knightni

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Nov 19, 2009 -> 07:47 PM) Everybody is a possibility right? But, Konerko for another pitcher? What happened to the big rumor about SD and the LAA? Rosenthal scoffs at SoxNet's story so that he can pull this gem of a rumor out of his backside...

He's had leg injuries and a lot of wear and tear since high school. I doubt that he'd break 4.7.

Hmmm... Where would he pitch? He's not much better than Garcia and a lot more expensive.

Good possibility.

I have another one. I buy tickets online to see a game a few years ago. Sox vs Twins. Turns into Buehrle vs. Santana. Which is nice. But, the tickets turn out to be in the left field corner, near the foul pole, under the edge of the suites. So, we're sitting there, watching Buehrle speed through the game, when a guy down at the end of my row starts screaming and cursing. I look over and see him yelling up at these 3 women in the suites. They're hanging over the railing with their beer cups. Every time they cheered, they'd slosh their beer cup down on the guys in the row. The guy can't stand it anymore, he grabs his almost full beer cup and heaves it up towards the suites above. Of course, being drunk himself, he totally misses and hits it off of the facing of the suite deck. The beer just sprays all down and coats everyone within 4 rows of this guy, including me and my sister, who I had brought to her first Sox game. Needless to say, I walked back to my hotel smelling like Miller Lite and that moron got a swift exit from the park.

Was this 4.4 in pads? How long ago was it?

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Nov 19, 2009 -> 06:29 PM) In his first season I assume he'd be used on limited plays, particularly in the end-zone where you could use his height and size combo on jump-balls. He'd make Brady Quinn accurate.

Epsilon's all around!

I'd comment, but I don't want to give too much away.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Nov 19, 2009 -> 06:02 PM) I think the only people that height are DLs, OLs (which he isn't bulky enough for) or TEs. Kind of like Teyo Johnson. Heck of a big college WR at Stanford, but he was too slow and huge to be an NFL WR. Then, when he got drafted, he couldn't adjust to TE with the Raiders and fell out of pro football.

My most recent experience was at my last game there in September. It wasn't funny necessarily, mostly just a "wow" moment. Pregame Sox vs A's, I'm up in my seats in the UD front row watching A's batting practice. Some lady down in the prime box seats with her all-access pass stuff around her neck like a rock concert is chattin away with her friend. Foul ball off of an Oakland guy's bat comes screaming towards her. Guys yell "look out!" She looks up, "Whaaaa...?" right in the face with the ball. She's down like Joe Frazier. Security comes down, helps her find her chin and escorts her away. She never came back. Now, hopefully she's okay today, but wow, my friends and I see this happening in slow motion and couldn't believe that she wasn't paying attention AT ALL to the field of play. What stories can you share?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 19, 2009 -> 05:53 PM) I kinda get the feeling he might make a serious linebacker. Linebacker nothing... At his size, add 30 pounds, he could be Dwight Freeney x 2.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 19, 2009 -> 05:49 PM) Shows up fine on mine. http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?sh...p;#entry2045907 Here's one I put together.

Posting this here for Ranger:

There is a school of thought out there that says that while size in receivers/tes is important, there's a point where you actually can be too tall to be effective. Usually over 6'6". I'd say that he'd be drafted in the 2nd or 3rd round by name only, then be made to prove his football skills.

QUOTE (Ranger @ Nov 19, 2009 -> 05:38 PM) Never figured out the avatar thing. Too lazy. I can help, if you like.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Nov 19, 2009 -> 05:36 PM) No you will just lie to us like usual and feel proud of it Jeremy. Hey, they were after 11 last night... yeah 3am's after 11.

I'm going to try and get 2 or 3 done tonight after 11.

It's a red X, Balta.

Ranger, why don't you get an avatar? How about the Skanberg PH7 picture?

