‘The Beatles: Get Back’ Doc Set for Release on Blu-Ray and DVD This Summer — This Time It’s for Real

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticThe time has come today for the Rolling Stones to introduce the 1966 song “Out of Time” into their setlist. Improbable as it may seem, given how often the song has been covered by others or licensed for the movies, the band had never performed the tune live until it showed up at the Stones’ European tour opening Wednesday night in Madrid, Spain.There was a rumor the song might show up, as eavesdroppers on tour rehearsals had heard the Stones trying out “Out of Time,” although there are typically rarities that they test during rehearsal periods that seldom or never make it onto a tour. So its actual appearance at the Metropolitano Stadium opener was considered a blessed event indeed.Given the enduring popularity of the song among fans, some might assume it was released as a single in ’66, but that wasn’t the case after it first appeared as an “Aftermath” album cut.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticWolfgang Van Halen is not pulling any punches when it comes to an impending TV documentary special about the death of his father, Eddie Van Halen, calling it “pathetic and heartless” and wishing a pox on everyone who created the doc or even plans to tune in.“Fuck Reelz Channel, fuck everyone that works on this show, and fuck you if you watch it. Fucking disgusting trying to glamorize someone’s death from cancer,” tweeted Van Halen, 31.His outrage was in response to a Blabbermouth tweet publicizing the June 5 premiere of “Autopsy: The Last Hours Of Eddie Van Halen,” an episode of the ongoing series “Autopsy: The Last Hours of…”Under her user name @Wolfiesmom, Valerie Bertinelli, Eddie Van Halen’s former wife, responded to Wolfgang’s tweet with her own shorter thought on the special: “Good Christ this is disgusting.” Wolfgang played bass alongside his guitar-hero father in the band Van Halen from 2006 forward.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticWhen Jack White has performed in Los Angeles on past post-White Stripes tours, he’s often chosen venues that seem to fit his grand but down-and-dirty rock aesthetic: historic, stately and maybe dimly grungy places like the Shrine and Mayan. Take a look at the itinerary for his in-progress “Supply Chain Issues Tour,” though, and you’ll find that he’s favoring newer, shinier places.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticThe recipients of the Academy of Country Music’s annual “ACM Honors” for 2022 were announced Wednesday, with the honorees at the ACM’s industry-centric adjunct ceremony in August to include Morgan Wallen, Shania Twain, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, ASCAP exec Connie Bradley and the television series “Yellowstone.”The ceremony will take place August 14 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The show is not to be confused with the org’s competitive ACM Awards broadcast, which took place March 7 at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium and went out over Prime Video this year.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticHalsey’s next single has a release date — with or without a TikTok moment to fuel it. Capitol Records announced in a tweet Tuesday morning that “So Good” will come out June 9, with Halsey additionally declaring that the “fiasco” over its release is apparently over.Curiously, the release date was framed as an open letter to Halsey, suggesting that the two parties may still be doing a lot of their dialoguing via social media right now, although the promise of “open dialogue” may be as much for the fans and other artists who have rallied behind Halsey in the dispute as for the artist.“Halsey,” tweeted Capitol, tagging the singer, “we love you and are here to support you.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticEarlier this year, Elvis Costello released an album titled “The Boy Named If.” Now, as a follow-up, he’s putting out an EP of songs that really were conceived or covered when he was a boy.His first band, in 1972, was called Rusty, and now he and another principal from that group, Allan Mayes, have joined forces to record and release the very first Rusty EP — or, as Costello says of it, “the record we would have cut when we were 18, if anyone had let us.”The six-song release, “The Resurrection of Rust,” is already being released, exclusively for now, at Costello’s tour stops in the U.K.; it showed up at his merch table Sunday night in Leeds, much to the puzzlement of fans who wondered what a “Rust” was. It comes out for everyone else on June 10, digitally and on CD in territories except the U.S.; July 1, on CD in the U.S.; and on vinyl worldwide later in the summer.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticFor the last 25 years, almost, the group Wilco has been running away from any sort of descriptive tag that has “country” in it, as a suffix or anything else, after Jeff Tweedy’s previous band, Uncle Tupelo, helped kick off the wave of alt-country that continues to be a fixture of modern American music as we know it. Of course, no matter how far they strayed, if you had ears to hear, the influence never really went away.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticOlivia Rodrigo probably isn’t begging to be compared to Paul McCartney. No one would wish that on a superstar — we can call her that now, right? — who just turned 19 years three months ago.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticIn another example of it raining when it pours, the greater Los Angeles area, which previously had zero country or Americana festivals, is now going to have two in the coming months. The latest to be announced is the BeachLife Ranch Country & Americana Festival, to take place Sept.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticAerosmith singer Steven Tyler has entered rehab, necessitating the cancellation of a run of shows in Las Vegas this summer, the veteran band announced on social media Tuesday.The group said in a joint statement that Tyler, whose previous experience with rehab is well-known, relapsed as a result of dealing with pain management in the process of having foot surgery.Refunds for the concerts, part of the group’s “Deuces Are Wild” residency at the Dolby Live theater at Park MGM, will be automatically processed through Ticketmaster or can be obtained at the point of purchase, the band said. The announcement added that a further set of residency shows is expected to proceed beginning in September.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticBob Neuwirth, a recording artist and mainstay of the New York City folk scene in the 1960s, and a collaborator with Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, John Cale and Peter Case, among others, died in Santa Monica Wednesday night at age 82. The cause of death was heart failure.