vocals over it and sent it back... the rest is history.

The Super Deluxe version goes for $140, but they're making it worth it. I have to say: I have NEVER felt ripped off by Pearl Jam, and I don't think that I will with this reissue. But even when I get this, I won't get rid of my original Ten CD. I was probably one of the first people to buy it - I was a big fan of Temple Of The Dog and Mother Love Bone - I remember how much that CD meant to me. It still means a lot.

JOHN FOGERTY TO REUNITE WITH...

John Fogerty is going to reunite with The Blue Ridge Rangers! OK, The Blue Ridge Rangers were a one man group consisting of just John Fogerty. It was his first project after the breakup of Creedence Clearwater Revival, and I think he gave it a band name to make the point that he was Creedence. It was a bunch of covers, and I think the album holds up really well. It came out in 1973, and now John is returning to Blue Ridge for another album of covers. I'm a huge fan of John's, I loved his last album Revival, and I can't wait to hear this one. The very busy T-Bone Burnett produced the sessions, which featured Buddy Miller and Kenny Aronoff among other great musicians. He also has a DVD coming out called Comin' Down The Road which features a documentary on his life and career. I'll be curious to see that, but not if they sugar coat it. His anger has gotten the best of him in the past, and taken him away from music for years at a time, I wonder if he'll discuss that in the doc.

JOE SATRIANI VS. COLDPLAY

When I first heard that Joe Satriani was accusing Coldplay
of copying his 2004 song "If I Could Fly" in their "Viva La Vida," well I thought it was a bit of a stretch. Coldplay are hipster dudes who probably are allergic to anything with too much testosterone or flashy technique. Plus, it isn't like Joe is in his commercial prime as he was around the time of Surfing With The Alien. Odds are, Coldplay's members never heard of Joe, much less his song.

Then I checked this video out on YouTube. That is one hell of a coincidence. Hopefully the two parties can work it out, and maybe perform together at the Grammys, letting Coldplay off the legal hook, and giving Joe some much-needed promotion.

THE RACONTEURS NEW SINGLE

You gotta love The Raconteurs.  Their latest release will be a new version of their song "Old Enough," featuring bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs and up-and-coming bluegrass singer Ashley Monroe. It will be a CD single with a guest-less bluegrass version of "Top Yourself," which is my favorite song from their new album. 

The Raconteurs, who seemed to start out as side project for all four members, has turned out to be a great band. I wonder how long it will take them to do a new album - will Jack White do another White Stripes record before they work together again? I guess it's a cool decision to have to make: which awesome band do I work with next? 

NEIL YOUNG'S ARCHIVES VOL. 1

Well, you can now pre-order Neil Young's Archives at Amazon now. I can't believe it's finally going to come out. Some of the producers of the box set recently did a Q&A on the great Neil Young fansite Thrasher's Wheat to talk about it. Check it out. Meanwhile, I have tickets to see Neil at Madison Square Garden in about a week and a half, I can't wait. 

JOHN PAUL JONES TO JAM WITH SONIC YOUTH

When fans bump into John Paul Jones in the street, I bet one question they don't ask him is, "Why don't you collaborate with Sonic Youth on a performance of a piece composed by multi-media artist Takeshisa Kosugi?" Find out more about this at The Guardian. 

I wonder if the Sonic Youth folks know that JPJ's other next move is probably to tour with a Robert Plant-less "Led Zeppelin" featuring the dude from the Creed offshoot band. 

(RED) WIRE ABOUT TO LAUNCH

Over the summer, I wrote about (RED) WIRE, the online music magazine that is part of the Product (RED) project. Basically it features big name artists contributing exclusive songs - they hope that you subscribe to dig the tunes, and the money will go towards fighting hunger and disease in Africa. Learn more about it here. I just watched U2's cover of Greg Lake's (!) "I Believe In Father Christmas," John Legend's cover of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" and The Police with Elvis Costello & The Imposters' mash-up of "Watching The Detectives" and "Walking On The Moon." Pretty cool stuff. I'm happy to pay for this stuff.