28. Linkin Park 3 of 24 lists - 47 points - highest ranking #1 SoxAce Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California, formed in 1996. Since their formation, the band has sold more than 50 million albums and won two Grammy Awards. It achieved mainstream success with its debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005. Its following studio album, Meteora, continued the band's success, topping the Billboard 200’s album charts in 2003, and was followed by extensive touring and charity work around the world. In 2003, MTV2 named Linkin Park the sixth greatest band of the music video era and the third best of the new millennium behind Oasis and Coldplay. Having adapted the nu metal and rap rock genres to a radio-friendly yet densely-layered style in Hybrid Theory and Meteora, the band explored other genres in their next studio album, Minutes to Midnight. The album topped the Billboard charts and had the third best debut week of any album that year. They have also collaborated with several other artists, most notably with rapper Jay-Z in their mashup album Collision Course, and many others on Reanimation. Linkin Park released Hybrid Theory on October 24, 2000. The album, which represented half a decade’s worth of the band’s work, was edited by music producer Don Gilmore. Hybrid Theory was well received by music fans; the band sold more than 4.8 million records during its debut year, earning it the status of best-selling album of 2001, while singles such as "Crawling" and "One Step Closer" established themselves as staples among alternative rock radio play lists during the year. Additionally, other singles from the album were featured in movies such as Dracula 2000, Little Nicky, and Valentine. Hybrid Theory was also nominated for three Grammy Awards, including best new artist, best rock album, and best hard rock performance (for "Crawling"). MTV awarded the band their Best Rock Video and Best Direction awards for "In the End". Through the winning of the Grammy for best hard rock performance, Hybrid Theory’s overall success had catapulted the band into the mainstream's attention. During this time, Linkin Park received many invitations to perform on many high-profile tours and concerts including Ozzfest, Family Values Tour and KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas. The band also formed its own tour, Projekt Revolution, which featured other notable artists such as, Cypress Hill, Adema, and Snoop Dogg. Within a year’s stretch, Linkin Park had performed at over 320 concerts. The experiences and performances of the precocious band were documented in its first DVD, Frat Party at the Pankake Festival, which debuted in November 2001. Now reunited with former bassist Phoenix, the band began work on a remix album, dubbed Reanimation, which would include works from Hybrid Theory and Hybrid Theory EP. Reanimation debuted on July 30, 2002, featuring the likes of Black Thought, Jonathan Davis, Aaron Lewis, and many others. Reanimation claimed the second spot on the Billboard 200, and sold nearly 270,000 copies during its debut week. Following the success of Hybrid Theory and Reanimation, Linkin Park spent a significant amount of time touring around the United States. The band members began to work on new material amidst its saturated schedule, spending a sliver of their free time in their tour bus' studio. The band officially announced the production of a new studio album in December 2002, revealing its new work was inspired by the rocky region of Meteora in Greece, where numerous monasteries have been built on top of the rocks. Meteora featured a mixture of the band's previous nu metal and rapcore styles with newer innovative effects, including the induction of a shakuhachi (a Japanese flute made of bamboo) and other instruments. Linkin Park's second album debuted on March 25, 2003 and instantly earned worldwide recognition, going to #1 in the US and UK, and #2 in Australia. Meteora sold more than 800,000 copies during its first week, and it ranked as the best selling album on the Billboard charts at the time. Music videos for some of the album's singles, including "Somewhere I Belong", "Breaking the Habit", "Faint", and "Numb", received significant radio attention. By October 2003, Meteora sold nearly three million copies. The album's success allowed Linkin Park to form another Projekt Revolution, which featured other bands and artists including, Mudvayne, Blindside, and Xzibit. Additionally, Metallica invited Linkin Park to play at the Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003, which included well-known acts such as Limp Bizkit, Mudvayne and Deftones. The band released an album and DVD, entitled Live in Texas, which consisted of audio and video tracks of some of the band's performances in Texas during the tour. In early 2004, Linkin Park started a world tour titled the Meteora World Tour, supporting bands on the tour include Hoobastank, P.O.D. and Story of the Year. Meteora earned the band multiple awards and honors. The band won MTV's awards for Best Rock Video ("Somewhere I Belong") and the Viewer's Choice Award ("Breaking the Habit"). Linkin Park also received significant recognition during the 2004 Radio Music Awards, winning the Artist of the Year and Song of the Year ("Numb") awards. Although Meteora was not nearly as successful as Hybrid Theory, it was the third best selling album in America during 2003. The band spent the first few months of 2004 touring around the world, first with the third Projekt Revolution tour, and later several European concerts. Linkin Park returned to the recording studios in 2006 to work on new material. To produce the album, the band chose producer Rick Rubin. Despite initially stating the album would debut sometime in 2006, the album was delayed until 2007. The band had recorded thirty to fifty songs in August 2006, when Shinoda stated the album was halfway completed. Bennington later added that the new album would stray away from its previous nu metal sound. Warner Bros. Records officially announced that the band’s third studio album, entitled Minutes to Midnight, would be released on May 15, 2007 in the United States. After spending fourteen months working on the album, the band members opted to further refine their album by removing five of the original seventeen tracks. The album’s title, a reference to the Doomsday Clock, foreshadowed the band's new lyrical themes. Minutes to Midnight sold over 600,000 copies in its first week, making it one of the most successful debut week albums in recent years. The album also took the top spot on the Billboard Charts. The album's first single, "What I've Done" was released on April 2, and premiered on MTV and Fuse within the same week. The single was acclaimed by listeners, becoming the top-ranked song on the Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts. The song is also used in soundtrack for the 2007 action film, Transformers. Later in the year, the band won the "Favorite Alternative Artist" in the American Music Awards. The band also saw success with singles such as "Bleed It Out", "Shadow of the Day", "Given Up", and "Leave Out All the Rest", which were released throughout 2007 and early 2008. The band also collaborated with Busta Rhymes on his single "We Made It", which was released on April 29. In April 2009, Mike Shinoda revealed on his blog that Linkin Park will be working on the score for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen with successful film composer Hans Zimmer. On May 7, it was further confirmed that the song recorded for the film is titled "New Divide," and was released as a single on May 18. A clip from the song can be heard 14 seconds into the new trailer. The music video for "New Divide" was released on June 12, 2009 and was directed by Mr. Hahn. On June 22, 2009, the band played a short set after the premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The concert took play on the street in Westwood Village. In May 2009, Linkin Park announced that they were working on their fourth album which will be released in 2010, with the aim for it to be "genre-busting". Shinoda also stated recently in an interview with IGN that the new album will have in comparison to Minutes to Midnight a bigger "thread of consistency" and will also be more experimental and "hopefully more cutting-edge". Additionally the band's other vocalist Chester Bennington confirmed in an interview with Taipei Times that Rick Rubin returns as the producer of the new album. Both Hybrid Theory and Meteora combined the alternative metal, nu metal, and rap rock sound with influences and elements from hip-hop, alternative rock, and electronica, utilizing programming and synthesizers. William Ruhlmann from Allmusic regarded it as "a Johnny-come-lately to an already overdone musical style," whereas Rolling Stone called "Breaking the Habit" "risky, beautiful art". In Minutes to Midnight the band experimented with their established sound and drew influences from a wider and more varied range of genres and styles, a process Los Angeles Times compares to a stage in U2's work. In it, only two of the songs feature rapping, and the majority of the album can be considered alternative rock rather than nu metal or rap rock. It is also their first studio album to feature guitar solos. In concert the band has covered songs by artists as varied as The Cure, Deftones, Guns N' Roses, and Nine Inch Nails. Linkin Park's use of two separate vocalists has become a large part of their music. Chester Bennington is most known for using screaming vocals common in various forms of metal and hardcore, while also using more melodic singing, and was placed 46th in Hit Paraders list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists". Mike Shinoda is the group's MC and does all of the rapping. Mike has also done all of the backing vocals live, and in their latest album, Minutes to Midnight, he sings lead vocals on "In Between", "Hands Held High", and the B-side "No Roads Left". Shinoda has also been placed in Hit Parader's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists" at number 72. Linkin Park discography 2000 "One Step Closer" - US Hot 100 #75 - US Alternative #5 - US Mainstream Rock #4 2001 "Crawling" - Hot #79 - Alt #5 - Main #3 2001 "Papercut" - Alt #32 2001 "In the End" - Hot #2 - Alt #1 - Main #3 2002 "Pts.OF.Athrty" - Alt #29 2003 "Somewhere I Belong" - Hot #32 - Alt #1 - Main #1 2003 "Faint" - Hot #48 - Alt #1 - Main #2 2003 "Numb" - Hot #11 - Alt #1 - Main #1 2004 "Lying from You" - Hot #58 - Alt #1 - Main #2 2004 "Breaking the Habit" - Hot #20 - Alt #1 - Main #1 2004 "Numb/Encore" (with Jay-Z) - Hot #20 2007 "What I've Done" - Hot #7 - Alt #1 - Main #1 2007 "Bleed It Out" - Hot #52 - Alt #2 - Main #3 2007 "Shadow of the Day" - Hot #15 - Alt #2 - Main #6 2008 "Given Up" - Hot #99 - Alt #4 - Main #5 2008 "Leave Out All the Rest" - Hot #94 - Alt #11 - Main #33 2009 "New Divide" - Hot #6 - Alt #1 - Main #1 Factoid: Chester Bennington worked at a Burger King restaurant before starting his career as a professional musician. "Crawling" http://media-convert.com/convert/?xid=7-gvmhjonj

