Black Sabbath guitarist Iommi diagnosed with cancer

LONDON (Reuters) - Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma, according to a statement on his website on Monday.

The British heavy metal group's original lineup is writing and recording its first album in 33 years, and the band members will move from Los Angeles to London in order to work with Iommi while he undergoes treatment.

"His bandmates would like everyone to send positive vibes to the guitarist at this time," the statement read, adding that the new album was still scheduled for release in the autumn.

"Iommi is currently working with his doctors to establish the best treatment plan -- the 'Iron Man' of Rock & Roll remains upbeat and determined to make a full and successful recovery."

Iommi, 63, is a founding member of Black Sabbath, one of the most successful hard rock acts in history who have sold an estimated 70 million records worldwide.

The veterans announced in November that they were reuniting in their original four man line-up, including Ozzy Osbourne on vocals, for their first new album in more than three decades and a 2012 world tour.

The quartet released their last studio album of all original material in 1978 with "Never Say Die."

Osbourne was fired from the band in 1979, leading to changing lineups for several years. The original foursome reunited for a 1998 release and played sporadically together in the early 2000s.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)

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"I'm With You" leaves new Chili Peppers guitarist stewing (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – The big worry for Red Hot Chili Peppers fans leading into "I'm With You," their 10th album, was whether new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer could possibly measure up to the legacy of departed axeman John Frusciante, who'd been with the Chili Peppers for most of their career and all their most popular recordings.

Actually, Klinghoffer has no problem fitting in, despite, at 31, being about 17 or 18 years the junior of the other three members. If anything, the problem is that the young addition isn't featured nearly enough, since his all-too-infrequent, all-too-fleeting solos are the reddest and hottest thing about the under-baked "I'm With You."

Other members have described the newcomer's guitar work as "subtler" than that of predecessors Frusciante and Dave Navarro, and maybe the fresh recruit needed to be encouraged to come out of his shell more. Or maybe the subtle tag was a self-fulfilling prophecy meant to keep Klinghoffer in his place while they doled him out slowly to suspicious fans.

Whoever's responsible for the reining-in, Klinghoffer is used more for accents than prominent riffs, let alone soloing, and as much as modesty can be a virtue, reticence isn't, at least for this band. You want to nudge Anthony Kiedis out of the way and beg for an instrumental freakout in lieu of that superfluous third or fourth chorus.

If there's a glass-half-full take on "I'm With You," it involves wonderment that the album works as well as it does, given the high mortality rate for bands that have been around since the 1980s.

A couple of the best numbers prove the Chili Peppers can straighten out their herky-jerky rhythms enough to produce a nearly straightforward dance track, starting with the terrific opener, "Monarchy of Roses," which transforms itself from near-psychedelia into sheer, shimmering disco every time the chorus comes around. The equally charming "Look Around" ups the dance ante with actual, bona fide handclaps while making greater use of the crew's trademark funk.

"Did I Let You Know" offers Klinghoffer's best solo -- think George Harrison on steroids, and possibly other stimulants -- while adding an unexpected trumpet to the tropically flavored mix. The fun renders lyrical groaners like "I want to get lean on you/Get Jan and Dean on you" and "I like you cheeky/So Mozambique-y" nearly forgivable.

"Happiness Loves Company" is pure, piano-fueled power pop, and has Kiedis inexplicably name-checking the Mothers of Invention, even though it's the Monkees or Turtles that come to mind. In contrast, "Goodbye Hooray," the punkiest number, is the one rocker to make effective use of the new guitarist throughout -- not just for textures and interjections, but as part of the central riff, a prominent duty more often left solely to bassist Flea.

Other tracks get more frustrating, like "Etheopia," where a potentially great Klinghoffer jam is cut short so we can hear Kiedis sing yet another chorus of "E-I-O-I-E-I-A," in apparent homage to the farmer in the dell.

Next album, when it comes time to determine how stingy to be with the new guitarist's talent: give it away, give it away, boys.

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U2 guitarist still pursuing Malibu development (AP)

LOS ANGELES – The guitarist for U2 and several other property owners whose proposal to build a cluster of mansions overlooking Malibu failed to get past state regulators have filed lawsuits against the California Coastal Commission.

The lawsuits filed Friday argue that the basis for the commission's decision to deny their permits in June was not legal.

The property owners say they are five separate owners each building a single home on separate lots, an argument that would have made it more difficult for the commission to reject their proposal.

The commission, however, determined there was enough evidence to show the project was under common ownership, coordinated and led by U2 guitarist The Edge, whose real name is David Evans.

The proposal called for five multilevel homes of up to 12,785 square feet to be built on 156 acres in the Santa Monica Mountains. Project designs said the homes would have the top green building certifications and the guitarist himself said the mansions would be some of the most environmentally sensitive in the world.

