Tuesday - 2/7/12 

New albums out today from Van Halen and Paul McCartney. It's official...Def Leppard touring with Poison! Top 10 Winter Songs. Dancing With The Stars rumors. Who's better at grocery shopping? After 10 years together, how in love are you? What would you give up? 15 ways to avoid Valentine's Day.

VAN HALEN

Van Halen releases its 12th studio album, A Different Kind Of Truth, today. The disc is the first full-length set of original material from the band in nearly 14 years and the first with founding vocalist David Lee Roth since 1984. At least seven -- if not more -- of the songs included on the album are reworked versions of tunes first recorded on demos or performed live back in the mid-to-late-Seventies.

It's not clear how much of the record is brand new, but guitarist Eddie Van Halen said a while back that he's never been one to to just churn out songs: "I'm not like a jingle writer who can just crank out the hits, so to speak. I need to sit down and really almost get to a state of mind where things just come. That's what kinda makes it exciting -- it's like, 'Wow, I wonder what lurks in the plumbing today?' (laughs)" 

PAUL MCCARTNEY

Paul McCartney releases his first standards collection, Kisses On The Bottom, today. The set was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Tommy LiPuma and features Diana Krall and her band -- as well as guest appearances from Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder. The album is most notable for being the first album in which McCartney plays no instrument on, choosing instead to sing live in from of the jazz ensemble.

McCartney shed some light on his earliest musical influences, telling, Metro.co.uk, "I'm a sponge. I'm very influenced by rock n' roll and my dad's era of music. I never heard his 1920's jazz band but I got a love of that style through what he played at home. We used to have big New Year's parties; the family would get together, roll back the carpet, get drunker as the evening went on and sing songs like 'Always' and 'Bye Bye Blackbird,' which they knew by heart."

McCartney said that it was nice to work outside the confines of the rock world, which can seems to be pretty cut and dried once you hit the studio: "So it was nice, it was a good way to work. There was no preconceived ideas and I think we all feel like we contributed. And then we'd throw John Pizzarelli or one of the guys the solo; 'Hey John, you wanna take a solo?' -- and y'know, you can do that in the jazz world, 'cause they're used to doing that -- and they just go, 'Yeah, OK' and they take a solo.' And so nobody's ever heard that solo before. It was really, really nice. I think it comes over a bit on the album, the freshness. I hope it does, anyway."

The deluxe CD features two bonus tracks, plus access to a download of an exclusive live show -- available from Tuesday, February 14th, via PaulMcCartney.com -- plus longer liner notes, expanded packaging featuring three postcards and additional tracks -- Guy Wood and Robert Mellin's "My One And Only Love" along with a re-recording of McCartney's 1979 torch song, "Baby's Request," which was found on Wings' final album, Back To The Egg.

The tracklisting to McCartney's Kisses On The Bottom is:

1. "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter" (Alhert/Young)

2. "Home" (When Shadows Fall)" (Van Steeden/Clarkson/Clarkson)

3. "It's Only A Paper Moon" (Arlen/Harburg/Rose)

4. "More I Cannot Wish You" (Loesser)

5. "The Glory Of Love" (Hill)

6. "We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)" (Dorsey/Robertson/Mysels)

7. "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive" (Arlen/Mercer)

8. "My Valentine" (McCartney)

9. "Always" (Berlin)

10. "My Very Good Friend The Milkman" (Burke/Spina)

11. "Bye Bye Blackbird" (Henderson/Dixon)

12. "Get Yourself Another Fool" (Forrest/Heywood)

13. "The Inch Worm" (Loesser)

14. "Only Our Hearts" (McCartney)

15. "Baby's Request" (McCartney) -- Bonus Track

16. "My One And Only" (Wood/Mellin) -- Bonus Track

DEF LEPPARD/POISON

It's official, Def Leppard and Poison will be hitting the road together for a joint tour, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. Leppard guitarist Phil Collen had first mentioned that the band, and either Poison or frontman Bret Michaels on his own, would be hitting the road together, but Poison drummer Rikki Rockett posted that the tour was indeed happening. No dates have been announced. Collen had said that he had hoped that Twisted Sister might be added to the bill to round out the tour of bands that have their music featured in the upcoming Rock Of Ages movie, but so far no mention of their involvement has been mentioned.

Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott says that the band won't be playing new unreleased material on tour: "Nowadays we play one song, it's gonna be on YouTube two minutes later. And it's gonna be. . . Everyone is gonna know it that cares about it, six months before the thing comes out."

He also says that even when the material has been released, it isn't always familiar enough to put into their set list: "We'd love to play some new songs, but at the same time, we're also aware of the fact that (even) when you play new songs that are actually out and available, they sometimes die on stage. Just not enough people know them yet."

TOP 10 WINTER SONGS

A posthumously released Freddie Mercury song and an obscure '70s Rolling Stones track have topped Ultimate Classic Rock's new list of the "Top 10 Winter Songs." Leading things off is Queen's "A Winter's Tale," from 1995's Made In Heaven, which utilized vocal tracks laid down by Mercury just prior to his death, with the Stones' 1973 deep album cut, "Winter" from Goats Head Soup coming in second. Rounding out the Top Three is Alice Cooper's 1973 Billion Dollar Babies classic, "Raped And Freezin'."

