Classic rock quickies

An upcoming two-disc DVD, titled The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story, documents the history of Pink Floyd, with a heavy emphasis on their original frontman, the late Syd Barrett. Barrett suffered a drug-induced breakdown just prior to the band's peak in popularity. The set includes rare early footage of the band performing at such places as the UFO Club, plus insights from former girlfriends, roommates, producers, managers, friends and famous fans. No word yet on a release date. (Stereogum)

In other Pink Floyd news, a balloon decorated with their name that was a participant in the 2007 Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival caught fire upon landing, giving its balloonist first- and second-degree burns. The pilot just missed some power lines in a neighborhood and landed the balloon hard in someone's front yard before it exploded, most likely due to a wire malfunction. (NBC News)

The ever-opinionated guitarist Ted Nugent has offered up his opinions to the Wall Street Journal, this time blaming "stoned, dirty, stinky hippies" for "rising rates of divorce, high school drop-outs, drug use, abortion, sexual diseases and crime, not to mention exponential expansion of government and taxes." He said of the "Summer of Love," "Honest and intelligent people will remember it for what it really was: the Summer of Drugs." He also had some rather unkind words for his musical predecessors, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Mama Cass, saying, "I often wonder what musical peaks they could have climbed had they not gagged to death on their own vomit." The self-described Motor City Madman said of himself, "Clean and sober 59 years, I am still rocking my brains out and approaching my 6,000th concert. Clean and sober is the real party."

Pretenders singer/guitarist Chrissie Hynde is opening a vegetarian restaurant in Akron, Ohio, called VegeTerranean. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a vegetarian herself, will sing at a free concert at the grand opening of the upscale restaurant on September 15th. VegeTerranean will feature Mediterranean and vegetarian cuisine. Although Hynde is an Akron native, she lives in England and has brought in a Canton, Ohio restaurateur as her partner in the eatery. (Yahoo/AP)

Marilyn Manson's sweet dreams came true on Sunday (July 1st) night when his idol, Alice Cooper, joined him onstage at the B'Estival in Bucharest, Romania. The two shock rockers sang the Eurythmics hit-turned-Marilyn-Manson single, "Sweet Dreams," though Cooper seemed somewhat underenthused about the performance. Maybe he was just out of joint because he didn't have on as much makeup as Marilyn. (Stereogum)
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