Though the band lost its spiritual core when bassist and founding member Ronnie Lane left in 1973 to form his own group, Slim Chance, the Faces remained one of the few bands in town able to challenge the Rolling Stones' title of World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band up until they disintegrated in 1975. With four magnificent studio LPs under their belt, the band only released one official album that showcased where their bread was buttered, Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners, a live LP recorded at a pair of Los Angeles dates in 1973. The band is ragged and the tunes have a slower, almost molasses-thick drive to them, but all of these reckless elements are what coalesced to make this band the endearing and enduring live act that it always was. At this point in their evolution, not having Lane to share the mic and spotlight with brought Rod Stewart to full bloom, for better or for worse. The fact that so few high-quality live recordings exist of a band who staked their claim on the stage, makes this one all the better. The CD version of this classic is long out of print, but hopefully this means that a deluxe reissue is just around the corner. Best enjoyed with a bottle of Blue Nun, Rod's favorite.Thursday
The Faces
Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners - 1974
Though the band lost its spiritual core when bassist and founding member Ronnie Lane left in 1973 to form his own group, Slim Chance, the Faces remained one of the few bands in town able to challenge the Rolling Stones' title of World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band up until they disintegrated in 1975. With four magnificent studio LPs under their belt, the band only released one official album that showcased where their bread was buttered, Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners, a live LP recorded at a pair of Los Angeles dates in 1973. The band is ragged and the tunes have a slower, almost molasses-thick drive to them, but all of these reckless elements are what coalesced to make this band the endearing and enduring live act that it always was. At this point in their evolution, not having Lane to share the mic and spotlight with brought Rod Stewart to full bloom, for better or for worse. The fact that so few high-quality live recordings exist of a band who staked their claim on the stage, makes this one all the better. The CD version of this classic is long out of print, but hopefully this means that a deluxe reissue is just around the corner. Best enjoyed with a bottle of Blue Nun, Rod's favorite.
Though the band lost its spiritual core when bassist and founding member Ronnie Lane left in 1973 to form his own group, Slim Chance, the Faces remained one of the few bands in town able to challenge the Rolling Stones' title of World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band up until they disintegrated in 1975. With four magnificent studio LPs under their belt, the band only released one official album that showcased where their bread was buttered, Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners, a live LP recorded at a pair of Los Angeles dates in 1973. The band is ragged and the tunes have a slower, almost molasses-thick drive to them, but all of these reckless elements are what coalesced to make this band the endearing and enduring live act that it always was. At this point in their evolution, not having Lane to share the mic and spotlight with brought Rod Stewart to full bloom, for better or for worse. The fact that so few high-quality live recordings exist of a band who staked their claim on the stage, makes this one all the better. The CD version of this classic is long out of print, but hopefully this means that a deluxe reissue is just around the corner. Best enjoyed with a bottle of Blue Nun, Rod's favorite.
Wednesday
David Byrne
The Catherine Wheel - 1981
With his career as a solo artist nearing a third decade, it's incredible to hear David Byrne's first fully fledged solo effort sounding remarkably fresh and massively influential. Commissioned as the aural accompaniment to a Twyla Tharp Broadway production of the same name, The Catherine Wheel was recorded with a number of musicians from the Talking Heads' then-current touring band (Adrian Belew, Bernie Worrell, Steve Scales), features contributions from Eno, Jerry Harrison and percussionist Yogi Horton, and serves as a bridge between the brooding churn of Remain in Light and the dense funk of Speaking in Tongues. The Catherine Wheel isn't a light affair by any means, but the focus is less reliant on Byrne's lyrical prowess and directed more so on minimalist funk, spacious polyrhythms and creating an atmosphere of dark tension and general unease. The Talking Heads worked a few of the songs here into their live repertoire, including the magnificent "What a Day That Was" and "Big Business", which was often worked into a medley with "I Zimbra," and could've counted The Catherine Wheel as one of the finest additions to their catalog, had it bore their name along the top. The fact that it's a Byrne solo affair only heightens its impact. The version here includes the complete score.
With his career as a solo artist nearing a third decade, it's incredible to hear David Byrne's first fully fledged solo effort sounding remarkably fresh and massively influential. Commissioned as the aural accompaniment to a Twyla Tharp Broadway production of the same name, The Catherine Wheel was recorded with a number of musicians from the Talking Heads' then-current touring band (Adrian Belew, Bernie Worrell, Steve Scales), features contributions from Eno, Jerry Harrison and percussionist Yogi Horton, and serves as a bridge between the brooding churn of Remain in Light and the dense funk of Speaking in Tongues. The Catherine Wheel isn't a light affair by any means, but the focus is less reliant on Byrne's lyrical prowess and directed more so on minimalist funk, spacious polyrhythms and creating an atmosphere of dark tension and general unease. The Talking Heads worked a few of the songs here into their live repertoire, including the magnificent "What a Day That Was" and "Big Business", which was often worked into a medley with "I Zimbra," and could've counted The Catherine Wheel as one of the finest additions to their catalog, had it bore their name along the top. The fact that it's a Byrne solo affair only heightens its impact. The version here includes the complete score.Friday
Long Live Teo Macero
Teo Macero, the legend behind the boards of Miles' greatest LPs and a true pioneer of studio wizardry has just passed away. Here's a look back at one of his unsung masterpieces; four days of Miles at the Fillmore in 1970, scrupulously edited down to four sides of vinyl. A true testament to Macero's unparalleled genius. 
Teo on the far right. Dapper as always at a Miles session in the mid 70s.
Teo on the far right. Dapper as always at a Miles session in the mid 70s. Thursday
Sir Douglas Quintet
Sir Douglas Quintet +2 = Honkey Blues - 1968
The consistency of the output of Doug Sahm and his Sir Douglas Quintet was worth betting the homestead on back in his heyday of the late 1960s and 70s, but it's only through the benefit of hindsight that one can appreciate the giant curve ball he threw with the release of the Quartet's first album. Sure, it's loaded with a heavy Tejano influence, an occasional shout out to the folks back in San Antonio, and his usual melange of styles and influences, but the overwhelmingly psychedelic nature of the album is the what makes Honkey Blues such a treat and a complete anomaly in the Doug Sahm canon. It's also worth noting that the LP is one of his few without the wheezing Vox Continental of longtime cohort Augie Meyers. The tunes here, as strong as any in Sahm's repertoire, are drenched in reverb, linked in reverse tape effects and patched together using such bizarre editing that the result is an album that is remarkable for inducing such an aural trip between the ears of its listener rather than one that sounds like the band were simply out of their heads when recording it. A tremendous listening experience and one of the great underappreciated psychedelic LPs of all time.
