Thursday, April 20, 2023

STEVE BABB AND HANNAH PRYOR OF PROGRESSIVE ROCK GROUP ‘GLASS HAMMER’ HINT ABOUT NEW MUSIC ON THE WAY:ZOOM TV SPECIAL EVENT ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS!

 






S T E V E   B A B B 

AND

H A N N A H   P R Y O R

OF

PROGRESSIVE ROCK GROUP

G L A S S   H A M M E R 

ZOOM TV SPECIAL EVENT

ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS

WITH RAY SHASHO

CLICK BELOW 

TO WATCH IN ITS ENTIRETY!


Glass Hammer is an American progressive rock band from Chattanooga, Tennessee. They formed in 1992 when multi-instrumentalists Steve Babb and Fred Schendel began to write and record “Journey of the Dunadan”, a concept album based on the story of Aragorn from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.


Glass Hammer is Progressive rock at its finest! First came Dreaming City (2021), followed by Skallagrim – Into the Breach (2022). Now Glass Hammer returns to the cursed realm of Andorath with Part III of their Skallagrim trilogy, AT THE GATE their most recent release. The album’s narrative concludes the sword and sorcery-inspired tale of the thief with the screaming sword, a “desperate man” who lost his lover and his memory. Lead vocalist, Hannah Pryor, joins Steve Babb, Fred Schendel, and Aaron Raulston. Singer John Beagley and former Glass Hammer vocalist Jon Davison (now of YES) make guest appearances.

Musically Glass Hammer’s most apparent influences are Yes, Kansas, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and to a less noticeable extent, Genesis. While Glass Hammer has, for the most part, combined those influences into a characteristic style of their own.

PURCHASE

THE LATEST RELEASE

BY

GLASS

 HAMMER

Entitled

AT THE GATE

available at

 https://glasshammer.com/official-store/

and amazon.com

Progressive rock at its finest! First came Dreaming City (2021), followed by Skallagrim – Into the Breach (2022). Now Glass Hammer returns to the cursed realm of Andorath with Part III of their Skallagrim trilogy, AT THE GATE. The album’s narrative concludes the sword and sorcery-inspired tale of the thief with the screaming sword, a “desperate man” who lost his lover and his memory. Lead vocalist, Hannah Pryor, joins Steve Babb, Fred Schendel, and Aaron Raulston.

Singer John Beagley and former Glass Hammer vocalist Jon Davison (now of YES) make guest appearances. “At this point in the tale, our protagonist has searched a thousand years to find his lost love,” comments Glass Hammer’s Steve Babb. “The album’s lyrics and text address not only the story,” he continues, “but what the characters represent to me. At The Gate is an album about hard choices, the pursuit of lost joy, and the hope of a brighter day.” “The trilogy’s music was always meant to have an arc,” he explains. “And while there’s an abundance of metal on this album, you’ll also hear our symphonic side reasserting itself. It’s been part of the plan all along, and I think our fans will love how we’ve wrapped up the trilogy.” Like its predecessors, the digipack insert has the look and feel of a vintage fantasy novel, complete with excerpts from the story and illustrations.

MORE MUSIC BY 
GLASS HAMMER


 

ALSO

PURCHASE

STEVE BABB’S BOOK

SKALLAGRIM


IN THE VALUES OF PAGARNA

BOOK ONE

At amazon.com

“And those monsters saw not a young man with a sword but a scarred and screaming horror with the rising red doom of the sun at his back and a hellishly shrieking, flashing, living sword in his hands.”

Skallagrim wakes in the middle of a fight for his life with only the vaguest idea of who he is. Facing an angry mob of murderous cutthroats, he watches helplessly while the love of his life is abducted before his eyes. Finally, with a crushing sense of despair, he realizes he’s going to die without even knowing her name.

But he doesn’t die.

To find the girl and take his revenge upon the fiend who took her, Skallagrim, wounded and exhausted, must endure a journey like no other. He’ll face madmen, ghouls, tentacled horrors, and witches, both foul and fair, as he races toward a final showdown that will have readers on the edge of their seats.

An awe-inspiring tale of adventure, triumph, and tragedy, set in a brutal, unforgiving wilderness and packed with heart-stopping action, Skallagrim – In The Vales Of Pagarna marks the first installment of an outstanding new series.


