Quick Takes: U2, Graham Nash, Rush, Genesis, Billy Joel

U2's Bono and The Edge participated on Friday's (April 8th) Global Citizen’s social media rally in support of the Ukraine and other nations in desperate need of aid. The duo performed a rewritten version of its 2000 All That You Can't Leave Behind favorite “Walk On,” which was renamed, “Walk On Ukraine.”
- U2 posted on their social media platforms: “The brave people of Ukraine are fighting for their freedom — and for ours — in the face of unspeakable violence and an unjust invasion. More than 4 million people, mostly women and children, have had to flee for their lives — a population nearly the size of Ireland. World leaders must stand up and stand by Ukrainians now. . . those who are fighting and those who have fled. . . and stand with refugees everywhere who have been forced from their homes and their lands. #standupforukraine“
Graham Nash has changed the setlist in his recent solo shows to reflect the war in the Ukraine. Nash now opens the concerts with Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young's “Find The Cost Of Freedom,” followed by his own solo favorite, “Military Madness,” the Crosby-Nash classic “Immigration Man,” and the long-unreleased track, “In Your Name.”
- Nash told Ultimate Classic Rock: “I actually changed the beginning of my shows. . . I took a chance because normally you want to come out and do a hit to make them all feel comfortable and get comfortable in their seats and get their jackets off and stuff like that. No, no, no, no. There's stuff going on in the world that everybody is aware of, that everybody wants to escape the news of, but I have to start my show with these songs. I have to say, 'Look, there's something going on here that we need to talk about.'” (Ultimate Classic Rock)
Rush has just premiered a previously unreleased version of “Tom Sawyer” set for release on the band's 40th anniversary deluxe edition of 1981's Moving Pictures set for release on Friday (April 15th). The newly unveiled track comes from the band's March 25th, 1981 concert at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens — now dubbed, Live In YYZ. (Best Classic Bands)
During a chat with Rolling Stone, Phil Collins' son and Genesis drummer Nic Collins believes that that his dad will indeed retire after the band's final gig last month: “I think at the moment, he’s definitely retired. If you ask me on a serious level, I think that show in London was my dad’s last show. But then again, he said that in 2004 and we wound up doing a tour in 2018. You can never be sure, but I also do think that my dad is probably excited about the next step in his life. Music has given him so much, but he’s also given so much to it. His career has pretty much determined his life for the past 50 years. I think for him to be able to take a step back and not have that pressure that he’s had for decades, I think is going to be nice for him. For me, I think that was that, but who knows?” (Rolling Stone)
A new officially released Billy Joel 50th anniversary streaming collection features a half-dozen rarities fans will undoubtedly want to snap up. The new 50-track, 50 Years Of The Piano Man, not only includes the rere 1980 single version of Glass Houses' “Sometimes A Fantasy” — but a 1994 Boston Gardens take of River Of Dreams' “All About Soul.”
- The main draw are the four tracks recorded on December 5th, 1976 at New London, Connecticut's Palmer Auditorium, which were recorded and videotaped by CBS Records as a promotional concert named, Tonight. The '76 tracks are: “The Ballad Of Billy The Kid,” “Summer, Highland Falls,” “New York State Of Mind,” and “Souvenir.”