29. Cream / Eric Clapton 4 of 24 lists - 46 points - highest ranking #8 Flash Tizzle Cream were a 1960s British blues-rock band and supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker. Their sound was characterized by a hybrid of blues, hard rock and psychedelic rock. Combining Clapton's blues guitar playing with the powerful voice and intense basslines of Jack Bruce and the jazz-influenced drumming of Ginger Baker, they have sold over 35 million albums worldwide. Wheels of Fire was the world's first platinum-selling double album. Cream are widely regarded as being the world's first notable and functioning supergroup. Cream's music included songs based on traditional blues such as "Crossroads" and "Spoonful", and modern blues such as "Born Under a Bad Sign", as well as more eccentric songs such as "Strange Brew", "Tales of Brave Ulysses" and "Toad". Cream's biggest hits were "I Feel Free" (UK, #11), "Sunshine of Your Love" (US, #5), "White Room" (US, #6), "Crossroads" (US, #28), and "Badge". Cream, together with The Jimi Hendrix Experience, made a significant impact upon the popular music of the time, and along with Hendrix popularized the use of the wah-wah pedal. They provided a heavy yet technically proficient musical theme that foreshadowed and influenced the emergence of English bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and The Jeff Beck Group in the late 1960s. The band's live performances influenced progressive rock acts such as Rush, jam bands such as The Allman Brothers Band, Grateful Dead, Phish and heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath Cream was ranked #16 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock and Rolling Stone Magazine named them the sixty-sixth greatest artist of all time. By July 1966, Eric Clapton's career with The Yardbirds and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers had earned him a reputation as the premier blues guitarist in Britain. Clapton's virtuosity and raw power with the instrument inspired one fan to spray paint the words "Clapton is God" on the wall of an Islington underground station. Clapton, however, found the environment of Mayall's band confining, and sought to expand his playing in a new band. In 1966, Clapton met Baker, then the leader of the Graham Bond Organisation, which at one point featured Jack Bruce on bass, harmonica and piano. Baker, too, felt stifled in the GBO, and had grown tired of Graham Bond's drug addictions and bouts of mental instability. "I had always liked Ginger", explained Clapton. "Ginger had come to see me play with John Mayall. After the gig he drove me back to London in his Rover. I was very impressed with his car and driving. He was telling me that he wanted to start a band, and I had been thinking about it too." Each was impressed with the other's playing abilities, prompting Baker to ask Clapton to join his new, then-unnamed group. Clapton immediately agreed, on the condition that Baker hire Jack Bruce as the group's bassist; according to Clapton, Baker was so surprised at the suggestion that he almost crashed the car. Clapton had met Bruce when the bassist/vocalist briefly played with the Bluesbreakers in March 1966; the two also had worked together as part of a one-shot band called Powerhouse (which also included Steve Winwood and Paul Jones). Impressed with Bruce's vocals and technical prowess, Clapton wanted to work with him on an ongoing basis. What Clapton did not know was that while Bruce was in Bond's band, he and Baker had been notorious for their quarreling. While both were excellent jazz musicians and respected each other's skills, the confines of the GBO had proved too small for their egos. Their volatile relationship included on-stage fights and the sabotage of one another's instruments. After Baker fired Bruce from the band, Bruce continued to arrive for gigs; ultimately, Bruce was driven away from the band after Baker threatened him at knifepoint. Nevertheless, Baker and Bruce were able to put aside their differences for the good of Baker's new trio, which he envisioned as collaborative, with each of the members contributing to music and lyrics. The band was named "Cream", as Clapton, Bruce, and Baker were already considered the "cream of the crop" amongst blues and jazz musicians in the exploding British music scene. Before deciding upon "Cream", the band considered calling themselves "Sweet 'n' Sour Rock 'n' Roll". Of the trio, Clapton had the biggest reputation in England; however, he was all but unknown in the United States, having left The Yardbirds before "For Your Love" hit the American Top Ten. Cream made their unofficial debut at the Twisted Wheel on 29 July 1966. Their official debut came two nights later at the Sixth Annual Windsor Jazz & Blues Festival. Being new and with few original songs to their credit, Cream performed spirited blues reworkings that thrilled the large crowd and earned them a warm reception. In October, they also got a chance to jam with Jimi Hendrix, who had recently arrived in London. Hendrix was a fan of Clapton's music, and wanted a chance to play with him onstage. Hendrix was introduced to Cream through Chas Chandler, the bassist of The Animals, who was Hendrix's manager. It was during the early organization that they decided Bruce would serve as the group's lead vocalist. Cream's debut album, Fresh Cream, was recorded and released in 1966. The album reached #6 in the UK charts and #39 in the United States. It mainly consisted of blues covers, including "Four Until Late", "Rollin' and Tumblin'" (written by Muddy Waters), "Spoonful" (written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Howlin' Wolf), "I'm So Glad" and "Cat's Squirrel". The rest of the album featured songs written (or co-written) by Jack Bruce, most notably "I Feel Free" (which was a UK hit single, but only included on the American edition of the LP), and two by Ginger Baker (one of which, "Toad", contained one of the earliest examples of a drum solo in rock music). The early Cream bootlegs display a much tighter band showcasing more songs. All of the songs are reasonably short five-minute versions of "N.S.U.", "Sweet Wine" and "Toad". But a mere two months later, the setlist shortened, with the songs then much longer. Cream first visited the United States in March 1967 to play nine dates at the RKO Theater in New York. They returned to record Disraeli Gears in New York between 11 May and 15 May 1967. Cream's second album was released in November 1967 and reached the Top 5 in the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Produced by Felix Pappalardi (who later co-founded the Cream-influenced quartet Mountain) and engineer Tom Dowd, it was recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York. Disraeli Gears is often considered to be the band's defining effort, successfully blending psychedelic British rock with American blues. It was also the first Cream album to consist primarily of original songs, with only three of the eleven tracks written by others outside the band. Disraeli Gears not only features hits "Strange Brew" and "Tales of Brave Ulysses", but also "Sunshine of Your Love". Although the album is considered one of Cream's finest efforts, it has never been well represented in Cream's live sets. Although they consistently played "Tales of Brave Ulysses" and "Sunshine of Your Love", a setlist consisting of several songs from Disraeli Gears was quickly dropped from the set in mid-1967, favoring longer jams instead of short pop songs. "We're Going Wrong" was the only additional song from the album which saw some occasional play time in their live sets. In fact, at their 2005 reunion shows in London, Cream only played three songs from Disraeli Gears: "Outside Woman Blues," "We're Going Wrong," and "Sunshine of Your Love." In August 1967, Cream played their first headlining dates in America, playing at the Fillmore West in San Fransisco for the first time. The concerts were a great success and proved very influential on both the band itself and the flourishing hippy scene surrounding them. Faced with a new listening audience, it was during this time that Cream started to stretch out on stage, incorporating more jamming time in their repertoire, some songs reaching 20 minutes. Long drawn-out jams in numbers like "Spoonful", "N.S.U." and "Sweet Wine" became live favorites while songs like "Sunshine of Your Love", "Crossroads", and "Tales of Brave Ulysses" remained reasonably short. In 1968 came Cream's third release, Wheels of Fire, which topped the American charts. Wheels of Fire studio recordings showcased Cream moving slightly away from the blues and more towards a semi-progressive rock style highlighted by odd time signatures and various orchestral instruments. However, the band did record