"When we buy property zoned for residential use, we expect to be able to build a home," said Fiona Hutton, spokeswoman for the property owners. "But in this case, after years of working cooperatively with the Coastal Commission and planning the most environmentally sensitive homes possible, government changed the rules and is now denying these families right to use their land."

Project opponents, however, including the National Park Service said the development would scar the expansive ridgeline. The musician and his partners had appeased one of its staunches opponents, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy after agreeing to give the agency more than $1 million, dedicate nearly 100 acres to open space and provide public access to hiking trails if the homes were approved.

In the end, the majority of the commission deemed the project too environmentally destructive to allow and voted against permitting it.

Charles Lester, acting executive director for the commission, could not directly comment on the lawsuit because they had yet to see it but said the commission had ample evidence to support its decision.

"The commission had a comprehensive presentation on this issue and felt there was a legal basis for their vote," he said.

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Guitarist Galban of Buena Vista dies in Cuba (AFP)

HAVANA (AFP) – Manuel Galban, guitarist of the renowned Buena Vista Social Club, has died in Cuba at the age of 80, according to official media.

Galban died Thursday, official television said, calling his passing a "great loss, not only for Cuban music, but for our culture."

Born in 1931 in the southern city of Gibara, Galban came to Havana in 1956, where he directed the vocal quarter Los Zafiros from 1962 to 1972.

In 1974, he founded the Batey, which toured in some 60 countries over 23 years.

In 1996, American guitarist Ry Cooder called on Galban to join the group that evoked the music of the Buena Vista Social Club in Havana with Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzalez, Omara Portuondo and Cachaito Lopez.

The project helped spawn a film of that name by Wim Wenders, and Galban recorded with Cooder for the 2001 album Mambo Sinuendo, winning a Latin Grammy award.

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Rock guitarist Leslie West's lower leg amputated (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Rock guitarist Leslie West, who rose to fame in the '70s power trio Mountain, has had his lower right leg amputated in a life-saving operation related to his diabetes, his wife said on Monday.

West, 65, underwent the emergency surgery after being admitted to a hospital in Biloxi, Mississippi, on Saturday when his leg started to swell and his foot went septic.

"The doctors tried for two days to save it to no avail. The decision to amputate was one that was necessary to save his life as the infection was spreading throughout his body," his wife, Jenni West, said in an email.

"The nursing staff and doctors have taken excellent care of him and should be called angels for their efforts and tenderness they showed us in this time of crisis."

West is expected to recover but faces extensive rehabilitation, a spokesman said.

Mountain is probably best known for its debut 1970 single "Mississippi Queen," a staple of classic rock radio. West has long struggled with his weight and type 2 diabetes. He named one of his solo albums "The Great Fatsby."

His next album, "The Unusual Suspects," featuring such guitarists as Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Slash of Guns N' Roses and Joe Bonamassa, does not yet have a release date.

"Leslie will, no doubt, bounce back with his unusually bionic blitz of guitarosciousness," Gibbons said in an email. "Leslie will always be playing and standing on higher ground."

(Reporting by Dean Goodman)

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Coastal agency rejects project led by U2 guitarist (AP)

LOS ANGELES – Despite promises by U2 guitarist The Edge that it would be one of the greenest developments in the world, California's coastal development agency rejected a proposal for five mansions overlooking Malibu citing concerns that it would irrevocably damage the environment.

On Thursday, staff told the California Coastal Commission that approving such a project would set a precedent and invite other large developments to rugged, environmentally sensitive locations. Commissioners voted 8-to-4 against the proposal.

"In my 38 years I have never seen a project as environmentally devastating as this one," said Peter Douglas, executive director for the commission. "An environmentally sensitive person would never pick this site to develop."

Following the vote Fiona Hutton, spokeswoman for the property owners, said they would be "vigorously exploring all potential options including litigation."

"The property owners worked diligently to develop home designs that would meet some of the highest standards for sustainability, blend seamlessly with the natural landscape and preserve the vast majority of their private lands as open space," she said.

The proposal led by the musician, whose real name is David Evans, called for five multilevel homes of up to 12,785 square feet to be built on 156 acres in the Santa Monica Mountains. Project designers said the homes would have the top green building certifications and the guitarist said the mansions would be some of the most environmentally sensitive in the world.

Project opponents, including the National Park Service, however, said the development would scar the expansive ridgeline. The musician and his partners had earlier appeased one of its staunchest opponents, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, after agreeing to give the agency more than $1 million, dedicate nearly 100 acres to open space and provide public access to hiking trails if the homes were approved.

One sticking point was the claim by proponents that they are five separate owners each building a single home on separate lots, an argument that would make it more difficult for the commission to deny their proposals.

