A new compilation of their best songs for a band like Deep Purple may sound a little... unuseful. In 2010 Universal Music Enterprise decided to publish an "Icon" series of the most popular artists in music history. At the start of 2012 it's Deep Purlple's turn, their Icon compilation is published through Mercury Records and contains 5 studio recordings and 6 live recordings of the band's most famous songs. This, as others of the "Icon" series, to use the company's words, promises to offer an "unprecedented value to consumers"; we at MusicAdvisor think that the only reason for this must be to capture the attention of the new generations on the artists and bands that made the history of rock music. If this is the target then let's welcome this and other compilations, because good rock music always deserves support and above all knowledge of its history.
As concerns Deep Purple they seem in a never ending tour in recent years: they've just planned dates in North America for February 2012 and European dates for Summer and Autumn 2012.

“Woe to You Oh Earth and Sea
For the Devil sends the beast with wrath
Because he knows the time is short
Let him who have understanding
Reckon the number of the beast
For it is a human number
Its number is six hundred and sixty six.”

This is probably the most famous and known spoken introduction to a heavy metal song in history. When we hear the first words (on a record, on the radio, on the internet, in a concert) we immediately know Iron Maiden are starting one of their biggest hits. Barry Clayton, the man who peformed this intro died some days ago at the age of 80 in a care home in the UK. He was certainly not fond or interested in heavy metal music, but he was asked for his voice over by Iron Maiden when they spotted this English actor reading ghost stories at Capital London Radio. The much more famous actor Vincent Price (who's unforgettable voice over appears in Michael Jackson's Thriller song) was first contacted for The Number Of The Beast, but his "cachet" was too high for Iron Maiden. Therefore the band, after listening to him on the radio, asked Barry Clayton to... "imitate" Price's voice for their introduction. And that was the most famous spoken introduction to a heavy metal song in history: R.I.P. Mr. Clayton.

Next year will be an interesting one. Leave aside the usual prophecy for the date of end of the world; leave aside the further developments of the economic crisis in which "we all" are living (we always forget that expressions like "we all" or "economic crisis" mean nothing if we think that we can talk about music every day while the majority of human beings have not this chance!!!); let's take some notes as concerns the world we love at MusicAdvisor.
Two of the most important protagonists, passed away many years ago but always massively present in everybody's mind, will be celebrated in 2012 with important exhibitions and events: Elvis Presley will be remembered on the 35th anniversary of his passing away with 3 exhibitions in Graceland, his home in Memphis, from January 5 until the end of March. Jimi Hendrix will have an entire theme park dedicated to his memory in his birthplace, Seattle, the Jimi Hendrix Park.
Watch out for the 2012 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductions, with possible "one-night-but-who-knows" reunions: next year Guns N' Roses with all original members, Faces and Small Faces with Rod Stewart, Red Hot Chili Peppers with John Frusciante.
Something will also surely happen on Radiohead side next year, it's difficult to predict all their movements, will they release one or more digital albums, will they play all new material in their imminent tour? And will the debut album for supergroup Atoms For Peace finally see the light?
After 20 years of abscence, legendary Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers will be on a summer tour all over Europe. And don't forget Black Sabbath reunion, one of the biggest events for sure and Van Halen back with David Lee Roth (album + tour?)!!!  Metallica will probably release a new studio album, in the meantime their next summer live acts will focus on the entire performance of their Black Album of 1991. Mike Portnoy announced an imminent studio album along with Neal Morse and Steve Morse. Superb Italian guitarist Alex Masi has his new work ready.
And... the Rolling Stones? we're still waiting for their 50th surprise!!! This is just a small slice of the music pie we'll eat in 2012. Keep on Rockin' from MusicAdvisor!!!

Bestival 2011 is the new live album for the Cure, the first official live since 1993. This is their first complete concert to be entirely availabile on an album; recorded during their only 2011 headline concert at the Bestival open-air on the Isle Of Wight, September 10, 2011, it also features Roger O'Donnell on keyboards, back in the band after six years. The band stated that Bestival 2011 paves the way for a comeback studio album in 2012, thus assuring Cure fans all over the world on their future. Robert Smith also pointed out that all the Bestival 2011 generated income will be devolved to the charitable organisation “Isle of Wight Youth Trust”: a further reason to buy this album!!!