 FOR MORE INFORMATION

ABOUT

GLASS HAMMER

VISIT

www.glasshammer.com

Official website

https://twitter.com/GlassHammerProg

Twitter

www.facebook.com/glasshammerband

Facebook

www.youtube.com/user/ghprog

YouTube

https://stephenrbabb.com/about/

Steve Babb author website

 

Discography

Studio albums

Journey of the Dunadan (1993)

Perelandra (1995)

On to Evermore (1998)

Chronometree (2000)

The Middle-Earth Album (2001)

Lex Rex (2002)

Shadowlands (2004)

The Inconsolable Secret (2005, re-recorded in 2013)

Culture of Ascent (2007)

Three Cheers for the Broken-Hearted (2009)

If (2010)

Cor Cordium (2011)

Perilous (2012)

Ode to Echo (2014)

The Breaking of the World (2015)

Valkyrie (2016)

Chronomonaut (2018)

Dreaming City (2020)

Skallagrim - Into the Breach (2021)

"At the Gate" (2022)

 

Live albums

Live and Revived (1997; also a compilation of previously unreleased tracks)

Live at Nearfest (2004)

Double Live (2015)

Mostly Live (2018)

 

Live DVDs

Lex Live (2004)

Live at Belmont (2006)

Live at the Tivoli (2008)

Double Live (2015)

 










STEVE BABB
and HANNAH PRYOR 
APPEAR WEEK OF 
APRIL 20TH 2023
ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS
WITH RAY SHASHO


ORDER NOW

 WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

RAY’S BEST-SELLING BOOK

ENTITLED

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE  

CHRONICLES,TRUTHS

 CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM 

FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS 

THAT SET US FREE!



BY MUSIC JOURNALIST

 TALK SHOW HOST  

AUTHOR ...TV SITCOM WRITER

RAY SHASHO 

Order yours today on (Collector edition) Hardcover or E-book at bookbaby.com and amazon.com

Featuring over 45 intimate conversations with some of the greatest rock legends the world will ever know.

CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA…  JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER...  RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER...  ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY... PETE BEST

 

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

BOOK TRAILER

 

BOOK REVIEW

-By Literary Titan (5) STARS

The Rock Star Chronicles by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show. 

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan. 

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives. 

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music.  The second noteworthy thing is the use of high-definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.

I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.

https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/   

Gold Award Winner



MORE BOOKS BY RAY SHASHO



Thursday, April 13, 2023

LEGENDARY ROCKER MARK FARNER DEBUTS ‘FARNER CHORDS’ ZOOM TV SPECIAL EVENT ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS WITH RAY SHASHO!

 



Legendary Rocker 

Debuts

‘FARNER CHORDS’

ZOOM TV SPECIAL EVENT

with GRAND FUNK'S 

Historical Captain

CLICK BELOW 

TO WATCH IN ITS ENTIRETY!



PHOTOS BY BRAD SHAW

MARK FARNER is the reason. As one of the founding members, lead singer, lead guitarist, and wrote more than 90% of the Grand Funk music catalog, Farner has always been known as the energetic driving force on stage, the engine that pulled the original Grand Funk Railroad to the top of the charts.


From his soulful voice and power rock riffs, to fueling the Funk with his atomic stage presence. His story and his imprint on music starts with Flint and since 1969 from his humble beginnings and a blue-collar outlook, Farner has captained a global crusade for love, peace and freedom and became a rock ‘n’ roll icon. 
 

More than 60 years later – he commands the stage with the same intensity performing epic hits that defined a generation – “I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home)”, “Bad Time”, “Some Kind of Wonderful”, “Foot Stompin’ Music”, “Heartbreaker”, “Locomotion”, “Mean Mistreater” and “We’re An American Band”.

Today, Farner’s amplifying his remarkable career another full decibel selling more than 30 million records worldwide, including 16 gold and platinum albums. In his 2022 Closer To Home Tour, Mark Farner’s American Band will honor Farner’s golden anniversary in music, as well as shine a spotlight on his legendary contributions to society. Amongst his more recent achievements are donating thousands of dollars from the sales of his 2020 From Chile With Love DVD to Veterans Services Foundation, working with the Soldiers Against Suicide awareness and prevention organization and Grand Master at the 2021 Bikes On Bricks community event in Flint.