The consistency of the output of Doug Sahm and his Sir Douglas Quintet was worth betting the homestead on back in his heyday of the late 1960s and 70s, but it's only through the benefit of hindsight that one can appreciate the giant curve ball he threw with the release of the Quartet's first album. Sure, it's loaded with a heavy Tejano influence, an occasional shout out to the folks back in San Antonio, and his usual melange of styles and influences, but the overwhelmingly psychedelic nature of the album is the what makes Honkey Blues such a treat and a complete anomaly in the Doug Sahm canon. It's also worth noting that the LP is one of his few without the wheezing Vox Continental of longtime cohort Augie Meyers. The tunes here, as strong as any in Sahm's repertoire, are drenched in reverb, linked in reverse tape effects and patched together using such bizarre editing that the result is an album that is remarkable for inducing such an aural trip between the ears of its listener rather than one that sounds like the band were simply out of their heads when recording it. A tremendous listening experience and one of the great underappreciated psychedelic LPs of all time.
Bobby Charles
Bobby Charles - 1972
Famously aided by Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel, Bobby Charles' 1972 self-titled LP has often been referred to as "the Band album that never was". Truthfully, it's much much more than that. Charles, a Louisiana native, creates an album here that bridges the geographical gap to a near physical extent, marrying his bayou swamp rock with the Band's northeastern backwoods mystique to land somewhere near the loose southern funk of a Muscle shoals production. Maybe its the addition of Dr. John's piano, organ and unique rhythm guitar that peppers the album with its charming eccentricities, or the pedal steel and Dobro work of Neil Young cohort Ben Keith, but seasoning and guest stars aside, it's really the strength and well-worn familiarity of Charles' originals that drive the proceedings. Despite the company he keeps, it's his show all the way. Among the ten originals is a handful of brilliance, and although the album itself fades in and out of print, it's standout "Small Town Talk" has lived on in various incarnations, most famously on the 1977 self-titled LP of the song's co-author, Rick Danko.
Famously aided by Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel, Bobby Charles' 1972 self-titled LP has often been referred to as "the Band album that never was". Truthfully, it's much much more than that. Charles, a Louisiana native, creates an album here that bridges the geographical gap to a near physical extent, marrying his bayou swamp rock with the Band's northeastern backwoods mystique to land somewhere near the loose southern funk of a Muscle shoals production. Maybe its the addition of Dr. John's piano, organ and unique rhythm guitar that peppers the album with its charming eccentricities, or the pedal steel and Dobro work of Neil Young cohort Ben Keith, but seasoning and guest stars aside, it's really the strength and well-worn familiarity of Charles' originals that drive the proceedings. Despite the company he keeps, it's his show all the way. Among the ten originals is a handful of brilliance, and although the album itself fades in and out of print, it's standout "Small Town Talk" has lived on in various incarnations, most famously on the 1977 self-titled LP of the song's co-author, Rick Danko.Monday
Pacific Ocean Blue - Legacy Edition
Man oh man! Last week, Billboard announced that longtime Heat Warps favorite Pacific Ocean Blue will at long last be reissued by Epic/Legacy to mark the album's 30th anniversary. Not only will the original LP be on CD for the first time since the early '90s, but the double disc edition is set to include a slew of outtakes and previously unreleased material from the album's ill-fated follow-up, Bamboo. The wonderful folks at Sundazed will be handling the album's vinyl release, but it's unclear as to whether this version will include all of the bonus material. I sure hope so. If you know of any further details, feel free to share them in comments.
Wednesday
Tony Allen & the Afro Messengers
No Discrimination - 1980
By 1980 Tony Allen had not only vacated the role he'd held as Fela Kuti's band leader and drummer for well over a decade, but had begun taking afrobeat off in his own unique direction. Much like Allen's previous two solo LPs, 1975's Jealousy and '77's Progress, the results aren't completely removed from what Fela was up to around the same time, but the gap between the two masters was undoubtedly widened with No Discrimination. Comprised of many members of Fela's Africa 70, Allen's Afro Messengers forged ahead with a deconstructed, almost dub-like approach to afrobeat paired with a subtle underpinning of greasy synths and gentle polyrhythms - a genre Allen himself would appropriately term afrofunk. As the decade wore on, Allen began incorporating period electronics, rap and R&B into the mix, but No Discrimination captures the brief moment when his music was still firmly rooted in West African traditions, but his desire of a more expansive palette first started to emerge. There's not a tune under 8 minutes here, and while all four are outstanding, the delicately trippy "Ariya" is my personal favorite. The Evolver label re-released this album paired with 1979's No Accomodation for Lagos a few years back, so pick that one up if No Discrimination piques your interest.
By 1980 Tony Allen had not only vacated the role he'd held as Fela Kuti's band leader and drummer for well over a decade, but had begun taking afrobeat off in his own unique direction. Much like Allen's previous two solo LPs, 1975's Jealousy and '77's Progress, the results aren't completely removed from what Fela was up to around the same time, but the gap between the two masters was undoubtedly widened with No Discrimination. Comprised of many members of Fela's Africa 70, Allen's Afro Messengers forged ahead with a deconstructed, almost dub-like approach to afrobeat paired with a subtle underpinning of greasy synths and gentle polyrhythms - a genre Allen himself would appropriately term afrofunk. As the decade wore on, Allen began incorporating period electronics, rap and R&B into the mix, but No Discrimination captures the brief moment when his music was still firmly rooted in West African traditions, but his desire of a more expansive palette first started to emerge. There's not a tune under 8 minutes here, and while all four are outstanding, the delicately trippy "Ariya" is my personal favorite. The Evolver label re-released this album paired with 1979's No Accomodation for Lagos a few years back, so pick that one up if No Discrimination piques your interest.David Bowie
David Live - 1974
Along the David Bowie timeline, the era between the fall of Ziggy Stardust and the rise of the Thin White Duke is a bit hazy. A span of albums that included an attempt at a new alter ego, a half-baked musical adaptation of 1984, and a short lived blue-eyed soul fascination proved that while his frequent reinvention may have fallen short of genius, it was the continued strength of Bowie's songwriting which kept him at the top of the pop heap. Overlooked in the years following its 1974 release, David Live shakes the tunes from the constraints of their overbearing albums, and shifts the focus back to the songs themselves; making it a vital document in getting to the bottom of Bowie's transitional period. Although touring in support of the recently released Diamond Dogs, it’s the material from 1973's Aladdin Sane that brims with a road worn confidence and steals the show. "Jean Genie" and "Cracked Actors" could never strut and swell with as much bloated passion as they do here. Unfortunately, Bowie seems far less inspired in bringing the songs from his then current album to the stage. Stripped of its trademark opening guitar lick, "Rebel Rebel" is buoyed by backup vocals and horns, but never lives up the the studio version's swagger. And considering Bowie cut Young Americans at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios in the middle of this tour, it's amazing that David Live contains none of the songs that made that album such a crossover success. That's not to say it doesn't hint at things to come. With lavish stage productions being half the reason to witness the man in the flesh, the high water mark set by the studio albums makes the live document almost unnecessary. The gorgeous packaging of this 2005 reissue, complete with fold out sleeve, a full list of 1974 tour dates plus extensive notes and photos, does make it a little easier to add an "inessential" to your collection.