Howlin' Wolf's "Sitting on Top of the World" and Albert King's "Born Under A Bad Sign". According to a BBC interview with Clapton, the record company, also handling Albert King, asked the band to cover "Born Under a Bad Sign", which became a popular track off the record. The opening song, "White Room", became a radio staple. Another song, "Politician", was written by the band while waiting to perform live at the BBC. The album's second disc featured three live recordings from the Winterland Ballroom and one from the Fillmore. Eric Clapton's second solo from "Crossroads" has made it to the top 20 in multiple "greatest guitar solo" lists. Ginger Baker's "Toad" is now widely-regarded as one of the greatest live drum solos in rock history. After the completion of Wheels of Fire in mid-1968, the band members had had enough and wanted to go their separate ways. As Baker would state in a 2006 interview with Music Mart magazine, "It just got to the point where Eric said to me: 'I've had enough of this,' and I said so have I. I couldn't stand it. The last year with Cream was just agony. It damaged my hearing permanently, and today I've still got a hearing problem because of the sheer volume throughout the last year of Cream. But it didn't start off like that. In 1966, it was great. It was really a wonderful experience musically, and it just went into the realms of stupidity." Also, Bruce and Baker's combustible relationship proved even worse as a result of the strain put upon the band by non-stop touring, forcing Clapton to play the perpetual role of peacekeeper. Clapton had also fallen under the spell of Bob Dylan's former backing group, now known as The Band, and their debut album, Music from Big Pink, which proved to be a welcome breath of fresh air in comparison to the incense and psychedelia that had informed Cream. Furthermore, he had read a scathing Cream review in Rolling Stone magazine, a publication he had much admired, where the reviewer, Jon Landau, called him a "master of the blues cliché." It was in the wake of that article that Clapton wanted to end Cream and pursue a different musical direction. At the beginning of their farewell tour on 4 October 1968, in Oakland, nearly the entire set consisted of songs from Wheels of Fire: "White Room", "Politician", "Crossroads", "Spoonful", "Deserted Cities of the Heart", and "Passing the Time" taking place of "Toad" for a drum solo. "Passing the Time" and "Deserted Cities" were quickly removed from the setlist and replaced by "Sitting on Top of the World" and "Toad". Cream was eventually persuaded to do one final album. That album, the appropriately titled Goodbye, was recorded in late 1968 and released in early 1969, after the band had broken up. It featured six songs: three live recordings dating from a concert at The Forum in Los Angeles, California, on 19 October, and three new studio recordings (the most notable, "Badge", was written by Clapton and George Harrison, who also played rhythm guitar). "I'm So Glad", which first appeared as a studio recording on Fresh Cream, appeared as a live track on Goodbye. It was the only song to appear on both Cream's first and last albums. Cream's "farewell tour" consisted of 22 shows at 19 venues in the United States between 4 October and 4 November 1968, and two final farewell concerts at the Royal Albert Hall on 26 November 1968. Initially another double album was planned, comprising live material from this tour plus new studio tracks, but a single album, Goodbye was released instead with three live tracks taken from their performance at The Forum in Los Angeles on 19 October 1968, and three studio tracks, one written by each of the band members. The final United States gig was at the Rhode Island Auditorium, 4 November 1968. The two Royal Albert Hall concerts were filmed for a BBC documentary and released on video (and later DVD) as Farewell Concert. Both shows were sold out and attracted more attention than any other Cream concert, but their performance was regarded by many as below standard. Baker himself said of the concerts: "It wasn’t a good gig ... Cream was better than that ... We knew it was all over. We knew we were just finishing it off, getting it over with." Cream's live performances were already declining. In an interview from Cream: Classic Artists, Ginger Baker himself agreed that the band was getting worse by the minute. Cream's supporting acts were Taste (featuring a young Rory Gallagher) and the newly formed Yes, who received good reviews. Three performances early in Cream's farewell tour were opened by Deep Purple. Purple had originally agreed to open the entire U.S. leg of the tour, but Cream's management removed Purple after only three shows, in spite of favorable reviews and good rapport between the bands. Purple fans sometimes attribute the decision to Purple's being "too good" to open - and upstaging the declining Cream. From its creation, Cream was faced with some fundamental problems that would later lead to its dissolution in November 1968. The rivalry between Bruce and Baker created tensions in the band. Clapton also felt that the members of the band did not listen to each other enough. Clapton once told a story that when Cream were playing in a concert, he stopped playing and neither Baker nor Bruce noticed. Clapton has also commented that Cream's later gigs mainly consisted of its members showing off. Cream decided that it would break up in May 1968 during a tour of the US. Later, in July, an official announcement was made that the band would break up after a farewell tour of the United States and after playing two concerts in London. Cream finished its tour of the United States with a 4 November concert in Rhode Island and performed in the UK for the last time in London on 25 and 26 November. Blind Faith was formed immediately after the demise of Cream, following an attempt by Clapton to recruit Steve Winwood into the band in the hope that he would help act as a buffer between Bruce and Baker. Inspired by more song-based acts Clapton went on to perform much different, less improvisational material with Delaney & Bonnie, Derek and the Dominos and in his own long and varied solo career. Jack Bruce began a varied and successful solo career with the 1969 release of Songs for a Tailor, while Ginger Baker formed a jazz-fusion ensemble out of the ashes of Blind Faith called Ginger Baker's Air Force, which featured Winwood, Blind Faith bassist Rick Grech, Graham Bond on sax, and guitarist Denny Laine of the Moody Blues and (later) Wings. In 1993, Cream was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and set aside their differences to perform at the induction ceremony. Initially, the trio was wary about performing, until encouraging words from Robbie Robertson inspired them to try. The end result was an incendiary set consisting of "Sunshine of Your Love", "Crossroads", and - interestingly, as the band had never played it live during their original tenure - "Born Under a Bad Sign". Clapton mentioned in his acceptance speech that their rehearsal the day before the ceremony had marked the first time they had played together in 25 years. This performance spurred rumours of a reunion tour. Bruce and Baker went so far as to say in later interviews that they were, indeed, interested in touring as Cream. A formal reunion did not take place immediately, as Clapton, Bruce and Baker continued to pursue solo projects, although the latter two worked together again in the mid-1990s as two-thirds of a power trio BBM with Irish blues-rock guitarist Gary Moore. Clapton Solo Career Clapton's career successes in the 1970s were in stark contrast to his personal life, which was troubled by romantic longings and drug and alcohol addiction. In addition to his (temporarily) unrequited and intense attraction to Pattie Boyd, he withdrew from recording and touring to isolation in his Surrey, England residence. There he nursed his heroin addiction, resulting in a career hiatus interrupted only by the Concert for Bangladesh in August 1971 (where he passed out on stage, was revived, and continued the show).