Rock News: Music's high and low notes

EARTH TO BASS: NO GO

Lance Bass apparently is finished with his astronaut fantasy camp mission. The Russian Space Agency evicted Bass from its Star City space camp outside Moscow because the former 'N Sync star has failed to pay the $20 million ticket price for a seat on the Russian rocket. Last week Bass claimed he was a "go" for the Soyuz blastoff scheduled for Oct. 28, but has failed to meet several payment deadlines, according to Russian officials. Sergei Gorbunov, a spokesman for the Russian Space Agency, dismissed Bass' space odyssey as "hype" and declared, "It's over." The Russians will replace Bass in the capsule with a cargo container likely to have a lot more content than the boy band heartthrob.

BON JOVI TOPS NFL PARTY

The National Football League plans to celebrate the start of its season Thursday with a free concert in New York's Times Square starring Bon Jovi, Eve, Alicia Keys and Latin pop star Enrique Iglesias. Bon Jovi is promoting his new music video, "Everyday," which will air on VH1 at 6:30 p.m. ET as part of a half-hour special leading into the station's live coverage of the concert at 7 p.m. The concert begins at 4:30 p.m. and wraps at 8 p.m. just in time for the kickoff between the Giants and the San Francisco 49ers across the river in New Jersey's Meadowlands. Fans will be able to watch the show in front of the stage at Broadway and 43rd or on video screens along Broadway and Seventh Ave., from 48th to 52nd streets.

YETNIKOFF TO TELL ALL

Former CBS records head Walter Yetnikoff has signed a $500,000 contract for a tell-all book on his life, including his time overseeing the recording careers of such stars as Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson. Broadway Books signed the project, which is being ghost written by David Ritz, who has ghosted bios on Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles, among others. Yetnikoff was a CBS executive during some of rock's wildest years, from 1975 to 1990. The book is scheduled for a fall 2003 release.

LINDA RONSTADT GREATEST HITS DUE OUT

Master vocalist Linda Ronstadt is the subject of a comprehensive greatest hits package being readied by Elektra Entertainment Group for a Sept. 24 release. "The Very Best Of Linda Ronstadt" collects 21 hits that span the singer's many musical incarnations over a four-decade career. From earlier hits such as 1967's "Different Drum," '70s sides cut for Capitol -- "Heart Like A Wheel," "You're No Good" -- and Asylum -- "It's So Easy" and "Blue Bayou" from "Simple Dreams," Ronstadt's most commercially successful album -- to more recent hits, such as the James Ingram collaboration "Somewhere Out There," and the Aaron Neville collaboration "Don't Know Much," Ronstadt's vocals make this an outstanding collection.

MAC ATTACK

Fleetwood Mac is planning a 40-to 60-date North American tour of arenas and amphitheaters in April 2003. The group will be without Christine McVie but will include the other members of its most commercial lineup -- Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham and John McVie. The band also will release Fleetwood Mac's first new studio album since 1987's "Tango in the Night" next spring. Meanwhile "The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac" is scheduled for an Oct. 15 release on Reprise. The 36-track, double disc album spans 1975-1997 and includes the top-10 hits "Dreams" (No. 1), "Don't Stop" (No. 3), "Little Lies" (No. 4) and "Hold Me" (No. 4).