Along the David Bowie timeline, the era between the fall of Ziggy Stardust and the rise of the Thin White Duke is a bit hazy. A span of albums that included an attempt at a new alter ego, a half-baked musical adaptation of 1984, and a short lived blue-eyed soul fascination proved that while his frequent reinvention may have fallen short of genius, it was the continued strength of Bowie's songwriting which kept him at the top of the pop heap. Overlooked in the years following its 1974 release, David Live shakes the tunes from the constraints of their overbearing albums, and shifts the focus back to the songs themselves; making it a vital document in getting to the bottom of Bowie's transitional period. Although touring in support of the recently released Diamond Dogs, it’s the material from 1973's Aladdin Sane that brims with a road worn confidence and steals the show. "Jean Genie" and "Cracked Actors" could never strut and swell with as much bloated passion as they do here. Unfortunately, Bowie seems far less inspired in bringing the songs from his then current album to the stage. Stripped of its trademark opening guitar lick, "Rebel Rebel" is buoyed by backup vocals and horns, but never lives up the the studio version's swagger. And considering Bowie cut Young Americans at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios in the middle of this tour, it's amazing that David Live contains none of the songs that made that album such a crossover success. That's not to say it doesn't hint at things to come. With lavish stage productions being half the reason to witness the man in the flesh, the high water mark set by the studio albums makes the live document almost unnecessary. The gorgeous packaging of this 2005 reissue, complete with fold out sleeve, a full list of 1974 tour dates plus extensive notes and photos, does make it a little easier to add an "inessential" to your collection.Thursday
James Brown
Live In Zaire - 1974
In the half-century career of James Brown there are multiple highlights, of which this 1974 show in Zaire as part of the buildup for the Rumble in the Jungle is unquestionably among the top few. Rightly christening himself The Minister of the New Super Heavy Funk somewhere around the recording of 1973's The Payback or Hell the following year, JB had pushed his grooves to the outer reaches and his cultural relevance to the brink. Frankly, with an output as overwhelming as his was around this time, releasing 45s and double LPs of new material on a seemingly weekly basis, JB was arguably spreading himself pretty thin. Professionally recorded (though never officially released) and arguably superior to any of his live LPs aside from Live at the Apollo (1963), this concert captures it all at its frothy peak just as the wave was about to break and the Godfather's career began its slow decline. This was a man on a mission to bring it all back to the Motherland at the peak of the Black Power movement, and he did not disappoint. Despite tremendous sound quality, the widely bootlegged version that appears here contains a mildly annoying gap between tracks and a few questionable edits that break the overall flow of the show. Other than that, this is the document of the master of funk at the peak of his powers.
In the half-century career of James Brown there are multiple highlights, of which this 1974 show in Zaire as part of the buildup for the Rumble in the Jungle is unquestionably among the top few. Rightly christening himself The Minister of the New Super Heavy Funk somewhere around the recording of 1973's The Payback or Hell the following year, JB had pushed his grooves to the outer reaches and his cultural relevance to the brink. Frankly, with an output as overwhelming as his was around this time, releasing 45s and double LPs of new material on a seemingly weekly basis, JB was arguably spreading himself pretty thin. Professionally recorded (though never officially released) and arguably superior to any of his live LPs aside from Live at the Apollo (1963), this concert captures it all at its frothy peak just as the wave was about to break and the Godfather's career began its slow decline. This was a man on a mission to bring it all back to the Motherland at the peak of the Black Power movement, and he did not disappoint. Despite tremendous sound quality, the widely bootlegged version that appears here contains a mildly annoying gap between tracks and a few questionable edits that break the overall flow of the show. Other than that, this is the document of the master of funk at the peak of his powers.
Steely Dan
Countdown to Ecstasy - 1973
Devoid of the sheen of perfection that encased their string of classic LPs, Countdown to Ecstasy is an album unlike any other in the Steely Dan canon. Recorded during a brief break from the road - back in the days before the Dan gave up touring for a couple of decades - Countdown utilizes the touring ensemble and much of the same "live" mentality of stretching out the outros, filling plenty of space with instrumental breaks and, in a highly uncharacteristic move, leaving in a few stray notes and production flubs in the name of spontaneity. In the album's liner notes, Walter Becker and Donald Fagan attribute the extended instrumental passages to the fact that none of the songs contained lyrics when they were written, so plenty of space was left for wherever they'd eventually fall into place. Whatever the reason, the elastic quality of the tunes is the perfect vehicle to casually show off the chops of the assembled crew and a pleasant alternative to the attempt at squeezing as much virtuosity per bar as possible that weighed down the band's LPs past this point. There's still plenty of technical wizardry to be found here, most notably in the four bar tape loop that forms the basis of "Show Biz Kids", but it comes off more like a band experimenting with the studio, rather than obsessing over it. Countdown is all the better for it.
