I’m diving into a topic that will have a split opinion.  I just know it will because there are those of us who have grown up in the infancy and teen years of Rock, back when every new style was truly innovative.  It was easy to find something that you enjoyed, something that you could get all excited about.  It was new.

And then there are those of us who have grown up in this new era of music.  We don’t know that a lot of the ‘new’ music is just a new shadow of an older form and style, or, if we do, .  It sounds fresh and exciting to us.

But then you get the observer; the person who truly loves music and has been there from the beginning (or near it anyway).  With a heartful of love for many of the old classics, there is still much going on that is fun and exciting to listen to.  But the observer knows one thing.  They have heard it before.  And so, how excited can they really get?

This is the sad thing right here.  Is Rock dead?  The observer knows that there is nothing that hasn’t been heard before in Rock, there’s nothing truly new.  If innovation in Rock music has passed, in ALL of its many forms, then are we merely beating a dying (or already dead) horse?  I think so.  Can there be innovation, a new style or form that forces us to pay attention?  I’m not so sure, not anymore.

The age of the true Rock star has come and gone.  Yes, there are currently many fantastically talented bands that would have ruled the roost…if they had been a part of music ‘back then.”  But now, they are a part of a gargantuan scene that depends on influences way before their time.  If bands these days did not use past influences, what WOULD we be listening to now?

Somehow I just can’t help thinking that Jack White is super pissed.  Missing the great years with his kind of talent has to have him in fits.  I know it would me.

This is a topic that deserves further exploration.  For example, there’s the question of available money to buy music with.  In the past, we’ve had to pick and choose - carefully – which albums we bought because of limited funds.  You loved what you bought for the most part (or pissed when the album sucked).  Today, the same concept would hold true except we now have access to every piece of music recorded via the internet, which incredibly dilutes our already taxed attention spans.

Over the weeks, we’ll expand on these thoughts, perhaps even help to peel away the dead skin.  If Rock is to resurge as a force, we need to change.  Digital-age Rock is too much music, too much accessibility.

We have two reviews for you today. We have listened to several very good albums that we really want you to know about. The first is the just released high-profile Horehound by The Dead Weather (the band that features Jack White on drums, as well as Alison Mosshart (The Kills), Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age), and Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs)). Also, I have a review for the recently released new Toni Childs album called Keep the Faith. Both are solid efforts worth your attention.

We're also introducing you to several new bands that include Himalaya from NYC, and The Rifles from the UK. Scroll down for the links there.

We're starting a new Best of Band Poll. But this time, we're going with a solo artist, Neil Diamond. Love him or hate him, he's had a series of periods and plenty of recorded albums to challenge our Poll greatly. I myself am a big fan. It is very difficult to select one for me (not as difficult to banish some though) as there are several that, at any given time, really works for me. One is Serenade. There are eight strong tracks on this album, all of which i can listen to forever. Another is Moods. And those two are not alone. Now here's the thing: Because this will create some soul-searching for a lot given his large catalogue, it is logical to do this Poll now even though I will be gone from the site until August 3 (beginning July 20; July 17 is last post until the 3rd) and will not be able to post results until then. So give it a think and then vote for the Best of Neil Diamond.

The bad news is that I only have 4 emails for votes. Wow. I didn't expect this one to burn but I thought for sure that we'd see better participation. Hmmm.

Before we go, I need to tell you (and I'm ashamed to do so) but I find that I will, once again, be absent for a period and that TAP will be dark during that period. Worse, it's coming up. There will be a July 17 post but then the next post will not happen again until <gulp> August 3. But after that we should be good the rest of the year with the usual breaks for holidays. We'll be back on Wednesday!

More Great Album Covers.

Here's the second half of Great Album Covers as suggested by Daniel H:

We mentioned on last post that Shout! Factory is releasing an Essential 3.0 series title for The Marshall Tucker Band on September 1. I have noted that there will also be a title for Emerson, Lake & Palmer, same date. I have an email in to Shout! Factory to get an idea on what this series entails. More info forthcoming...

Tantric and their new album, Mind Control, will be getting a new release date for the album. The new date is August 4.

Rhino Records will be releasing a 4CD Box for Rod Stewart called The Rod Stewart Sessions 1971-1998 on September 29.

American Recordings and Columbia Records will release the debut by The Avett Brothers called I And Love And You, planning for September 22.

LAW Records (owned by Pepper) will be releasing the third album by Passafire. Called Everyone on Everynight, it is planned for September 15.

Epic Records will release the new Chevelle album, Sci-Fi Crimes, on September 1.

I know that you don't want to hear it (I understand) but Capitol Records is making with the Christmas titles already. These are planned for August 25. They are for The Beach Boys (Christmas Harmony); Nat King Cole (The Christmas Song); The Chipmunks (Christmas With the Chipmunks).

There are three Radiohead Limited Edition sets coming for Kid A; Amnesiac; and Hail to the Thief. These titles will be available as 2CD/DVD sets, and single CD issues. These are scheduled for August 25.

Watch for a DVD of Elvis Presley called Love Me Tender: The Love Song, which is planned for August 25.

Candlelight Records will release a collection for Opeth called The Candlelight Years on August 25.

Has anyone heard the interesting thought from EMI where they will be releasing original and historical 45s (A/B sides) on CD?

Hollywood favours an industrial style of music when soundtracking for their high energy action films.  Good reasoning as that style of music is like audio adrenaline and seems to engage the listener with heart-pounding effect.  And within a film that stars the current energetic action hero, Jason Statham, such music just seems right.

Composed and performed by Mike Patton of Faith No More/Fantomas fame, this experimentally  industrial 32-track set is the wired, standalone music from the Statham vehicle, Crank: High Voltage.  It is a definite fan-set as it is quite musically inconsistent, transitioning from one track to another.  But Patton fans are used to the eclectic manner in which he works and so a set like this should be satisfying to them.  But traditional soundtrack buyers should beware.  What works with visual counterparts within the film, may be bizarre in a non-visual environment.   ** ½

Nettwerk Records will digitally release the 4-track EP, named Great Escape, by UK's The Rifles, whom Paul Weller of The Jam has gushed about, on July 28. Later in the year, Nettwerk will release their full-length album, which we'll be sure to cover. Three tracks found on this release will NOT be found on the band's upcoming album. Check 'em out at Facebook, and/or MySpace, and/or their official site.