Blog Posts by Andy Greene

Metallica just wrapped up a grueling two-year tour behind 2008's Death Magnetic, but in May they'll head back into the studio to begin a new project. "We want to record it in two weeks," guitarist Kirk Hammett tells Rolling Stone. "We had planned on doing it in March, but we pushed it back to May. I don't want to give too much away, but it's not really 100 percent a Metallica record. It's a recording project, let's put it that way. Without getting too deep into it, it's more a recording project than a bona fide Metallica album. Whether or not we can pull it off in just two weeks remains to be seen."

Metallica's Kirk Hammett Remembers Gary Moore

Whatever that means, Hammett is also looking forward to playing the Big 4 Festival April 23rd with Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax. "It's like a big class reunion," he says. "It's super cool because I'm really tight with the guys in Anthrax and I love the guys in Slayer and, you know, I'm never really bothered by the Megadeth guys." 

Metallica

Days after the news came down that guitar great Gary Moore died, Metallica's Kirk Hammett called Rolling Stone from his home in Hawaii to talk about his guitar idol. Here is his remembrance.

Gary Moore is definitely in my list of top five guitar influences, right up with Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Michael Schenker. His influence is strong to the point that the opening lick of the guitar solo of "Master of Puppets" is a variation of a lick that Gary Moore played a lot. I remember the first time hearing his blues album and just getting totally blown away - not only by the playing but by the sound of it too, his tone. And I remember being so inspired that I wrote a couple riffs just based on his sound and his feel. And those riffs ended up in "The Unforgiven" on The Black Album.

Thin Lizzy Guitarist Gary Moore Dead At 58

I first heard of him in the late 1970s.  I was a big Thin Lizzy fan then.  I had seen them on the Dangerous tour and not long afterwards I

This May Elvis Costello will finally answer his fan's prayers by reviving the "Spectacular Spinning Songbook" for an American theater tour. Originally staged in 1986, the tour will feature a large wheel of 40 songs that is spun between songs to randomly determine the setlist.

According to a press release, the original wheel now resides at the (possibly fictional) Hartlepool Museum of Showbusiness Machinery, but a new one has been rebuilt from the original blueprints. Costello will be backed for the gigs by The Imposters, which features keyboardist Steve Nieve, drummer Pete Thomas and bassist Davey Fargher.

Photo Gallery: Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint At The Beacon Theater

The songs on the wheel will include hits, rarities and covers. An partial image of the wheel revealed in a press release lists "God Give Me Strength," "Accidents Will Happen," "Alison," "Watching The Detectives," "Puppet Girl" and "Almost Blue." Select audience members will be asked to spin the wheel between

The third date of the Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band 2011 tour has been released: They will play at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan on April 2nd. Tickets go on sale February 12th at 10:00 a.m. EST through Ticketmaster.

Photos: Random Notes

Seger isn't venturing far from his Michigan home on these early tour dates. The first two are in Saginaw, Michigan and right over the state border in Toledo, Ohio. Last week a source close to the Seger camp told Rolling Stone that 20 to 30 dates are planned for the Spring, with another leg of the tour expected to follow next fall. In between the tours Seger hopes to complete work on his 17th studio album, a follow-up to 2006s Face The Promise.

Photo by Patti Ouderkirk/WireImage

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's next major exhibit will honor 70 years of women in popular music - from Mamie Smith's first blues recordings in 1920 through Lady Gaga's most recent hits. The exhibit, which opens to the public on May 13th, will honor more than 50 female artists and will take up two floors of the museum.

Photos: Women Who Rock

"This exhibit is going to illustrate the vital role women played in shaping the evolution of rock and roll," said Jim Henke, vice president of exhibitions and curatorial affairs for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. "Visitors are going walk away from this exhibit with a deeper appreciation of how these artists contributed to the rock and roll art form and changed our society."

The 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees

A stunning collection of artifacts have been collected for the exhibit, including the already infamous "meat dress" that Lady Gaga wore to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, Madonna's handwritten lyrics to "Erotica," the

Billy Joel has responded to Elton John's allegations in the new Rolling Stone that he's never seriously attempted to curb his drinking habits. "I've worked with Elton for such a long time and I've enjoyed our relationship too much to let something as random as these comments change my affection for him," Joel said in a statement. "Elton is just being Elton."

Elton John Gives Billy Joel 'Tough Love' In New Rolling Stone Cover Story

In the interview, John was also critical of Joel's decision to stop writing new music. "At the end of the day, he's coasting," John said."I always say, 'Billy, can't you write another song?' It's either fear or laziness. It upsets me. Billy's a conundrum. We've had so many cancelled tours because of illnesses and various other things, alcoholism. He's going to hate me for this, but every time he goes to rehab they've been ligh. When I went to rehab, I had to clean the floors. He goes to rehab where they have TVs. I love you, Billy, and this is tough love.

See video from John's cover shoot below.

In the new issue of Rolling Stone - on stands and in the digital archives Friday (subscription required) - Elton John reflects on his 40-year career. Just days after the birth of his son Zachary, John speaks about the joys of fatherhood, his enduring relationship with lyricist Bernie Taupin, how he's mentored Eminem through difficult times - and his true feelings about his longtime friend and tourmate Billy Joel.

Rolling Stone's 1976 Cover Story: Elton John: Lonely at the Top

"At the end of the day, he's coasting," John tells Scaggs."I always say, 'Billy, can't you write another song?' It's either fear or laziness. It upsets me. Billy's a conundrum. We've had so many cancelled tours because of illnesses and various other things, alcoholism."

The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time: Elton John

He goes on to criticize Joel's past attempts to stop drinking. "He's going to hate me for this, but every time he goes to rehab they've been light," John

Bob Seger's decision to go on tour this spring was as much as a shock to the singer's team of advisors as it was to his fans. "Real quietly, without anybody knowing it, they booked 40 to 50 dates for him last year," a source close to Seger tells Rolling Stone. "It just came up too quickly and Bob walked away from them. All of a sudden in January he called up and said 'Let's do it now.' They had to say to him 'No, we don't have time. We need another two to three months to get it ready.' It's been a real scramble for them.'"

Bob Seger Announces American Tour

Seger's team has booked 20 to 30 dates for a two-and-a-half month American arena tour (that was announced earlier this week on a teaser video on his website) that kicks off in March. The first batch of dates are going to be announced next week, but the details are still being worked out. For one thing, ticket price points have yet to be finalized. More crucially, Seger's drummer Don Brewer's tour schedule with Grand Funk Railroad has