Devoid of the sheen of perfection that encased their string of classic LPs, Countdown to Ecstasy is an album unlike any other in the Steely Dan canon. Recorded during a brief break from the road - back in the days before the Dan gave up touring for a couple of decades - Countdown utilizes the touring ensemble and much of the same "live" mentality of stretching out the outros, filling plenty of space with instrumental breaks and, in a highly uncharacteristic move, leaving in a few stray notes and production flubs in the name of spontaneity. In the album's liner notes, Walter Becker and Donald Fagan attribute the extended instrumental passages to the fact that none of the songs contained lyrics when they were written, so plenty of space was left for wherever they'd eventually fall into place. Whatever the reason, the elastic quality of the tunes is the perfect vehicle to casually show off the chops of the assembled crew and a pleasant alternative to the attempt at squeezing as much virtuosity per bar as possible that weighed down the band's LPs past this point. There's still plenty of technical wizardry to be found here, most notably in the four bar tape loop that forms the basis of "Show Biz Kids", but it comes off more like a band experimenting with the studio, rather than obsessing over it. Countdown is all the better for it.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.Beach Boys
Stack-O-Tracks - 1968
Considering the Beach Boys' status as America's foremost 'vocal' group of the 1960s, the release of this all instrumental LP in 1968 is among the most bizarre of all time. Then again, with the band's sales numbers in an all-out free fall since Pet Sounds, Capitol's desperate attempt to sell anything Beach Boys-related is pretty apparent here. That said, Stack-O-Tracks is an incredibly intriguing listen no matter what the circumstances were that brought it to the marketplace. Originally packaged with a pull-out booklet containing chord diagrams, complete lyrics and vocal charts (sadly missing from all reissued versions), Stack-O-Tracks collected the backing tracks to 15 of the band's biggest hits and brought Brian Wilson's brilliantly orchestrated production out from behind the wall of voices. This vocal-free treatment of tracks spanning a four-year period form a remarkably cohesive package, with unconventional instrumentation popping up surprisingly early in their career and the band's debt to the technique of Phil Spector laid out well before the recording of Pet Sounds began. One of the few Beach Boys LPs that failed to make the charts, Stack-O-Tracks remains a rare treat for those who've bothered to seek it out. The version here contains 3 bonus instrumentals and a short hidden track tucked into the end. Enjoy.
Considering the Beach Boys' status as America's foremost 'vocal' group of the 1960s, the release of this all instrumental LP in 1968 is among the most bizarre of all time. Then again, with the band's sales numbers in an all-out free fall since Pet Sounds, Capitol's desperate attempt to sell anything Beach Boys-related is pretty apparent here. That said, Stack-O-Tracks is an incredibly intriguing listen no matter what the circumstances were that brought it to the marketplace. Originally packaged with a pull-out booklet containing chord diagrams, complete lyrics and vocal charts (sadly missing from all reissued versions), Stack-O-Tracks collected the backing tracks to 15 of the band's biggest hits and brought Brian Wilson's brilliantly orchestrated production out from behind the wall of voices. This vocal-free treatment of tracks spanning a four-year period form a remarkably cohesive package, with unconventional instrumentation popping up surprisingly early in their career and the band's debt to the technique of Phil Spector laid out well before the recording of Pet Sounds began. One of the few Beach Boys LPs that failed to make the charts, Stack-O-Tracks remains a rare treat for those who've bothered to seek it out. The version here contains 3 bonus instrumentals and a short hidden track tucked into the end. Enjoy.Friday
Can
Can Live: Music - 1971-1977
While their albums throughout the early and mid 1970s were landmarks of stylistic innovation and studio mastery, Can in the live setting was a band of startling, head wringing power. Most concerts would contain just a few tunes pulled from their various LPs, with the majority of the show left open to the whims of improvisation. Heady music in its most adventurous form. Songs would swell to double, at times triple the length of their studio counterparts, vocalization was sparse if it appeared at all and was treated as another instrument in the mix when it did, and the sheer volume and intensity of the music would reach cathartic levels. Originally part of the Can Box package, Can Live Music (1971-1977) collects material from the band's "golden period" and presents it here with tremendous fidelity. "You Doo Right" is incredible as usual, but here it emerges from the audience's rhythmic clapping as if being summoned from the depths. "Colchester Finale" is a massive 37+ minute jam that incorporates more than a few morsels from Tago Mago before falling in on itself in a swirl of chaos and stopping - quite miraculously - on a dime. Only nine tracks in all, but the majority of what's contained on this double live set is beyond compare, even when lined up to their studio output. This is the other side of the coin. Enjoy.
While their albums throughout the early and mid 1970s were landmarks of stylistic innovation and studio mastery, Can in the live setting was a band of startling, head wringing power. Most concerts would contain just a few tunes pulled from their various LPs, with the majority of the show left open to the whims of improvisation. Heady music in its most adventurous form. Songs would swell to double, at times triple the length of their studio counterparts, vocalization was sparse if it appeared at all and was treated as another instrument in the mix when it did, and the sheer volume and intensity of the music would reach cathartic levels. Originally part of the Can Box package, Can Live Music (1971-1977) collects material from the band's "golden period" and presents it here with tremendous fidelity. "You Doo Right" is incredible as usual, but here it emerges from the audience's rhythmic clapping as if being summoned from the depths. "Colchester Finale" is a massive 37+ minute jam that incorporates more than a few morsels from Tago Mago before falling in on itself in a swirl of chaos and stopping - quite miraculously - on a dime. Only nine tracks in all, but the majority of what's contained on this double live set is beyond compare, even when lined up to their studio output. This is the other side of the coin. Enjoy.Bob Dylan
Self Portrait - 1970
Writing about something as common as a Dylan album here at the Heat Warps goes somewhat against the grain. Fortunately, all bets are off when it comes to Self Portrait. Widely accepted as the most bizarre entry in his catalog since its release, the album is a mish-mash collection intended to either throw followers off his scent, one-up the bootleggers or gather up the various facets of his personality into a double album package. Whatever its intention, Self Portrait sold well upon its initial release but was ceremoniously torn apart by its critics. To their credit, there was an awful lot to wrap your head around here: multiple versions of the same song, brass-led instrumentals, choral numbers, weird cover versions, Dylan duetting with himself and a few ramshackle live cuts from the Isle of Wight thrown in for good measure. To quote Greil Marcus' opening line of his Rolling Stone review "What is this shit?" 36 years on it's still hard to answer that question, though one thing's for sure; whatever this shit is, it's pretty damn fascinating. An album of tremendous depth and ambition, Self Portrait is unfairly burdened by the formula Dylan laid out in the years preceding it. If this one isn't already in your collection, set aside some quality time to reap the rewards of a proper listen. My introduction to it was on a 16 hour road trip, nearly every mile of which was reserved for this album. My favorites have always been "Days of '49", "Living the Blues," "Wigwam" and the live version of "Quinn the Eskimo", notably for the squall of feedback that chases Robbie Robertson's guitar solo around like a pair of squirrels on a tree. More than any other Dylan record, listening to Self Portrait is an experience unique to every listener. Enjoy yours. Happy Thanksgiving.