“On Wednesday evening in Santa Monica, Bob Neuwirth’s big heart gave out,” said his longtime partner, entertainment executive Paula Batson, in a statement. “He was 82 years old and would have been 83 in June.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticJust two weeks after the last crop of honorees was formally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in a medallion ceremony — including the Judds — the next trio of legends to be voted in has been announced, and it includes the name that has most often been cited by Hall-watchers as a snub: the long-overdue Jerry Lee Lewis.Also being ushered in are the late country star Keith Whitley — another figure that many would have like to have seen getting in much sooner — and arguably the most famous still-living executive to have reigned over Music Row, Joe Galante.In stark contrast to the more licentious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, country’s hall only inducts three or four new members each year, including those who get in via session player or executive categories, which creates a bottleneck that leaves plenty of icons still waiting their turn, making all three of these inductions long-sought and hard-fought by their champions. The inductees were announced in a ceremony at the Hall Tuesday morning by Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks, who as Brooks and Dunn are already in the hall themselves.Lewis was voted in as the sole representative of the Veterans Era Artist category, whereas Whitley will be inducted as the lone Modern Era Artist choice for this year.  Galante is getting in in the Non-Performer category, awarded every third year in rotation with Recording and/or Touring Musician and Songwriter categories.“It’s a great honor and a pleasure to be here in the Country Music Hall of Fame,” said Lewis, making an entrance at the end of the morning ceremony.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic“Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration” was broadcast live on CMT Sunday night two weeks and one day after the country music legend died. But it hadn’t been half that long in the planning. The show’s gestation really came just a week prior to air date, on — appropriately enough — Mother’s Day.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticThe Billboard Music Awards telecast positioned itself this year as the official awards show of forgiveness for so-called “canceled” stars, with performance slots offered to both Morgan Wallen and Travis Scott. In the case of Wallen, that also extended to a major on-air award, as Wallen was called to the BBMAs’ podium Sunday night to accept a trophy for top country artist.It wasn’t Wallen’s first win at an awards show since his career time-out in early 2021; he won album of the year at the fan-voted Academy of Country Music Awards in March.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticOne of pop culture’s most famous mother figures got a sendoff from her community at the Mother Church of country music Sunday, as Wynonna and Ashley Judd welcomed country stars and other celebrities to Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium for “Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration,” a tribute that was broadcast live on CMT.A frequently heaven-looking Wynonna, who with her late mother was half of the country duo the Judds, sang “River of Time” early in the ceremony, then closed it joined by her local Christ Church choir for what was the pair’s final hit, “Love Will Build a Bridge.” She also participated in a recreation of the mother/daughter harmonies by pairing up with Brandi Carlile for a duet of “The Rose,” preceded by a video testimonial by Bette Midler. Pure magic on stage tonight ✨ @Wynonna @brandicarlile pic.twitter.com/5XmUe8EdGA— CMT (@CMT) May 16, 2022“It’s so strange to be here, but natural at the same time,” said Wynonna.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticPaul McCartney has something to prove. What that is is between him and his shrink, although maybe a desire to seem and feel undiminished is not as mysterious as all that.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticSocial justice got nearly equal time with branding at the 2022 Clio Awards, as music exec Jason Flom got a special award for his work on criminal justice reform, and a public service spot that married the message of Sandy Hook Promise and Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” won a Clio in the “social good” category.Six-time Grammy nominee Yola hosted the event, which was being held during the Music Biz conference in Nashville for the first time, at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville. Organizers further took advantage of the locale to book country music artists Breland and Lily Rose as guest performers.Mary J.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticMusic publishing, a part of the industry that rarely raises its hand to be its hottest or most controversial subject, has recently been an uncharacteristic source of news headlines again and again, due to a seeming gold rush that has major artist-songwriters selling off their catalogs for huge figures. As the chairman-CEO of Sony Music Publishing, Jon Platt naturally has a few thoughts about this crest of cashing in. And they’re mixed, even if he’s not about to wax gloomy about writers getting their due.“There’s no one particular answer to this —  no one-size-fits-all answer, to be honest with you,” Platt said during a keynote Q&A at the annual Music Biz conference in Nashville Wednesday.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticWho’s introspective? Pete Townshend is, in a new two-hour release from Audible that is effectively a casual audio sequel to his formal autobiography, 2012’s “Who I Am.” The part-talking, part-rocking project, “Somebody Saved Me,” which came out Friday, is an Audible Original that’s essential listening for anyone who cares about the Who, which is a demographic that has a pretty substantial overlap with people who care about rock ‘n’ roll generally.In the 27th installation of Audible’s laudable “Words + Music” series, the Who’s songwriter and guitarist goes deeper into what he calls the Who’s “middle age,” a period that’s bookended roughly by the death of drummer Keith Moon in 1978 on one end and the equally sudden passing of John Entwistle in 2002, a time frame he admits he didn’t deal with as much as he could have in his book. Townshend talks about the band’s on-again, off-again status in the wake of those tragedies and why he and singer Roger Daltrey ultimately carried on in both cases, even as the band’s main creative force has not been shy about sometimes preferring the less lucrative benefits of his solo career over dealing with the band legacy decades on.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticWhen the song “This Love” appeared on Taylor Swift’s “1989” in 2014, it was a bit of a sleeper track that didn’t get undue attention amid the splashier run of singles off that blockbuster album. But fans won’t be sleeping on it today.