Sights and Sounds: Paul Rodgers, Rick Springfield, Radiohead, Boy George, Eric Carmen

Here is your friendly neighborhood mid-day roundup!

Paul Rodgers' solo album The Royal Sessions has made its debut at #1 on the Billboard Blues Albums chart. In addition, the wonderful album has landed on the Top Rock Albums chart and on the Billboard Top 200 Current Albums chart too. The Royal Sessions is the legendary Bad Company singer's tribute to the hits he collected on 45s released on Stax/Volt, Goldwax and Hi Records, 45s that featured the likes of Otis Redding, Albert King and Ann Peebles. Read my review of the album that appears on the Desert Star Weekly Web site here.

Rick Springfield is taking his so-called Stripped Down Tour out on the road this spring. Read more on the tour, which will feature the rocker sharing stories and acoustic versions of his songs. Read George A. Paul's post with all the details on the Music Minded blog.

Radiohead has released a new iPhone app! Click here to learn more.

Long-time Culture Club singer Boy George is embarking on a solo tour of the U.S. in April 2014. The tour, which includes a date in Los Angeles on April 29, will come in support of his forthcoming solo album This Is What I Do (set for release on March 25, 2014). Click here to read the story in USA Today.

Finally, Arista/Legacy Recordings has announced the release of the two-disc, 30-track The Essential Eric Carmen on March 25, 2014.

The collection will showcase the pop pioneer's 45-year music making career, covering his work with the Raspberries and his subsequent solo career. Included in the track listing is "Brand New Year," Carmen's first new recording in almost two decades! The collection is now available for pre-order on iTunes (iTunes.com/EricCarmen). By pre-ordering you will receive the new track "Brand New Year" instantly.

The Essential Eric Carmen compilation was produced by Legacy Recordings' Timothy J. Smith and overseen and advised by Eric Carmen, who also contributed original liner notes.

Legacy Recordings' critically acclaimed and globally successful Essential Series has set a worldwide standard with its vast catalog of career-spanning, chronologically sequenced, fully annotated collections, available as double-CD packages or digital downloads.

Disc One

1. Get The Message (w/ Cyrus Erie)+
2. Go All The Way (w/Raspberries)
3. I Wanna Be With You (w/Raspberries)
4. Let's Pretend (w/Raspberries)
5. Tonight (w/Raspberries)
6. Overnight Sensation (Hit Record) (w/Raspberries)
7. Sunrise
8. My Girl
9. All By Myself
10. Never Gonna Fall In Love Again
11. Last Night
12. Starting Over (Live 1976) *
13. That's Rock N' Roll (Live 1976) *
14. Run Away
15. Love Is All That Matters

Disc Two

1. Boats Against The Current
2. Marathon Man
3. She Did It
4. Nowhere To Hide
5. Change Of Heart
6. Hey Deanie
7. Desperate Fools
8. Someday
9. It Hurts Too Much
10. Tonight You're Mine
11. The Way We Used To Be
12. Hungry Eyes
13. Make Me Lose Control
14. Ecstasy (Live 2005) (w/Raspberries)
15. Brand New Year **

+ Previously Unreleased Digitally* Previously Unreleased** Previously Unreleased New Recording