Writing about something as common as a Dylan album here at the Heat Warps goes somewhat against the grain. Fortunately, all bets are off when it comes to Self Portrait. Widely accepted as the most bizarre entry in his catalog since its release, the album is a mish-mash collection intended to either throw followers off his scent, one-up the bootleggers or gather up the various facets of his personality into a double album package. Whatever its intention, Self Portrait sold well upon its initial release but was ceremoniously torn apart by its critics. To their credit, there was an awful lot to wrap your head around here: multiple versions of the same song, brass-led instrumentals, choral numbers, weird cover versions, Dylan duetting with himself and a few ramshackle live cuts from the Isle of Wight thrown in for good measure. To quote Greil Marcus' opening line of his Rolling Stone review "What is this shit?" 36 years on it's still hard to answer that question, though one thing's for sure; whatever this shit is, it's pretty damn fascinating. An album of tremendous depth and ambition, Self Portrait is unfairly burdened by the formula Dylan laid out in the years preceding it. If this one isn't already in your collection, set aside some quality time to reap the rewards of a proper listen. My introduction to it was on a 16 hour road trip, nearly every mile of which was reserved for this album. My favorites have always been "Days of '49", "Living the Blues," "Wigwam" and the live version of "Quinn the Eskimo", notably for the squall of feedback that chases Robbie Robertson's guitar solo around like a pair of squirrels on a tree. More than any other Dylan record, listening to Self Portrait is an experience unique to every listener. Enjoy yours. Happy Thanksgiving.Tuesday
Little Richard
Southern Child - 1972 (unreleased)
Though looked upon fondly under 30 years of hindsight, Little Richard's string of albums for the Reprise label in the early 70s sold so poorly that his fourth and final album, 1972's Southern Child, never saw the light of day. And what a shame, since this final LP was the most diverse and arguably the finest of the lot he recorded for the label. Paired with a campy, albeit very fitting cover photo of Richard milking a cow in the backyard of his own home, Southern Child was a collection that successfully fused the gospel rock of his early days with the gentle country ballads and spacious funk he'd been experimenting with throughout his Reprise series. The result is a triumph - a stylistic breakthrough that had been hinted at across a string of three LPs, and finally rises to the top here. The songs, all originals, are performed elegantly throughout, and find Richard at last freeing his voice from the constraints of self parody to deliver some of the most gentle and emotive performances of his long career. So different is his delivery, that throughout much of the album his vocals are hardly recognizable as his own. All of the tracks here are tremendous and the continuity of Southern Child is supreme, but its brilliance is illustrated most effectively by the second track "If You Pick Her Too Hard (She Comes Out of Tune)". If this LP had seen a proper release it would be the one Little Richard album in everyone's collection, but even with Rhino having included it as part of its King of Rock n' Roll: The Complete Reprise Recordings, the set's limited run of 2500 ensures this LP will stay off the radar for the foreseeable future. If you dug The Rill Thing, this one might just blow your mind.
Though looked upon fondly under 30 years of hindsight, Little Richard's string of albums for the Reprise label in the early 70s sold so poorly that his fourth and final album, 1972's Southern Child, never saw the light of day. And what a shame, since this final LP was the most diverse and arguably the finest of the lot he recorded for the label. Paired with a campy, albeit very fitting cover photo of Richard milking a cow in the backyard of his own home, Southern Child was a collection that successfully fused the gospel rock of his early days with the gentle country ballads and spacious funk he'd been experimenting with throughout his Reprise series. The result is a triumph - a stylistic breakthrough that had been hinted at across a string of three LPs, and finally rises to the top here. The songs, all originals, are performed elegantly throughout, and find Richard at last freeing his voice from the constraints of self parody to deliver some of the most gentle and emotive performances of his long career. So different is his delivery, that throughout much of the album his vocals are hardly recognizable as his own. All of the tracks here are tremendous and the continuity of Southern Child is supreme, but its brilliance is illustrated most effectively by the second track "If You Pick Her Too Hard (She Comes Out of Tune)". If this LP had seen a proper release it would be the one Little Richard album in everyone's collection, but even with Rhino having included it as part of its King of Rock n' Roll: The Complete Reprise Recordings, the set's limited run of 2500 ensures this LP will stay off the radar for the foreseeable future. If you dug The Rill Thing, this one might just blow your mind.Friday
Dr. John
Babylon - 1969
Establishing himself as the high priest of psychedelic voodoo with his 1968 debut, Gris Gris, Dr. John tweaked his formula a bit, spaced things out even further and brewed up a far weirder, equally intoxicating follow up with Babylon. Here, the grooves are twitchy and loping, the instruments have more room to roam and the chorus of female voices serves as more of an instrument in and of itself rather than a counterpoint to the lead vocals. Oddly enough, Mac Rebennack's voice toes the line between a frothy Captain Beefheart and Van Morrison on a bad trip, while the music reaches Sun Ra levels of spacial intensity. Taken in album-length doses, Babylon is an incredible achievement that with such a varying palette of flavors and grooves laid out to soak up, rivals Gris Gris in depth and flat-out weirdness. Every track is a highlight, but the chorus of "Glowin'" is one of Dr. John's most beautifully emotive sections in his repertoire, while the electric-piano backbone of "Black Widow Spider" drives and whirls the album to a manic peak. Not easy to come by and sadly overshadowed by its predecessor and Dr. John's funkier, more accessible work with the Meters a few years later, Babylon is an enigma. If Gris Gris was a tidy pot of gumbo, Babylon was a cajun boil with all of its elements poured on the table to feast on and dissect. Delicious.
