Vatican Likes Beatles, Forgives Lennon, Jackson Turns Muslim?, more

The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano wrote in its Saturday edition that the Beatles music is better than today's "standardized, stereotypical" sounds. The comment was in reference to the 40th anniversary of the group's White Album.

They also wrote off John Lennon's comment that the group was more popular than Jesus, calling it the bragging of a young man in the middle of unusual success.

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Michael Jackson and Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa have come to a settlement in the Sheik's $7 million suit against the singer. Jackson no longer needs to go to London to testify.

A Jackson spokesman said, "As Mr. Jackson was about to board his plane to London, he was advised by his legal team to postpone his travels since the parties had concluded a settlement in principle. Therefore, he will not be attending court on Monday."

In other Jackson news, a tabloid is reporting that Jackson has become a Muslim and has changed his name to Mikaeel. Remember, it's from a tabloid.

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Devo is working on their first album of new material since 1990's Smooth Noodle Maps.

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Booker T. Jones is also assembling his first solo album in twenty years with the help of the Drive-By Truckers and Neil Young.

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Ricky Skaggs went into the studio recently with the Raconteurs and Ashley Monroe to record a new version of the groups song Old Enough. It will premier on music.yahoo.com on December 2.

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Tito Jackson has evidently quit Taco Bell (yes, David Letterman reference) and is moving to England where he plans on starting a solo career at the age of 55. His last recording was 1989's 2300 Jackson Street.

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Artist Guy Peellaert passed away last Monday in Paris from heart failure at the age of 74. Peellaert was famous in the rock world for a series of painting he produced in the early and mid-70's of many iconic figures and for painting the covers of the Rolling Stone's It's Only Rock 'n' Roll and David Bowie's Diamond Dogs, among others.