Although there are numerous Queen related projects in the pipeline, guitarist Brian May admits that there hangs a rather large question mark over what he and drummer Roger Taylor intend to do with the Queen brand in terms of recording and concert tours: "It's not that easy to get together. It might sound. . . y'know, everybody says, 'Hey, you guys should do something,' y'know? But actually, we all have our lives to lead, and we all have our stars to follow, and it's not that easy being Queen without Freddie."

• The 'Top 10 Winter Songs' according to Ultimate Classic Rock:
  1. "A Winter's Tale" - Queen - (Made In Heaven, 1995)
  2. "Winter" - The Rolling Stones (Goats Head Soup, 1973)
  3. "Raped And Freezin'" - Alice Cooper (Billion Dollar Babies - 1973)
  4. "Trapped Under Ice - Metallica (Ride The Lightning, 1984)
  5. "Snow Blind" - Ace Frehley (Ace Frehley, 1978)
  6. "Wintertime Love" - The Doors (Waiting For The Sun, 1968)
  7. "Hazy Shade Of Winter" - Simon & Garfunkel (Bookends, 1968)
  8. "Snowblind" - Black Sabbath (Vol. 4, 1972)
  9. "Sure Got Cold After The Rain Fell" - ZZ Top (Rio Grande Mud, 1972)
  10. "Cold As Ice" - Foreigner (Foreigner, 1977)

DANCING WITH THE STARS

The new cast of Dancing With the Stars will be revealed in less than a month, and PerezHilton.com claims to have the inside scoop on who is being courted for the show.

• According to the blogger, producers are again looking to the Kardashian klan for a kontestant -- and are trying to land a high-profile athlete.
• The cast will be officially announced on February 28th.

The rumored cast members in contention include:

• Kylie and/or Kendall Jenner
• Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Taylor Armstrong
• Jersey Shore's JWoww
• Regis Philbin
• Victory Cruz or Tim Tebow
• Sherri Shepherd
• Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain
• Paula Deen
• Perez also claims he's talked to producers about a spot on the show for himself.

MEN ARE BETTER AT GROCERY SHOPPING THAN WOMEN

 When it comes to supermarket shopping, men are better than women at browsing and buying. Despite being organized shoppers, women dislike crowds, feel rushed at the checkout and are always shocked at the price of their purchases. In contrast, three quarters of men quite enjoy their food shopping experience and are happy to navigate their way around the aisles searching out products. Men are less forgetful about what they want to buy, are less likely to feel rushed by the cashiers and are more methodical at the checkouts. The authors of a new study explained, 'Men seem to adopt a much more laid back and methodical approach, taking their time looking for bargains and make sure they're getting the most for their money.' (Daily Mail)

40% STILL 'VERY INTENSELY IN LOVE' AFTER 10 YEARS TOGETHER

A new study countered the widely held truth that feelings of love decline over time. Forty percent of subjects who had been married for over ten years told researchers that they were still 'very intensely in love'. Another 13.4 percent said they were 'intensely in love', and 26.2 percent agreed with the statement that they were 'very in love'. The feeling was defined by a combination of behaviors such as thinking positively about the partner, being affectionate with one another, sexual intercourse and general life happiness. (Daily Mail)

WHAT WOULD YOU GIVE UP TO HAVE ONE MONTH'S BILLS PAID? According to a new poll reported in The Telegraph:

• 25% of respondents would turn off their TV for one month
• 21% would not use their digital devices and cell phones for one month
• 18% would not have sex for six months
• 14% would give up the internet for one month
• 13% would pay their bills rather than give up something
• 9% wouldn't give up anything but gain 15 pounds

15 WAYS TO AVOID VALENTINE'S DAY THIS YEAR (TheFrisky.com)

It's winter, so take the opportunity to hibernate. Stay home alone all day and night on Valentine's Day.

Set your computer and phone date to February 15, as if the big day never even happened. If you have a page-a-day calendar, flip that sucker forward too.

Steer clear of Hallmarks and the chocolate heart filled aisles at the drug store.

Go to see a slasher movie. Trust, this is not the movie selection couples will be making.

Do your taxes. Hey, you need to file them sometime.

Don't email back when friends ask you what you are up to for V-Day. Ignore, ignore, ignore.

Or let your friends in on the game and make a pact not to discuss the holiday at hand.

Do not go out to dinner, in the name of all things holy. If you do want to go out, think fast food or buffets -- places couples will not be.

Pick another holiday to celebrate, like your half-birthday or something an throw an unrelated party that evening.

Don't watch TV, unless it is shows you have already DVRed from the week before. In other words, not the Valentine's Day episodes.

Spend the day/night with someone who is too old or too young to care what day it is, like your infirm grandma or your nieces and nephews.

Avoid Facebook. Or unfriend everyone in a relationship. Although that might be extreme.

Go to the gym. Hey, it'll be couple free and you won't have to wait for the treadmill.

On February 13th, do a symbolic burning of Valentine's paraphernalia. Consider it a cleansing.

Make the day into a historical re-enactment of 300 A.D., before the holiday existed.

Thanks for listening to The Eagle while you work. Keep it fabulous, Houston!

xoxo,

Jennifer Tyler

Fabulous Mid-day Diva