Establishing himself as the high priest of psychedelic voodoo with his 1968 debut, Gris Gris, Dr. John tweaked his formula a bit, spaced things out even further and brewed up a far weirder, equally intoxicating follow up with Babylon. Here, the grooves are twitchy and loping, the instruments have more room to roam and the chorus of female voices serves as more of an instrument in and of itself rather than a counterpoint to the lead vocals. Oddly enough, Mac Rebennack's voice toes the line between a frothy Captain Beefheart and Van Morrison on a bad trip, while the music reaches Sun Ra levels of spacial intensity. Taken in album-length doses, Babylon is an incredible achievement that with such a varying palette of flavors and grooves laid out to soak up, rivals Gris Gris in depth and flat-out weirdness. Every track is a highlight, but the chorus of "Glowin'" is one of Dr. John's most beautifully emotive sections in his repertoire, while the electric-piano backbone of "Black Widow Spider" drives and whirls the album to a manic peak. Not easy to come by and sadly overshadowed by its predecessor and Dr. John's funkier, more accessible work with the Meters a few years later, Babylon is an enigma. If Gris Gris was a tidy pot of gumbo, Babylon was a cajun boil with all of its elements poured on the table to feast on and dissect. Delicious.
Monday
Ornette Coleman
Body Meta - 1976
With legions of jazzers of the early-mid 1970s plugging in to Miles electric groove, it's no surprise that Ornette Coleman dove head first into a genre he'd been toying with for years. Leading a band he dubbed "Prime Time," Coleman pressed on through a series of albums of collective improvisation and loose, angular funk that began with 1975's Dancing in Your Head, but reached a frothy peak on Body Meta the following year. Although the album was pulled from tapes recorded during Dancing in Your Head, the two guitar, bass and drums lineup created an LP that was wholly unique to Coleman's discography - the furious grooves would boil up for a short while and disintegrate before they could set in; guitar tones are harsh throughout; and the alto sax erupts all over the proceedings - drawing surprisingly valid comparisons to Beefheart's late 60s output. 31 years on, this stuff sounds fresh enough to have come out last Tuesday. It's not an easy listen, this slightly skewed take on avant funk, but that seems to be the purpose here- just check out Coleman's original liner notes for proof:
The great Infinite Foolishness beat me to the punch by posting a slew of great Ornette Coleman albums, including Body Meta. Head on over to their turf to survey the cornucopia of awesomeness.
With legions of jazzers of the early-mid 1970s plugging in to Miles electric groove, it's no surprise that Ornette Coleman dove head first into a genre he'd been toying with for years. Leading a band he dubbed "Prime Time," Coleman pressed on through a series of albums of collective improvisation and loose, angular funk that began with 1975's Dancing in Your Head, but reached a frothy peak on Body Meta the following year. Although the album was pulled from tapes recorded during Dancing in Your Head, the two guitar, bass and drums lineup created an LP that was wholly unique to Coleman's discography - the furious grooves would boil up for a short while and disintegrate before they could set in; guitar tones are harsh throughout; and the alto sax erupts all over the proceedings - drawing surprisingly valid comparisons to Beefheart's late 60s output. 31 years on, this stuff sounds fresh enough to have come out last Tuesday. It's not an easy listen, this slightly skewed take on avant funk, but that seems to be the purpose here- just check out Coleman's original liner notes for proof:Enter - Prime Time in forming a Harmolodic Band, where the needs of the composer and the players found challenging questions. Prime Time is not a jazz, classical, rock or blues ensemble. It is pure Harmolodic where all forms that can, or could exist yesterday, today, or tomorrow can exist in the now or the moment without a second.
The great Infinite Foolishness beat me to the punch by posting a slew of great Ornette Coleman albums, including Body Meta. Head on over to their turf to survey the cornucopia of awesomeness.
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.
Friday
Leonard Cohen
Death of a Ladies' Man - 1977
Toward the end of the 1970s, the careers of Leonard Cohen and Phil Spector were headed in opposite trajectories. Cohen rode high on a five album creative streak that had begun with his debut LP nine years previous, and Spector was spiraling down a well of drink, drugs, bizarre behavior and a string of albums that, while brilliant, were so polarizing that labels often had to be sweet talked into putting them out. Naturally, their great summit of 1977 was one that continues to divide, challenge and amaze. But as Spector put it, midway through their three-week songwriting binge that resulted in 15 new tracks, there's no denying that this is some "great fucking music." Discussing Cohen's contribution here is almost pointless, since the man's ability to craft a lyric and turn a phrase is sickeningly consistent - and aside from Spector's obvious influence on stripping a few layers of subtlety here and there and adding a touch of tasteful schmaltz to the choruses, Death of a Ladies' Man only continues the hot streak. It shouldn't be a surprise then, that the real magic of this record lies in Spector's typically over the top production. If his records of the classic era were Wall of Sound, the noise he creates here pours in through tunnels and waves, with his wrecking crew of the mid 60s reprising their role with some added syrupy 70s grandeur and a layer of echo so thick that it practically becomes an instrument in itself. It's worth noting that Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg drop by to lend their voices to the raucous "Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On" - a raveup that nearly disrupts the flow, but as a testament to the strength of this record, hardly creates a ripple. Unquestionably weird, but bruised and lovely all the same, this LP must be heard to be believed.