[8] In January 1973, The Who's Pete Townshend organised a comeback concert for Clapton at London's Rainbow Theatre aptly titled the "Rainbow Concert" to help Clapton kick his addiction. Clapton would return the favour by playing 'The Preacher' in Ken Russell's film version of The Who's Tommy in 1975; his appearance in the film (performing "Eyesight to the Blind") is notable as he is clearly wearing a fake beard in some shots, the result of deciding to shave off his real beard after the initial takes in an attempt to force the director to remove his earlier scene from the movie and leave the set. In 1974, now partnered with Pattie (they would not actually marry until 1979) and no longer using heroin (although starting to drink heavily), Clapton put together a more low-key touring band that included Radle, Miami guitarist George Terry, keyboardist Dick Sims, drummer Jamie Oldaker and vocalists Yvonne Elliman and Marcy Levy (better known as Marcella Detroit who later recorded in the 1980s pop duo Shakespears Sister). With this band Clapton recorded 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974), an album with an emphasis on more compact songs and fewer guitar solos; the cover-version of "I Shot The Sheriff" was Clapton's first #1 hit and was important in bringing reggae and the music of Bob Marley to a wider audience. The 1975 album There's One in Every Crowd continued the trend of 461. The album's original title The World's Greatest Guitar Player (There's One In Every Crowd) was changed before pressing, as it was felt its ironic intention would be misunderstood. The band toured the world and subsequently released the 1975 live LP, E.C. Was Here.[citation needed] Clapton continued to release albums and toured regularly. Highlights of the era include No Reason to Cry, whose collaborators included Bob Dylan and The Band, and Slowhand, which featured "Wonderful Tonight", another song inspired by Pattie Boyd, and a second J.J. Cale cover, "Cocaine". During an August 1976 concert in Birmingham, Clapton provoked a controversy that has continued to follow him when he made pointed remarks from the stage in support of British politician Enoch Powell's efforts to restrict immigration to the UK. As Clapton recovered from his addictions, his album output continued in the 1980s, including two produced with Phil Collins, 1985's Behind the Sun, which produced the hits "Forever Man" and "She's Waiting", and 1986's August. August, a polished release that was suffused with Collins's trademark drum and horn sound, became Clapton's biggest seller in the UK to date and matched his highest chart position, number 3. The album's first track, the hit "It's In The Way That You Use It", was also featured in the Tom Cruise-Paul Newman movie The Color of Money. The horn-peppered "Run" echoed Collins' "Sussudio" and rest of the producer's Genesis/solo output, while "Tearing Us Apart" (with Tina Turner) and the bitter "Miss You" echoed Clapton's angry sound. This rebound kicked off Clapton's two-year period of touring with Collins and their August collaborates, bassist Nathan East and keyboard player/songwriter Greg Phillinganes. While on tour for August, 2 concert videos were recorded of the four-man band, Eric Clapton Live from Montreux and Eric Clapton and Friends. Despite his own earlier battles with alcoholism, Clapton remade "After Midnight" as a single and a promotional track for the Michelob beer brand, which had also marketed earlier songs by Collins and Steve Winwood. Clapton won a British Academy Television Award for his collaboration with Michael Kamen on the score for the 1985 BBC television thriller serial Edge of Darkness. In 1989, Clapton released Journeyman, an album which covered a wide range of styles including blues, jazz, soul and pop. Collaborators included George Harrison, Phil Collins, Daryl Hall, Chaka Khan, Mick Jones, David Sanborn and Robert Cray. The early 1990s saw tragedy enter Clapton's life again. On 27 August 1990, fellow guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, who was touring with Clapton, and two members of their road crew were killed in a helicopter crash between concerts. Then, on 20 March 1991, Conor, who was four years of age, died when he fell from the 53rd-storey window of his mother's friend's New York City apartment, landing on the roof of an adjacent four-storey building. Clapton's grief was expressed in the song "Tears in Heaven", which was co-written by Will Jennings. He received a total of six Grammy Awards that year for the single "Tears in Heaven" and his Unplugged album. While Unplugged featured Clapton playing acoustic guitar, his 1994 album From the Cradle contained new versions of old blues standards highlighted by his electric guitar playing. Clapton's 1996 recording of the Wayne Kirkpatrick/Gordon Kennedy/Tommy Sims tune "Change the World" (featured in the soundtrack of the movie Phenomenon) won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1997, the same year he recorded Retail Therapy (an album of electronic music with Simon Climie under the pseudonym TDF). The following year, Clapton released the album Pilgrim, the first record featuring brand new material for almost a decade. Clapton finished the twentieth century with collaborations with Carlos Santana and B. B. King. Following the release of the 2001 record Reptile, Eric performed "Layla" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at the Party at the Palace in 2002. On November 29 of that year the Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall, a tribute to George Harrison who had died a year earlier of cancer. Clapton was a performer, and also the musical director. The concert featured Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Ravi Shankar, and others. In 2004, Clapton released two albums packed full of covers by legendary bluesman Robert Johnson, Me and Mr. Johnson and Sessions for Robert J. The same year Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Clapton #53 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Clapton has performed songs by myriad artists, which include Bob Marley, J.J. Cale, Bo Diddley and Bob Dylan. He cites Freddie King, B.B. King, Albert King, Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin both in musical influence and on his style on the guitar. However, he holds no other artist higher in esteem as that of Robert Johnson. In his book, Discovering Robert Johnson (which he co-authored with several other writers), Clapton said of Johnson, that he was "...the most important blues musician who ever lived. He was true, absolutely, to his own vision, and as deep as I have gotten into the music over the last 30 years, I have never found anything more deeply soulful than Robert Johnson. His music remains the most powerful cry that I think you can find in the human voice, really. ... it seemed to echo something I had always felt." In 1974, Clapton persuaded Freddie King to sign with RSO, Clapton's record label at the time. He has recorded more than six of J. J. Cale's originals and has put out an album with him. Other artists with whom Clapton has made collaborations include Frank Zappa, B.B. King, George Harrison, Santana, Ringo Starr, Roger Waters, John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band. Clapton also collaborated with singer/songwriter John Mayer on his 2006 album release, Continuum. Mayer cites Clapton in his liner notes Eric Clapton knows I steal from him and is still cool with it. Clapton and Mayer wrote several songs together which have yet to be released. Clapton's influence inspired Mayer to write "I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)" which loosely holds characteristics of Clapton's musical and fashion style. A popular misconception is that his Slowhand nickname is from his style of guitar playing, either because of his speed or a as joke on the fact that he played slowly. This name was created by The Yardbirds' manager because whenever Clapton broke a string he would disappear backstage whilst the audience would perform a 'Slow-hand' clap until he returned on stage. Some guitarists that Clapton has influenced are: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Duane Allman, Derek Trucks, Eddie Van Halen, John Mayer, and Alex Lifeson. Cream/Clapton discography 1966 "I Feel Free" - #116 1968 "Anyone for Tennis" - #64 1968 "Sunshine of Your Love"/"SWLABR" - #5 1968 "White Room" - #6 1969 "Crossroads" - #28 1969 "Badge" - #60 1970 "Layla" / "Bell Bottom Blues" (w/Derek and the Dominos) - #10 1970 "After Midnight" - #18 1972 "Let It Rain" - #48 1974 "I Shot the Sheriff" - #1 1974 "Willie and the Hand Jive" - #26 1976 "Hello Old Friend" - #24 1977 "Lay Down Sally" / "Cocaine" - #3 1978 "Wonderful Tonight" - #16 1978 "Promises" #9 US 1980 "Cocaine" - #30 1980 "Blues Power" - #76 1981 "I Can't Stand It" - #10 1981 "Another Ticket" - #78 1983 "I've Got a Rock n Roll Heart" - #18 1985 "Forever Man" - #26 1985 "See What Love Can Do" - #89 1987 "It's In the Way That You Use It" - #1 US Rock 1989 "Bad Love" - #88 1990 "Pretending" - #55 US 1992 "Layla" (live, unplugged) - #12 1992 "Tears in Heaven" - #2 1998 "Change the World" - #5 Factoid: Eric Clapton was actually shy about singing. Early on, he occasionally harmonized with Jack Bruce in Cream but, in time, took lead vocals on some notable Cream tunes including "Four Until Late", "Strange Brew", "Crossroads", and "Badge". "SWLABR" http://media-convert.com/convert/?xid=7-esoewyxg

