Rolling Stone September 21, 2017

MUSIC UNPLUG YOUR MTV As MTV revives its classic celebration of all things acoustic, Unplugged, we look back on the episodes that defined the first run – from Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney to Nirvana and Alice in Chains. FILM ‘POMPEII’ WITH PINK FLOYD Forty years after the release of the band’s legendary Pompeii film, David Gilmour talks about making a movie of his own. COUNTRY SHANIA TWAIN SOUNDS OFF In the run-up to the release of Now, Twain’s first LP in 15 years, we catch up with the country hitmaker. TV HOW AL MADE TV WEIRD Two decades after The Weird Al Show confounded viewers, Yankovic and his cast remember the madness. ALICE COOPER BITES BACK In a career-spanning conversation with host Brian Hiatt, the shock rocker talks about breaking up his band, touring with Johnny Depp, his friendship with Glen Campbell,…

Best of Kendrick BRIAN HIATT’S INTERVIEW with the greatest rapper alive is awesome [“The Humble King,” RS 1294]. I’m a white suburban 46-year-old woman, and when I grow up, I want to be like Kendrick Lamar. Cheri CristRochester, NY KENDRICK IS GREAT, BUT Jay-Z is the greatest rapper alive. And that’s been true for more than 25 years. Nancifvia the Internet DESPITE ALL OF HIS SUCCESS over the past few years, Lamar seems very humble and grounded, and that is such a breath of fresh air. Jeff SwansonEverett, WA Sessions’ Civil War ONLY “ROLLING STONE” could make me feel sorry for a man like Jeff Sessions [“Trump’s Radical Attorney General,” RS 1294]. He may be an intractable ideologue, but I was impressed when he recused himself. I found his commitment to his ideals – as wrong as they…

1. Beck “Dear Life” The follow-up to Beck’s 2014 sad-folk masterstroke, Morning Phase, will be out in October, and our latest taste of the LP has us psyched. Over a juicy hip-hop saunter and a rolling piano that recalls the Beatles’ “Martha My Dear,” he gets his hangdog groove on like it’s 1996. 2. Brand New “Can’t Get It Out” Refugees from the early ’00s emo scene are treating the return of these anthemic depressives like the Second Coming, and for good reason: “Can’t Get It Out” makes not knowing how to deal with your feelings seem like punk-rock heaven. 3. Karen and the Sorrows “Take Me for a Ride” A queer country come-on to a dream girl “in a flatbed Ford” that winks at the Eagles’ “Take It Easy.” Glenn Frey, your legacy is in good hands. 4.…

The Morning Joe host and aspiring rock singer-guitarist just released his debut EP, Mystified. The Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter” This might be the greatest rock song ever written. They retooled their sound and stopped chasing the Beatles. Elvis Costello “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” This has great music, but the lyrics are just so cutting: “I said, ‘I’m so happy I could die.’ She said, ‘Drop dead,’ then left with another guy.” The Beach Boys “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times” The popular songs on Pet Sounds are very uplifting, but there’s such a darkness with songs like this. It’s unbelievable. Paul McCartney and Wings “Let Me Roll It” John Lennon was slaughtering him in the press at this point, and this was his answer back. There’s even a primal scream at the end. It’s pitch-perfect. The Replacements “Alex Chilton” The 1980s…

Bruce Springsteen’s team was cautiously optimistic on August 30th, as the first round of tickets went on sale for “Springsteen on Broadway,” a run of 79 solo acoustic shows in a small theater in New York. Springsteen knew demand for tickets would be enormous, and wanted to make sure they did not go to brokers, many of whom use advanced technology to snatch up 30 to 50 percent of tickets to high-demand shows, then resell them on sites like StubHub. Springsteen decided to try out Verified Fan, a new service that asks fans to sign up before tickets go on sale; after being vetted by the service, they receive a code that places them in a smaller pool, shutting out scalpers in the process. It worked: The next day, only about…

Paul McCartney DATES Through October 2nd McCartney is still playing marathon shows at 75 – and throwing curveballs in. He recently dusted off “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise),” in honor of the LP’s 50th anniversary, and “In Spite of All the Danger,” which he recorded with the Quarrymen in 1958. “What I try to do is have people go, ‘Oh, I didn’t know they do that one, man,’ ” says McCartney. KEY MOMENT In Tampa in July, McCartney gave a funny account of the time he fell into a piano pit at the same venue, in 2005. “I’m lucky to be here tonight,” he said to huge cheers. Depeche Mode DATES Through October 27th The synth-pop vets’ mind-blowing production features several songs from their new LP, Spirit, which wonders if humanity is regressing. “I can…