Toward the end of the 1970s, the careers of Leonard Cohen and Phil Spector were headed in opposite trajectories. Cohen rode high on a five album creative streak that had begun with his debut LP nine years previous, and Spector was spiraling down a well of drink, drugs, bizarre behavior and a string of albums that, while brilliant, were so polarizing that labels often had to be sweet talked into putting them out. Naturally, their great summit of 1977 was one that continues to divide, challenge and amaze. But as Spector put it, midway through their three-week songwriting binge that resulted in 15 new tracks, there's no denying that this is some "great fucking music." Discussing Cohen's contribution here is almost pointless, since the man's ability to craft a lyric and turn a phrase is sickeningly consistent - and aside from Spector's obvious influence on stripping a few layers of subtlety here and there and adding a touch of tasteful schmaltz to the choruses, Death of a Ladies' Man only continues the hot streak. It shouldn't be a surprise then, that the real magic of this record lies in Spector's typically over the top production. If his records of the classic era were Wall of Sound, the noise he creates here pours in through tunnels and waves, with his wrecking crew of the mid 60s reprising their role with some added syrupy 70s grandeur and a layer of echo so thick that it practically becomes an instrument in itself. It's worth noting that Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg drop by to lend their voices to the raucous "Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On" - a raveup that nearly disrupts the flow, but as a testament to the strength of this record, hardly creates a ripple. Unquestionably weird, but bruised and lovely all the same, this LP must be heard to be believed.Tuesday
Paul McCartney
Red Rose Speedway - 1973
After giving John all the attention with last month's Complete Lost Lennon Tapes series, I figured it was time to turn our attention to Beatle Paul and one of the wildly underrated gems in his vast catalogue, 1973's Red Rose Speedway. For years I'd ignored this LP whenever I saw it in the shops, most likely due to it's garish cover. Once I got wind that it contained a few unused tracks from 1971's magnificent Ram, one of my all-time favorites, I had to get my hands on it. Officially his second LP with Wings, Red Rose Speedway bridges the sound of the low-fi records McCartney made at the the start of his solo career with the grandiose, lavishly produced ones he would start knocking out with 74's Band on the Run. Of course that also means Red Rose Speedway marks the beginning of Paul's schmaltzy period, but thankfully this record only carries the weight of a couple such tunes - the worst of which, "My Love" sounds eerily similar to Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better", so really, it could be worse. The high points here, the ones that keep drawing me back to this record, are absolutely incredible. The trippy "Loup" (First Indian on the Moon)" could fit in easily on Pink Floyd's Meddle, "When the Night" is a slow burn that ends just as it starts to boil, while "Get On the Right Thing" and "Little Lamb Dragonfly" are excellent leftovers from the Ram sessions. With the addition of a few singles and B-sides from the era tacked onto the end of this remastered edition, you really can't go wrong. But don't take my word for it, have a listen yourself.
After giving John all the attention with last month's Complete Lost Lennon Tapes series, I figured it was time to turn our attention to Beatle Paul and one of the wildly underrated gems in his vast catalogue, 1973's Red Rose Speedway. For years I'd ignored this LP whenever I saw it in the shops, most likely due to it's garish cover. Once I got wind that it contained a few unused tracks from 1971's magnificent Ram, one of my all-time favorites, I had to get my hands on it. Officially his second LP with Wings, Red Rose Speedway bridges the sound of the low-fi records McCartney made at the the start of his solo career with the grandiose, lavishly produced ones he would start knocking out with 74's Band on the Run. Of course that also means Red Rose Speedway marks the beginning of Paul's schmaltzy period, but thankfully this record only carries the weight of a couple such tunes - the worst of which, "My Love" sounds eerily similar to Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better", so really, it could be worse. The high points here, the ones that keep drawing me back to this record, are absolutely incredible. The trippy "Loup" (First Indian on the Moon)" could fit in easily on Pink Floyd's Meddle, "When the Night" is a slow burn that ends just as it starts to boil, while "Get On the Right Thing" and "Little Lamb Dragonfly" are excellent leftovers from the Ram sessions. With the addition of a few singles and B-sides from the era tacked onto the end of this remastered edition, you really can't go wrong. But don't take my word for it, have a listen yourself.Lee "Scratch" Perry
Upsetters 14 Dub Blackboard Jungle - 1973
Having been renamed, remixed and reorganized many times since its original release in 1973, the phenomenal Upsetters 14 Blackboard Jungle Dub has at long last been restored to its original incarnation and given the definitive remastering treatment it's deserved for decades. Arguably the first true dub LP, Blackboard Jungle is a landmark pairing of two of the greatest minds of the genre, Lee "Scratch" Perry and King Tubby, both of whom leave their unmistakable imprint all over this record. It's tough to pin down exactly who did what and where, but from the sound of things, the bulk of the tracks were arranged and recorded at Scratch's Black Ark Studio - wobbly guitars, grimy bass and percussion, distant horns and all - while King Tubby reigned over the mixing board and dubbed it blacker than dread. Thanks to Tubby's meticulous technique, Blackboard Jungle is unlike anything else to come out of the Black Ark, incredibly precise, elegantly psychedelic, even flirting with American soul at points, and every bit as thrilling as anything either man would accomplish at the height of their career. One of the greatest albums of all time. If you're looking to dip your toe into the murky waters of dub, dip it here.
For this LP and more of the same, head over to the incredible You and Me on a Jamboree. They've got enough dub, roots reggae and classics to make you sick.
Having been renamed, remixed and reorganized many times since its original release in 1973, the phenomenal Upsetters 14 Blackboard Jungle Dub has at long last been restored to its original incarnation and given the definitive remastering treatment it's deserved for decades. Arguably the first true dub LP, Blackboard Jungle is a landmark pairing of two of the greatest minds of the genre, Lee "Scratch" Perry and King Tubby, both of whom leave their unmistakable imprint all over this record. It's tough to pin down exactly who did what and where, but from the sound of things, the bulk of the tracks were arranged and recorded at Scratch's Black Ark Studio - wobbly guitars, grimy bass and percussion, distant horns and all - while King Tubby reigned over the mixing board and dubbed it blacker than dread. Thanks to Tubby's meticulous technique, Blackboard Jungle is unlike anything else to come out of the Black Ark, incredibly precise, elegantly psychedelic, even flirting with American soul at points, and every bit as thrilling as anything either man would accomplish at the height of their career. One of the greatest albums of all time. If you're looking to dip your toe into the murky waters of dub, dip it here.For this LP and more of the same, head over to the incredible You and Me on a Jamboree. They've got enough dub, roots reggae and classics to make you sick.
Cannonball Adderley Quintet
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! - 1966
It was on the phenomenal title track to this classic LP that most listeners first came to know the name Joe Zawinul. Brooding, funky and brimming with far more soul than you'd expect from a white Austrian immigrant in the mid-1960s, Zawinul's now-legendary Wurlitzer-based composition easily pinpoints the exact moment at which the fusion of jazz and R&B was brought to the masses. Cannonball's career was hardly the same from this point on, and Miles would dive headlong into the brew soon enough with Zawinul as his lead songwriter and keyboardist. The entire Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! LP is a Southern gospel-soaked goldmine from end to end, even if this "live" session was cut in front of a select studio audience with an open bar, but nothing here matches the deep, laid-back groove of that title track. It all started here. So long, Zawinul.