30. Boston 3 of 24 lists - 46 points - highest ranking #4 Milkman delivers Boston is an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s. Centered on guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer Tom Scholz, the band is a staple of classic rock radio playlists. Boston's best-known works include the songs "More Than a Feeling", "Peace of Mind", "Foreplay/Long Time", "Rock and Roll Band", "Smokin'", "Don't Look Back" and "Amanda". They have sold over 31 million albums in the United States, of which 17 million are their self-titled album. he debut album, Boston, released in August 1976, was an enormous success. The record ranks as the best-selling debut album in U.S. history with over 17 million copies sold. During the summer and fall of 1976, Boston attracted much publicity due to the unprecedented record sales by an unknown act, its unique sound, and singer Brad Delp's abilities. However, there was "a conscious effort to de-emphasize Scholz as the total mastermind behind Boston." After opening for Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Foghat and others, the band embarked on a headlining tour in the winter & spring of 1977 to support the album. This helped establish Boston as one of rock's top acts within a short time, being nominated for a Grammy award as a "Best New Artist". Boston was the first band in history to make their New York City debut at Madison Square Garden. The album spawned three singles, "More Than a Feeling", "Long Time" and "Peace of Mind", all which charted on national charts. Additionally, the album peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the charts for 132 weeks. Despite having problems with manager Paul Ahern, being caught in the middle of a fight between Ahern and McKenzie, and doing most of the recording work alone, Scholz completed the second Boston album two years after the debut album's release. The sophomore album, Don't Look Back, was officially released by Epic in August 1978. At the time this was considered a long gap between albums, but Scholz still considered Don't Look Back to be a rush job and was unhappy with the album's second side in particular. Overall Don't Look Back sold about half as well as the debut album, eventually shipping over 7 million records. Another tour followed, and the album's title track became a Top 5 hit. Additionally, two other singles, "A Man I'll Never Be", and "Feelin' Satisfied" went Top 40 and Top 50 respectively. Despite the success, Scholz's relationship with Ahern completely deteriorated. Delayed by technical renovations to his studio, Scholz eventually began the process of working on Boston's third album, determined to complete the album at his own pace and up to his demanding standard. In late 1979, Scholz began writing new material, but Boston's former co-manager, Paul Ahern, argued that, according to an agreement Scholz had signed years earlier with Ahern, Ahern owned a percentage of all songs Scholz wrote from that point on. Delayed further by the dispute, Scholz suggested, in the meantime, the individual members should work on whatever other projects they might be considering. Goudreau then decided to record a solo album which featured Boston members Delp and Hashian, and which was recorded with the help of an engineer and producer familiar with Scholz' studio techniques. The album, released in 1980, was titled Barry Goudreau and featured a minor charting single "Dreams". There was tension when CBS's marketing connected the album to Boston's signature guitar sound, despite Scholz playing most of the guitar tracks on the Boston albums. Scholz objected to the ad copy, but it became irrelevant when Epic dropped promotion on Goudreau's album citing lack of interest. Goudreau ended up leaving the band in 1981, and forming the band Orion the Hunter. Delp contributed vocals and co-wrote songs on their debut album, but returned to Boston and recorded vocals on the third album. While Scholz and Delp were recording new material for the third Boston album, CBS filed a 60 million dollar lawsuit against Scholz, alleging breach of contract for failing to deliver a new Boston album on time. The legal trouble slowed progress toward the completion of the next album, which took six years to record and produce. Joining Scholz in the album's development again were Delp and Jim Masdea. In 1985, guitarist Gary Pihl left Sammy Hagar's touring band to work with Scholz as both a musician and an SR&D executive. As CBS v. Scholz played out in court, CBS opted to withhold royalty payments to Scholz, hoping to force him to settle on unfavorable terms. The lawsuit's first round was eventually decided in Scholz' favor, and Scholz moved the band to MCA Records. Despite the adversity, progress continued to be made on the third Boston album. A tape of one of the songs, "Amanda", leaked out of the studio in 1984. The song became the lead single when Third Stage was finally released in September 1986. Third Stage was the strongest charting Boston release to date. The album and lead single "Amanda" both went to #1 on Billboard, and subsequent singles, "We're Ready" and "Can'tcha Say" were Top 5 and Top 30 respectively. The group headed off on tour to promote Third Stage in 1987 and 1988. Third Stage was played in sequence in its entirety during the shows, with expanded arrangements of some cuts. For the tour the group was joined by Doug Huffman and David Sikes, both of whom stayed with the band into the mid-1990s. The CBS case took seven years to run its course, and in April 1990 Scholz won. A jury awarded him millions in unpaid royalties and punitive damages. By Spring 1990, Scholz was back in the studio working on the band's fourth studio album. Later that year, Delp told Scholz he wanted to concentrate on other projects, and might not be available for some time. With Delp's departure, Scholz was now the last remaining original member. Before he left, Delp co-wrote the song "Walk On" with Scholz and David Sikes, which eventually became the title track of the new album. Delp subsequently joined Barry Goudreau's new band, RTZ. Scholz eventually replaced him with Fran Cosmo, who had previously been in Goudreau's previous band Orion the Hunter. For the second album in a row, and for the second time in a decade, Scholz's work was unavoidably delayed by renovations to his studio. In the end, eight years passed between Third Stage and Walk On, which was released in June 1994. Walk