Commission staff said the current owners did not adequately show that the properties were individually owned. Staff members said they believe the project is a single coordinated development with a single project manager, single architect, single website and — until recently — a single agent that came before the commission. Staff suggested building fewer homes on the site but proponents called that a violation of property rights.

To prove that each lot was under individual control, one owner flew in from England while others sent video clips telling commissioners they were not taking any direction from Evans regarding the development of their site. Attorneys, meanwhile, said commission staff's single ownership theory would not stand up in court and that the owners are the entities that hold the titles.

Don Schmitz, the project's planning consultant, told commissioners there are homes at similar elevations in the Santa Monica Mountains and there is plenty of development near the site including Malibu's exclusive Serra Retreat neighborhood.

"We're flummoxed to understand why we're so special," said Schmitz, adding that they've done everything that staff has asked. "There is nothing these property owners can do that they haven't already done."

In the end, however, most of the commission didn't appear to buy that argument. While some complimented the project's green intentions and overall design, which included organic features such as a home that wrapped around an existing pile of boulders, commissioners said the project was simply too big and sited in the wrong area.

Commission Chair Mary Shallenberger recalled talking with the musician and how "he and his wife fell in love with the land but couldn't afford it so they got some friends to go in on it."

"Yes they have a right to a house but they don't have the right to the houses they've proposed," she said. "People don't have a right to build on the ridge just because it happens to be the most beautiful part on the property to build."

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U2 guitarist the Edge loses bid for Malibu mansion (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A plan by U2's lead guitarist, the Edge, and his associates to build several mansions overlooking the Pacific Ocean was denied on Thursday by California officials, who said the project would be a visual blight on a pristine ridgeline.

The California Coastal Commission, which voted 8-4 to reject the controversial 156-acre project, also cited potential damage to native vegetation near the seaside enclave of Malibu.

The Edge, whose real name is David Evans, bought the ridge-top parcel of land for his proposed home in 2005 and has since been fighting to win approval for the development.

A spokeswoman for the Edge said the guitarist and his associates were weighing a potential lawsuit and other options to revive the project.

The Edge had touted the proposed complex of mansions as an environmentally sustainable undertaking that would boast such features as solar energy panels, a rainwater catchment system and on-site electric vehicle charging.

The musician and his associates also said the five homes they were planning to build would collectively occupy just over 1 acre of the 156 acres of private land they had purchased for the development.

Officials with the California Coastal Commission argued the proposal was deceptively presented as five separate developments even though the Edge was the single driving force behind it.

The commission also noted the other principals behind the project were closely tied to the Edge, and included his sister and his business partner.

Environmentalists had opposed the development, saying it would mar views of the ridgeline for over a mile along the coast, a fact cited by commission staff.

Malibu City Councilwoman Laura Rosenthal told Reuters that many of her constituents would agree with the commission's decision.

"Absolutely it's been a big issue, and people have been talking about it and are concerned about it," she said.

Fiona Hutton, a spokeswoman for the Edge, said California officials have approved dozens of other similar projects in the area.

"We'd like to be treated fairly, like any other applicant that comes before the Coastal Commission," she said.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Steve Gorman)

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Ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr talks solo music (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Billboard) – Johnny Marr, the former Smiths guitarist and songwriter, expects to start a world tour in October beginning with a show in New York.

Currently he's working on two albums and scoring the second season of David Cross's British TV series, "The Increasingly Poor Decision of Todd Margaret." Marr plans to release music from his new edition of his band the Healers early next year, soon after guitar manufacturer Fender's release in January of a Johnny Marr edition guitar.

"I just want to write more than enough material to avoid ducking back into the studio to record a follow-up album," Marr told Billboard.com. His only previous solo album, "Boomslang," was released in 2003.

Marr has toured with the Healers, Modest Mouse and the Cribs over the past several years. Having recently left the Cribs, he figures that once he starts touring again, there will be no stopping.

"I want to take advantage of this point and when I set sail I want to set sail for awhile," he said.

Marr was nominated for an Academy Award last year for his work with Hans Zimmer on "Inception." His first full-length film score can be heard May 24 when the detective thriller "The Big Bang" -- starring Antonio Banderas, James Van Der Beek and Sam Elliott -- is released on Blu-ray and DVD.

Marr took seven months to write the score last year, which meant working on the film while he was touring.

"The discipline of finishing a few scenes in a day was useful in writing the record that I am now writing," he said just days after celebrating his favorite soccer team, Manchester City, winning the FA Cup. "There was not a lot of time for indulgence or experimentation - and I like to deliver when I say I'm going to deliver."

As for that Fender guitar, based on a 1962 Jaguar, Marr said "the model has to be perfect. You can see I'm spinning a lot of plates."

(Editing by Zorianna Kit)

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