Rolling Stones Retiring? Don't Bet On It
Every so often, rumors get started about the imminent retirement of one of rock's oldest continuously active bands, Rolling Stones. This week, a single anonymous source (and you know how reliable they are) told London's The Sun newspaper (no comment on how reliable it is) that the Stones were cooking up a final tour for 2011.

Turns out they were apparently half right, according to band sources. Yes, they are negotiating with promoters for a big tour next year but, no, they are not planning to retire. And why should they? Look at a list of the top 10 highest grossing tours of all time. Three of them were Stones tours, including their most recent (2005-06) which generated more than $550-million in ticket sales. As long as the (cash) cow is producing that much milk, it doesn't make much sense to leave the farm.

Cars Talk
Also being hinted at is a reunion of the surviving members of The Cars (Rick Ocasek, Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes and David Robinson) who split in 1987 and haven't performed together since. The tantalizing prospect of a reunion surfaced on the band's Facebook page when a new photo of the surviving members was posted, and nobody in the band denied the possibility. That doesn't mean they confirmed it either. Hawkes told Boston Globe "I hate to be vague, but I really can't say. It's a crazy world." Earlier this year, Ocasek told Rolling Stone that he was working on something that he called "a surprise."

Easton, Hawkes and Todd Rundgren got together as the New Cars in 2005 but that was short lived. The possibility of a reunion of all the original members ended when vocalist/bassist Benjamin Orr died of cancer in 2000.

Heart - "Crazy on You"
As Heart prepare to release their 13th studio album next month (Red Velvet Car on 8/31) we're reminded of their tremendous staying power and lasting influence as one of the preeminent bands of the classic rock era. Alert your hands and at least one of your feet that they will be busy clapping and tapping for the next few minutes as you watch this 1976 performance of "Crazy on You" (love me some of that acoustic finger picking intro, too!)

^{Photo by Kevin Winter / Getty Images}

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Pink Floyd - "Comfortably Numb"
One way to measure the influence of a band's music is by the way it stands the test of time. By that yardstick, the music of Pink Floyd is as unique and as relevant today as it was three or four decades ago when it was created.

In July 2005, some 25 years after The Wall established its place in classic rock history, the artists who were responsible for it -- (left-to-right in the photo) guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour, composer/vocalist/bassist Roger Waters, drummer Nick Mason, keyboardist Richard "Rick" Wright -- came together one last time, at the London Live 8 benefit concert.

They closed their set that day with one of the most memorable songs from one of their most memorable albums: "Comfortably Numb" from The Wall.

Dweezil Zappa's latest tribute to his late father will be an album titled What The Hell Was I Thinking. Featured players include Eddie Van Halen, Queen's Brian May, Angus and Malcolm Young (AC/DC) and Ratt's Warren De Martini. Release date for the Frank Zappa tribute hasn't been announced yet.

Resting From Rock
Steve Morse is branching into some new musical territory with Angelfire, an acoustic album he has recorded with vocalist Sarah Spencer. In the album's liner notes, the Deep Purple guitarist says, "Even though I play in a hard rock band and a heavy instrumental group [Steve Morse Band] I like to listen to much different music than I play. Sarah's voice became the meditative, soothing sound that balanced all the chaos and over the top energy of my touring life." Angelfire drops August 11.

^{Photo courtesy Bill Evans Media}

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