On was certified platinum by the RIAA, but only reached #7 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. It failed to chart in the Top 5 like all their previous albums. It produced one hit single, "I Need Your Love" which was widely played on some rock radio stations. Delp reunited with Boston at the end of 1994. Their first appearance was for two benefit shows at the House of Blues on December 12 & 13th, 1994 in Cambridge. The band also handed a check of $5,000 to Globe Santa and another check of $5,000 to Operation Christmas in Fall River. The group, with Delp now back in the band, toured in the summer of 1995 with both Cosmo and Delp combining vocals. By this time drummer Huffman had been replaced by Curly Smith, who was previously with Jo Jo Gunne. Following the conclusion of the "Livin' For You" tour in 1995, Scholz announces that a greatest hits album would be released. Initially planned for release in August 1996, the album was pushed back to a 1997 release date. Scholz headed back to the studio in 1998 to begin work on a fifth album, which eventually turned out to be Corporate America. The title track of "Corporate America" was uploaded by Tom Scholz to MP3.com under the pseudonym of "Downer's Revenge" in early 2002 in order to test the album's appeal to a younger demographic. The song reached #2 on the progressive rock charts on the website for two weeks. November 2002 marked the official release of Corporate America on the independent label, Artemis Records. This album featured the largest Boston lineup ever; returning members included Delp and Cosmo on guitar and lead vocals, Scholz on lead guitar and organ, and Gary Pihl on guitar, along with new members Anthony Cosmo on rhythm guitar, Jeff Neal on drums and Kimberley Dahme on bass and vocals. Dahme, Delp and Cosmo all contributed lead vocals to the album. The group embarked on a national tour in support of the album in 2003 and 2004. In 2006, the first two Boston albums appeared in remastered form. On March 9, 2007, lead singer, Brad Delp, took his own life at his home in Atkinson, New Hampshire. Police found Delp dead in his bathroom, along with several notes for whoever would find him. In the bathroom where Delp committed suicide, two charcoal grills were found, and the door sealed. Police Lt. William Baldwin called the death "untimely" and said that no foul play was indicated. Delp was alone at the time of his death according to the police report. Delp's death was a result of suicide and he was found by his fiancée, who saw a dryer hose attached to his car. According to the New Hampshire medical examiner, Delp's death was the result of suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning as evidenced by carboxyhemoglobin. Delp's last concert with Boston was performed at Boston Symphony Hall on November 13, 2006 at a concert honoring Doug Flutie. A concert in honor of Delp named Come Together: A Tribute to Brad Delp occurred on August 19, 2007 at the Bank of America Pavilion in Boston. The concert included, in order of appearance, Ernie and the Automatics, Beatlejuice, Farrenheit, Extreme, Godsmack, RTZ, Orion the Hunter, and finally the current version of Boston. All of the living members of Boston were invited to perform in the concert on August 19. The singers for Boston included Michael Sweet of Stryper, former band member Curly Smith, band member Kimberley Dahme, and Tommy DeCarlo. Another former Boston vocalist Fran Cosmo was unable to sing because of a ruptured blood vessel in his throat but did play guitar. Jim Masdea, Fran Sheehan and even Barry Goudreau joined Scholz and the rest of the band on stage for the finale, "Don't Look Back". Curly Smith and Kimberley Dahme split the lead vocal on the finale. Boston's genre is considered by most to be classic rock, while combining elements of progressive rock and heavy metal into their music. Former singer Brad Delp was well known for his extended vocal ranges, shown on hits such as "More Than a Feeling." Guitarist and primary song writer Tom Scholz' blend of musical styles, ranging from classical to 1960s English pop, has resulted in a unique sound, most consistently realized on the first two albums (Boston and Don't Look Back). This sound is characterized by multiple lead and blended harmonies guitar work (usually harmonized in thirds), often alternating between and then mixing electric and acoustic guitars. Scholz and Brian May are well regarded for the development of complex, multi-tracked guitar harmonies. Another contributing factor is the use of handmade, high tech equipment, such as the Rockman, used by artists such as Journey guitarist Neal Schon, the band ZZ Top, and Ted Nugent. Def Leppard's album Hysteria was created using only Rockman technology. Scholz' production style combines deep, aggressive, comparatively short guitar riffing and nearly ethereal, generally longer note vocal harmonies. A heavier, lower and darker overall approach came in the next two albums (Third Stage and Walk On). The original track, "Higher Power," on the Greatest Hits album exhibits a near Germanic, almost techno influence with its sequencer-sounding keyboards, a sound most fully realized on Corporate America's title track. Singer Brad Delp, who was strongly influenced by the Beatles, is also credited for helping to create Boston's sound with his signature vocal sound, one that associates him with Boston as closely as Freddie Mercury is with Queen, Mick Jagger with The Rolling Stones, Steve Perry with Journey, Roger Daltrey with The Who, Dennis DeYoung with Styx, and Steve Walsh with Kansas - all fellow classic rock bands. Boston discography 1976 "More Than a Feeling" - Hot 100 #5 1977 "Foreplay/Long Time" - Hot 100 #22 1977 "Peace of Mind" - Hot 100 #38 1978 "Don't Look Back" - Hot 100 #4 1978 "A Man I'll Never Be" - Hot 100 #31 1979 "Feelin' Satisfied" - Hot 100 #46 1986 "Amanda" - Hot 100 #1 - Mainstream Rock #1 1986 "We're Ready" - Hot 100 #9 - Main #2 1987 "Cool the Engines" - Main #4 1987 "Can'tcha Say (You Believe in Me)" - Hot #20 - Main #7 1994 "I Need Your Love" - Hot #51 - Main #4 1994 "Walk on Medley" - Main #14 Factoid: Lead singer Tommy DeCarlo, is a Boston fan from North Carolina who was chosen to sing based on his performances of Boston cover songs on his MySpace page. While Boston tours, he's on leave of absence from his job at The Home Depot. "Foreplay/Long Time" http://media-convert.com/convert/?xid=7-ulvbaqrm

