Recorded at the peak of Lou Reed's songwriting powers and the band's apex as a well oiled touring machine, The Quine Tapes are undeniably the best official record of the Velvet Underground in all its ear bending splendor. There are live documents of higher sound quality, namely the double LP set 1969: The Velvet Underground Live, but for what The Quine Tapes lack in quality (and in reality, they're not all that bad) they more than make up for in capturing the spirit of a group that was light years beyond its time. Famed for his guitar work throughout the mid 70s/80s, Robert Quine befriended the Velvets somewhere in the midst of the 1969 tour and with the band's permission, began recording all of the shows he'd attend on a personal tape recorder. The best of the best were transferred to reel-to-reel tapes and those that survived comprise this officially released collection. Mirroring the band's set on the 69 tour, each disc climaxes with a monster-sized version of Sister Ray (24, 38 and 28 minutes respectively), while the amount of material pulled from each of the band's four albums is represented in almost equal measure - including plenty of Loaded material roughly a year before it was released, and a bevy of tunes that would never appear on the band's LPs. The consistent quality across these discs proves that even on shows that were recorded up to six months apart as they are here, the Velvet Underground was a live band without equal. Words like transcendent, frothy, superbly melodic, orgasmic, et al come to mind, but they're really of no use in describing what we have here. Just click, wait and reward yourself with a good listen. It hardly gets better than this.
Showing posts with label Guitar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guitar. Show all posts
Tuesday
Velvet Underground
Bootleg Series Volume 1: The Quine Tapes
Recorded at the peak of Lou Reed's songwriting powers and the band's apex as a well oiled touring machine, The Quine Tapes are undeniably the best official record of the Velvet Underground in all its ear bending splendor. There are live documents of higher sound quality, namely the double LP set 1969: The Velvet Underground Live, but for what The Quine Tapes lack in quality (and in reality, they're not all that bad) they more than make up for in capturing the spirit of a group that was light years beyond its time. Famed for his guitar work throughout the mid 70s/80s, Robert Quine befriended the Velvets somewhere in the midst of the 1969 tour and with the band's permission, began recording all of the shows he'd attend on a personal tape recorder. The best of the best were transferred to reel-to-reel tapes and those that survived comprise this officially released collection. Mirroring the band's set on the 69 tour, each disc climaxes with a monster-sized version of Sister Ray (24, 38 and 28 minutes respectively), while the amount of material pulled from each of the band's four albums is represented in almost equal measure - including plenty of Loaded material roughly a year before it was released, and a bevy of tunes that would never appear on the band's LPs. The consistent quality across these discs proves that even on shows that were recorded up to six months apart as they are here, the Velvet Underground was a live band without equal. Words like transcendent, frothy, superbly melodic, orgasmic, et al come to mind, but they're really of no use in describing what we have here. Just click, wait and reward yourself with a good listen. It hardly gets better than this.
Recorded at the peak of Lou Reed's songwriting powers and the band's apex as a well oiled touring machine, The Quine Tapes are undeniably the best official record of the Velvet Underground in all its ear bending splendor. There are live documents of higher sound quality, namely the double LP set 1969: The Velvet Underground Live, but for what The Quine Tapes lack in quality (and in reality, they're not all that bad) they more than make up for in capturing the spirit of a group that was light years beyond its time. Famed for his guitar work throughout the mid 70s/80s, Robert Quine befriended the Velvets somewhere in the midst of the 1969 tour and with the band's permission, began recording all of the shows he'd attend on a personal tape recorder. The best of the best were transferred to reel-to-reel tapes and those that survived comprise this officially released collection. Mirroring the band's set on the 69 tour, each disc climaxes with a monster-sized version of Sister Ray (24, 38 and 28 minutes respectively), while the amount of material pulled from each of the band's four albums is represented in almost equal measure - including plenty of Loaded material roughly a year before it was released, and a bevy of tunes that would never appear on the band's LPs. The consistent quality across these discs proves that even on shows that were recorded up to six months apart as they are here, the Velvet Underground was a live band without equal. Words like transcendent, frothy, superbly melodic, orgasmic, et al come to mind, but they're really of no use in describing what we have here. Just click, wait and reward yourself with a good listen. It hardly gets better than this.