One thing is sure, the Stones will be back soon with something; a new album, a world tour or whatever suits for the 50th anniversary of their existence. Surprises are always behind the corner when Keith Richards and Mick Jagger talk to the press about possible projects: this time it seems that all those who have been part of the greatest rock'n'roll band in history are invited to the party, also Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor, "Why Not?" said Sir Mick some days ago. In the meantime a re-issue of the 1978 gem Some Girls hits the stores these days, with a special Deluxe package containing a bonus CD with 12 previously unreleased tracks of that period. Some Girls was in a way a suprising album, a (irriverent, what else?) response to the music trends of the time, disco and punk (listen to the opener track "Miss You" and the closing "Shattered" and let us know), and it was a great wolrlwide success, irregardless of the harsh criticism that the contemporary music protagonists directed to the Stones, defining them as dinosaurs of rock: what should these say today? Ok, they're old but they're still around talking about their future, while a lot of those bands and artists that criticized them in the late 70s... cannot talk the same in 2011...

"Michael used to come and see us when we were on tour in the States. He and Freddie became close friends, close enough to record a couple of tracks together at Michael's house, tracks which have never seen the light of day." If this would have been told by anyone but Brian May, maybe nobody could believe it possible. But in an interview with the Evening Standard, May himself disclosed the serious possibilty that Queen will release in 2012 a series of duets recorded by Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson. It's not clear how many they are, but Queen already talked to Jackson's estate which gave their OK to the operation. Queen also revealed plans for a new album and maybe a musical, including old recording material with Freddy Mercury that dates back 1991, just before the artist's death. Will also the duets be included in this project? Great news anyway for all fans of these two icons, and for all good music lovers!!!

We all at MusicAdvisor hoped to write a news like this at some point. We somehow predicted what was going to happen one year and a half ago when we wrote sirens for reunion; now we like to think that these sirens have transformed in a sinister bell, similar to the one that tolls at the very beginning of the first Black Sabbath, marking the "nativity" of a new concept of music. On 11.11.11 during a private ceremony presented by Henry Rollins (who in the past collaborated with Tony Iommi) at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, the original ones Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward (who performed right there on the 11.11.1970 their first American gig supporting Alice Cooper) announced to the world what everyone wanted to hear: reunion, new album (the first since 1978 with the original formation), new world tour. That's it, the history of downer rock (most commonly heavy metal) is back, there's nowhere else we can go but there, when they'll come to our countries.

In Rome there's an event since 35 years that brings to the eternal city the best international jazz artists: it's Roma Jazz Festival that this November 2011 reaches his 35th anniversary: the whole downtown is permeated by a "jazzy" atmosphere in his clubs and bars while the main events take place at the Audotorium Parco Della Musica. This year from 8 to 30 November we could see live performances of Dave Holland & Pepe Habichuela feat. Josemi Carmona, Mike Stern Band, Pat Metheny Trio, Colin Vallon Trio, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stefano Bollani - Hamilton De Holanda, Tigran Trio, Paolo Fresu - Daniele di Bonaventura - A Filetta, among the many others. All this surrounded by uncountable creative and art events by Italian and international artists, with a common aim in their mind: to catch the "Jazz Appeal” which is the aim of this 2011 festival too. MusicAdvisor wishes to all jazz lovers a nice stay in Rome!

Mylo Xyloto, the fifth studio album by Coldplay hit the stores on 24 October 2011 and it will be soon a protagonist on the world's music sales charts (more than 120,000 copies sold over the UK in first 3 days). Mylo Xyloto has been long awaited by the band's fans (nearly 2 years since Coldplay started recording it) and singer Chris Martin did his best to increase curiosity with his interviews: in some of them he stated that the best song in this album is actually "Princess of China", a surprising collaboration with "superguest" Rihanna, and also that the new album is a schizophrenic concept with a happy ending. This will also be remembered as the first album in history to feature an "enoxification", a new verb coined by maybe the only man in British music scene who could possibly do it, Brian Eno, who strongly contributed to composition. After presenting the new album in Madrid during a press conference and a concert live on Youtube, Coldplay already planned live European dates and TV appearances for this Autumn 2011. More dates will surely follow for 2012.

We shall wait few days and see... Lou Reed described Lulu, his musical collaboration with Metallica, also as "the best thing I ever did".
Recorded between April and June 2011, Lulu is a concept project by Lou Reed, who had written songs over the years inspired by 2 plays (Earth Spirit and Pandora’s Box) of late 1800 and early 1900, conceived by German expressionist playwright Frank Wedekind, which tell about the life of a young, abused dancer, Lulu. After their meeting in 2009 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary Concert, Metallica decided to write music with Lou Reed, based on Reed's demos and lyrics on the story of Lulu.
The wait for one of the biggest recording events in 2011 (or maybe the biggest) is nearly finished. On October 31 the world can start to discover what surely has been one of the most unthinkable collaborations of all time in rock history. Both Lou Reed and Metallica fans will have a lot to listen to (87 minutes of "avant-garde-theatrialic hard rock metal"), to talk about and to praise or criticize or ignore. Isn't that the beauty of music?