Um Mike, he wanted his name changed, not under his name.

31. The Killers 3 of 24 lists - 45 points - highest ranking #4 Cali The Killers are a rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2002. The band consists of Brandon Flowers (vocals, keyboards, synths), Dave Keuning (guitar, backing vocals), Mark Stoermer (bass guitar) and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. (drums, percussion). Part of the post-punk revival movement, The Killers draw their influences from music styles of the 1980s. The group's debut album, Hot Fuss (2004) brought the band mainstream success. The Killers' second album, Sam's Town, was released in 2006, and the compilation album Sawdust containing B-sides, rarities, and new material, was released in 2007. Their third studio album, Day & Age, produced by Stuart Price, was released in 2008. The Killers released their album Hot Fuss in June 2004 in the United Kingdom on Marrakesh Records, and in the United States on Island Records. Hot Fuss has been classified 4x Platinum by the BPI and 3x Platinum by RIAA. The band also had chart success with its singles "Mr. Brightside", which reached the Top 10 in the UK when released, and "All These Things That I've Done". However, their main mainstream success came when they scored a number three chart position in the UK with their re-release of "Somebody Told Me". The members of the band appeared as themselves in the episode "The New Era" of the teen television drama The O.C., which aired in December 2004. In July 2005, The Killers performed on the London stage of the Live 8 concert, playing "All These Things That I've Done". Robbie Williams incorporated the song's refrain "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" into his own performance. Coldplay and U2 followed suit and, at their separate concerts played in Las Vegas, with The Killers in the crowd, incorporated the line into their songs "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face" and "Beautiful Day", respectively. The Killers' second album, Sam's Town, was released in October 2006 under Island Def Jam Music Group. Brandon Flowers said that Sam's Town would be "one of the best albums people would remember 20 years from now", though the album received a mixed response from critics and fans. The album sold over 706,000 copies worldwide in the first week of release, with a number two debut on the Billboard chart. The record sold over a million copies by January 2007. The album produced four singles in the United Kingdom and United States: "When You Were Young" released in September 2006, "Bones" which was released in November 2006, "Read My Mind" which was released in February 2007, and "For Reasons Unknown" which was released in June 2007. The first single from Sam's Town, "When You Were Young", entered the chart on downloads alone at number five, and the following week on its official release went to number two on the UK Singles Chart. The Killers finished working on a third album, which was released on November 24, 2008 in the UK and November 25, 2008 in North America. Brandon Flowers confirmed the album's title as Day & Age in an interview with NME. They worked with Stuart Price who did the Thin White Duke remix of "Mr Brightside" and produced "Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf" and "Sweet Talk". The first single from the album was "Human", although originally planned for Sawdust, it was released on September 22, with the music video released on iTunes on October 16. The band released a third Christmas single in December 2008, "Joseph, Better You Than Me". It features Elton John and Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys. Proceeds from the downloads will benefit Product Red. Day & Age became the band's third studio album to reach number one in both the UK and Ireland, it reached number six on the Billboard 200 album chart. Since going platinum, the band (and principally Flowers) have incited a few rivalries—most notably with The Bravery and Fall Out Boy, who are both labelmates (Island Records). Flowers has said that these bands, especially The Bravery, are riding on the coattails of the success of The Killers, to which Bravery frontman Sam Endicott replied calling Flowers 'A Little Girl' and a 'Kid in a Wheelchair'. Additionally, in an article of NME, Flowers claimed Fall Out Boy was hogging the A&R man both bands share, setting off Fall Out Boy's bassist Pete Wentz. However, after Wentz made a couple of rants on his blog in September 2005, he offered a virtual cease-fire. Flowers has since apologized to The Bravery, Fall Out Boy, and Panic at the Disco, saying "I'd like to take it all back - these people are just doing what they want to do, just like I am," and said that he was "not proud of" his actions. Fired by The Killers in May 2005 during their ascent to worldwide fame, Merrick filed a $16 million breach-of-contract suit in federal court in Los Angeles against the Las Vegas-based band in February 2006. His chief complaint was that after the band began making millions with its original release, "Hot Fuss," and touring worldwide, they simply stopped paying him his reported 25% service fee (from the band's annual gross income) for a contract that Merrick claimed ran through 2007. The Killers swiftly filed their own breach-of-contract counter suit, alleging Merrick's poor management had cost the band millions. The lawsuit was dismissed on October 9 2009. Merrick is now a partner at a new music label, Bright Antenna. The Killers discography 2004 "Somebody Told Me" - US Hot 100 #51 - US Alt #3 - US Dance Club #31 2004 "Mr. Brightside" - Hot #10 - US Pop #5 - Alt #3 - Dance #4 2004 "All These Things That I've Done" - Hot #74 - Pop #58 - Alt #10 2005 "Smile Like You Mean It" - Alt #15 2005 "Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll" - Hot #113 - Pop #71 2006 "When You Were Young" - Hot #14 - Pop #18 - Alt #1 - Dance #5 2006 "Bones" - Alt #21 2006 "A Great Big Sled"(feat. Toni Halliday) - Hot #54 - Pop #42 2007 "Read My Mind" - Hot #62 - Pop #62 - Alt #8 - Dance #1 2007 "Shadowplay" - Hot #68 - Pop #43 - Alt #19 2007 "Don't Shoot Me Santa" - Hot #108 - Pop #73 2008 "Human" - Hot #32 - Pop #39 - Alt #6 - Dance #1 "Spaceman" - Hot #67 - Alt #8 - Dance #2 "A Dustland Fairytale" - Alt #36 Factoid: Although they are from Nevada, The Killers have had more chart success in the UK than in the US. "Mr. Brightside" http://media-convert.com/convert/?xid=7-nzlmawos