Wednesday
The Creation
Our Music Is Red with Purple Flashes - 1998 comp.
Despite being one of the most artistically bold outfits of their time - guitarist Eddie Phillips bowed his guitar long before Jimmy Page while lead singer Kenny Pickett would paint gigantic canvases on-onstage and light them ablaze at the end of the performance - the Creation are simply grouped along with the Who, the Kinks and the Small Faces as the cream of the mod crop of the mid 1960s, and are best known for the spectacularly powerful guitar riffage of "Making Time." Setting them further apart from their contemporaries is the fact that the band's complete discography is comprised solely of Shel Talmy-produced singles and a lone album, 1967's We Are Paintermen, that simply rounds up their A and B sides in one unimaginative package. No Village Green Preservation Society, no S.F. Sorrow. Just "Biff Bang Pow", a brilliant flash of light, a giant puff of smoke and they were gone. In the 40 years since they disbanded there have been many compilations aiming to collect the band's greatest moments, but Our Music Is Red With Purple Flashes is undeniably the best of the lot - claiming to "contain the entirety of the band's recorded output from their original 60s incarnation." It's all here, from standard period covers like "Cool Jerk" and "Like A Rolling Stone" to their magnificent originals, including "Painter Man," "Making Time" and the criminally overlooked "How Does It Feel To Feel," presented in vastly different US and UK single versions. With unmatched power pop bravado that was entirely of its time, and fractured, arty guitar work that was about 10 years ahead of the curve, it frequently amazes me how the Creation has remained an "also-ran" for four decades. You'll likely feel the same way.
NOTE: The tremendous Lost-In-Tyme blog posted the We Are Paintermen LP a while back. Head on over and pay 'em a visit.
Despite being one of the most artistically bold outfits of their time - guitarist Eddie Phillips bowed his guitar long before Jimmy Page while lead singer Kenny Pickett would paint gigantic canvases on-onstage and light them ablaze at the end of the performance - the Creation are simply grouped along with the Who, the Kinks and the Small Faces as the cream of the mod crop of the mid 1960s, and are best known for the spectacularly powerful guitar riffage of "Making Time." Setting them further apart from their contemporaries is the fact that the band's complete discography is comprised solely of Shel Talmy-produced singles and a lone album, 1967's We Are Paintermen, that simply rounds up their A and B sides in one unimaginative package. No Village Green Preservation Society, no S.F. Sorrow. Just "Biff Bang Pow", a brilliant flash of light, a giant puff of smoke and they were gone. In the 40 years since they disbanded there have been many compilations aiming to collect the band's greatest moments, but Our Music Is Red With Purple Flashes is undeniably the best of the lot - claiming to "contain the entirety of the band's recorded output from their original 60s incarnation." It's all here, from standard period covers like "Cool Jerk" and "Like A Rolling Stone" to their magnificent originals, including "Painter Man," "Making Time" and the criminally overlooked "How Does It Feel To Feel," presented in vastly different US and UK single versions. With unmatched power pop bravado that was entirely of its time, and fractured, arty guitar work that was about 10 years ahead of the curve, it frequently amazes me how the Creation has remained an "also-ran" for four decades. You'll likely feel the same way.NOTE: The tremendous Lost-In-Tyme blog posted the We Are Paintermen LP a while back. Head on over and pay 'em a visit.
Tuesday
Miles Davis
The Lost Mid-70s Sessions - 1973-76
This scattershot collection has been compiled on numerous occasions and in many forms, most notably on the bootleg sets Unknown Sessions 1973-1976: Volume 1 and Unknown Sessions 1974-1976: Volume 2. As the title implies, the collection featured here includes the various studio jams in their un-editied forms that would appear on Davis' mid-70s LPs, as well as successful funk studio workouts the band would add to their live repertoire up until Miles "retirement" in '76. And while there are plenty of fine moments in this collection, including a couple of truly wicked takes on "Agharta Prelude Pt. 2," the overarching feel is that of a weary, unfocused and uninspired Miles Davis. When he attempts to solo here - over a band that is painfully beyond his control in comparison to the taught precision of his Jack DeJohnette-led ensembles at the turn of the decade - his horn is heavily processed and his tone is often aching and thin, but thankfully, and most interestingly, he resorts to playing the organ throughout the majority of this material. A six-disc Columbia box titled Beyond the Corner is rumored to be in the works, and will almost certainly pull from these sessions.