Farner, 74, is also about as real as they get: he’s a husband, a father and grandfather and in his fourth decade of marriage to wife Lesia. He’s a family man. “Love is unconditional,” he said. “Just like when you hold a baby, the love transfers. I feel that when I’m on stage from the audience. It’s all about the fans, and all about love.” 



Mark Farner is launching a long-awaited instructional video series.

Farner Chords, a new video series where Farner gives a detailed look at the chords and techniques behind the hits, kicks off today with “People, Let’s Stop The War”. The single first appeared in the 1971 Grand Funk Railroad album, “E Pluribus Funk”. 

The video series is free and can only be accessed online at MarkFarner.com. Additional videos will roll out monthly. 


Don’t forget 

to Purchase

FROM CHILE

 WITH LOVE

A live concert DVD

with

MARK FARNER'S 

AMERICAN BAND





available at 

https://markfarner.com/shop-2/

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

ABOUT

 MARK FARNER’S

AMERICAN BAND

VISIT

www.markfarner.com

Official website

https://markfarner.com/farner-chords/

Farner chords

The video series is free and can only be accessed online at MarkFarner.com. Additional videos will roll out monthly.

www.facebook.com/MarkFarnerAmericanBand

Facebook

https://twitter.com/REALMARKFARNER

Twitter

www.instagram.com/markfarners_americanband

Instagram

https://sixteencreative.com/

Veteran Owned Creative Agency 


MARK FARNER’S 

AMERICAN BAND

IN CONCERT 2023

Apr. 06 Genesee Theatre

Waukegan, IL

Apr. 21 St. George Theatre

Staten Island, NY

Apr. 23 The Space at Westbury

Westbury, NY

May. 12 District 142

Wyandotte, MI

Jun. 29 C D & Me

Frankfort, IL

Jul. 02 Frontier Days Arlington Heights

Arlington Heights, IL

Jul. 29 Northwoodstock Music Festival

Land O' Lakes, WI

Aug. 05 Kingsford Centenial Celebration

Kingsford, MI


Discography

Studio albums

Mark Farner, 1977

No Frills, 1978

Just Another Injustice, 1988

Wake Up..., 1989

Some Kind of Wonderful, 1991

For the People, 2006

With Grand Funk Railroad

On Time (1969)

Grand Funk (1969)

Closer to Home (1970)

Live Album (1970)

Survival (1971)

E Pluribus Funk (1971)

Phoenix (1972)

We're an American Band (1973)

Shinin' On (1974)

All the Girls in the World Beware!!! (1974)

Caught in the Act (1975)

Born to Die (1976)

Good Singin', Good Playin' (1976)

Grand Funk Lives (1981)

What's Funk? (1983)

Bosnia (1996)

Other albums

Closer to Home, 1992 (best-of)

Heirlooms: The Complete Atlantic Sessions, 2000 (re-release of Farner's two first studio albums)

Red, White and Blue Forever, 2002 (mini album)

Live!! N'rG, 2003

Mark Farner the Rock Patriot, March 9, 2003, Live Extended Versions

(DVD)

Mark Farner – From Chile With Love (2021)

 






MARK FARNER
APPEARS WEEK OF 
APRIL 14TH 2023
ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS
WITH RAY SHASHO


ORDER NOW

 WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

RAY’S BEST-SELLING BOOK

ENTITLED

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE  

CHRONICLES,TRUTHS

 CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM 

FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS 

THAT SET US FREE!



BY MUSIC JOURNALIST ...TALK SHOW HOST...  

AUTHOR ...TV SITCOM WRITER

RAY SHASHO

Order yours today on (Collector edition) Hardcover or E-book at bookbaby.com and amazon.com

Featuring over 45 intimate conversations with some of the greatest rock legends the world will ever know.

CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA…  JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER...  RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER...  ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY... PETE BEST

 

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

BOOK TRAILER

 

BOOK REVIEW

-By Literary Titan (5) STARS

The Rock Star Chronicles by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show. 

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan. 

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives. 

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music.  The second noteworthy thing is the use of high-definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.

I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.

https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/   

Gold Award Winner



MORE BOOKS BY RAY SHASHO