This scattershot collection has been compiled on numerous occasions and in many forms, most notably on the bootleg sets Unknown Sessions 1973-1976: Volume 1 and Unknown Sessions 1974-1976: Volume 2. As the title implies, the collection featured here includes the various studio jams in their un-editied forms that would appear on Davis' mid-70s LPs, as well as successful funk studio workouts the band would add to their live repertoire up until Miles "retirement" in '76. And while there are plenty of fine moments in this collection, including a couple of truly wicked takes on "Agharta Prelude Pt. 2," the overarching feel is that of a weary, unfocused and uninspired Miles Davis. When he attempts to solo here - over a band that is painfully beyond his control in comparison to the taught precision of his Jack DeJohnette-led ensembles at the turn of the decade - his horn is heavily processed and his tone is often aching and thin, but thankfully, and most interestingly, he resorts to playing the organ throughout the majority of this material. A six-disc Columbia box titled Beyond the Corner is rumored to be in the works, and will almost certainly pull from these sessions.
Monday
John McLaughlin
Devotion - 1970
Recorded immediately following John McLaughlin's tenure in Miles Davis' band, yet before he formed the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Devotion was the result of a session with Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Miles (drums), Larry Young (organ) and Billy Rich (bass). The recordings featuring Hendrix have never seen an official release, and rightly so -- matched up against Jimi's prowess, McLaughlin's playing is meek, careful and downright out of character -- plus, his guitar was on the fritz throughout. But during the sessions without Jimi, his guitar work is a monument of powerful jazz rock psychedelia that lays the foundation for one of the greatest fusion albums of all time. With his tremendous influence on Davis' Tribute to Jack Johnson still lingering, McLaughlin's focus is on creating tension and dynamics with his cohorts while he plows his way through genres and toys with several themes that he would eventually flesh out to a greater degree with his Mahavishnu Orchestra. An essential document for fans of McLaughlin or the adventurous side of early 70s fusion.
Recorded immediately following John McLaughlin's tenure in Miles Davis' band, yet before he formed the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Devotion was the result of a session with Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Miles (drums), Larry Young (organ) and Billy Rich (bass). The recordings featuring Hendrix have never seen an official release, and rightly so -- matched up against Jimi's prowess, McLaughlin's playing is meek, careful and downright out of character -- plus, his guitar was on the fritz throughout. But during the sessions without Jimi, his guitar work is a monument of powerful jazz rock psychedelia that lays the foundation for one of the greatest fusion albums of all time. With his tremendous influence on Davis' Tribute to Jack Johnson still lingering, McLaughlin's focus is on creating tension and dynamics with his cohorts while he plows his way through genres and toys with several themes that he would eventually flesh out to a greater degree with his Mahavishnu Orchestra. An essential document for fans of McLaughlin or the adventurous side of early 70s fusion.Friday
Miles Davis
Get Up With It - 1975
Miles' last studio album before taking a six-year vacation was a double LP summary of all of his far-reatching accomplishments throughout the 70s. And it's no surprise, considering this material was all pulled from sessions ranging from 1970-74. Oddly enough, this was pretty common for Miles at this time, and despite lacking the flow of Bitches Brew or On the Corner, this hodgepode of tracks works very well together in its own bizarre way. Fans of Live/Evil will recognize "Honky Tonk", presented here in a drastically different edit than it appeared on that LP. "Rated X" is a driven by some fierce atonal organ playing from Miles and cut-and paste editing from Teo Macero that was, and remains far ahead of its time."He Loved Him Madly" is 32 minutes of atmospheric organ-driven (Miles again!) spookyness that Eno claims changed his life. Given three guitar players, flute, trumpet, bass, drums, and percussion, its restraint is remarkable. Funky, doped up and undeniably weird, Get Up With It is a bold statement from Miles, who knew upon its release that it would be the last anybody would hear of him for a long time ... possibly ever. It may not stick with you the first time, but keep listening. It will.
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