It was on the phenomenal title track to this classic LP that most listeners first came to know the name Joe Zawinul. Brooding, funky and brimming with far more soul than you'd expect from a white Austrian immigrant in the mid-1960s, Zawinul's now-legendary Wurlitzer-based composition easily pinpoints the exact moment at which the fusion of jazz and R&B was brought to the masses. Cannonball's career was hardly the same from this point on, and Miles would dive headlong into the brew soon enough with Zawinul as his lead songwriter and keyboardist. The entire Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! LP is a Southern gospel-soaked goldmine from end to end, even if this "live" session was cut in front of a select studio audience with an open bar, but nothing here matches the deep, laid-back groove of that title track. It all started here. So long, Zawinul.Thursday
John Lennon, Part 3 of 3
The Complete Lost Lennon Tapes, Volume 3 (discs 16-22)
Whew. After 15 exhaustive chapters, the Complete Lost Lennon Tapes rolls off into the sunset with a 3rd and final volume. For fans of Lennon's late 70s comeback period, this installment will be a real treat, as discs 17 and 21 are loaded with demos and studio alternates of material from the magnificent Double Fantasy. However, keeping with the collection's habit of eschewing any sort of chronological order, there's plenty of material from the entirety of his recorded career sprinkled throughout. The many highlights include an extremely early version of "Strawberry Fields Forever", featuring Lennon sketching out some chord changes and fooling around with a few different lyrics. It doesn't sound like he was even dreaming of Strawberry Fields at this point. "One Day at a Time" is represented on disc 16 in a bare bones studio run-through that suits the song even better than the lush treatment it received on the Mind Games LP. The real treat here is disc 22, which includes the complete soundtrack for Yoko's unreleased 1971 film "Clock" (an excellent quality home recording of John casually running through some new tunes and golden oldies), as well as a recording of the jam session at Lennon's 31st birthday party, featuring what sounds like a house full of guests (including a very "vocal" Phil Spector) doing campfire renditions of Beatles tracks, traditionals and even a couple of Paul and George's solo hits. A suitable ending. Now, take off those headphones and go take a nap. You're bound to be exhausted.
Whew. After 15 exhaustive chapters, the Complete Lost Lennon Tapes rolls off into the sunset with a 3rd and final volume. For fans of Lennon's late 70s comeback period, this installment will be a real treat, as discs 17 and 21 are loaded with demos and studio alternates of material from the magnificent Double Fantasy. However, keeping with the collection's habit of eschewing any sort of chronological order, there's plenty of material from the entirety of his recorded career sprinkled throughout. The many highlights include an extremely early version of "Strawberry Fields Forever", featuring Lennon sketching out some chord changes and fooling around with a few different lyrics. It doesn't sound like he was even dreaming of Strawberry Fields at this point. "One Day at a Time" is represented on disc 16 in a bare bones studio run-through that suits the song even better than the lush treatment it received on the Mind Games LP. The real treat here is disc 22, which includes the complete soundtrack for Yoko's unreleased 1971 film "Clock" (an excellent quality home recording of John casually running through some new tunes and golden oldies), as well as a recording of the jam session at Lennon's 31st birthday party, featuring what sounds like a house full of guests (including a very "vocal" Phil Spector) doing campfire renditions of Beatles tracks, traditionals and even a couple of Paul and George's solo hits. A suitable ending. Now, take off those headphones and go take a nap. You're bound to be exhausted.Wednesday
John Lennon, Part 2 of 3
The Complete Lost Lennon Tapes, Volume 2 (discs 9-15)
The second volume of the Complete Lost Lennon Tapes picks up right where the first left off - which is easy enough since there's little rhyme or reason to the tracklisting. Nope, no tidy chronological order here, just seven more discs of outtakes, demos, alternate versions and comedy routines in startlingly high fidelity. Just like the first eight discs, the highlights here are innumerable, but I certainly have my favorites; the surprisingly fully formed acoustic demo of Abbey Road's "Because" and the work in progress takes of "Give Peace a Chance" on disc 14, a drum machine and acoustic guitar take on Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross" that rivals the version on Nilsson's Pussy Cats LP in terms of sheer beauty, and finally, the raw urgency lurking throughout the demo and studio versions of "Well Well Well" that bring disc 12 to a roaring boil. Head to the comments section for the seven discs (as well as the HTML and Autorun files) which comprise the second CD-ROM. The thrilling conclusion to this three-part series is just around the corner, so dew drop in next week.
The second volume of the Complete Lost Lennon Tapes picks up right where the first left off - which is easy enough since there's little rhyme or reason to the tracklisting. Nope, no tidy chronological order here, just seven more discs of outtakes, demos, alternate versions and comedy routines in startlingly high fidelity. Just like the first eight discs, the highlights here are innumerable, but I certainly have my favorites; the surprisingly fully formed acoustic demo of Abbey Road's "Because" and the work in progress takes of "Give Peace a Chance" on disc 14, a drum machine and acoustic guitar take on Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross" that rivals the version on Nilsson's Pussy Cats LP in terms of sheer beauty, and finally, the raw urgency lurking throughout the demo and studio versions of "Well Well Well" that bring disc 12 to a roaring boil. Head to the comments section for the seven discs (as well as the HTML and Autorun files) which comprise the second CD-ROM. The thrilling conclusion to this three-part series is just around the corner, so dew drop in next week.John Lennon, Part 1 of 3
The Complete Lost Lennon Tapes, Volume 1 (discs 1-8)
From the early days of the Beatles up to the last days of his life John Lennon made frequent use of his home tape machine; recording demos, oldies, comedy skits and love letters to Yoko, it seems the man was fascinated with preserving every step of the artistic process. It's no surprise then, that the amount of Lennon bootlegs is incredibly vast, while the quality of most of those, both aurally and aesthetically, leaves much to the imagination. The 1998 John Lennon Anthology was an enormous success in terms of getting a decent chunk of these home recordings, demos and studio outtakes to the public, and for many this four disc set covering his post-Beatle decade was a revelation in terms of the wealth of material collected and the high quality of the recordings. But for more savvy collectors, the infamous Lost Lennon Tapes radio series was the end all source of unreleased gems. Originally broadcast in 1988, this Westwood One program was hosted by Lennon's close friend Elliot Mintz, who over the course of the its 35 episode run had the good sense (or undying respect for his pal) to not talk over the intros or outros to any of the tunes, thus allowing home listeners to get the bootleg train rolling. After several incarnations from vinyl to cassette and CD, a 22 volume Complete Lost Lennon Tapes was compiled onto 3 CD-ROMs in 1999, and the sketchbook of one of modern music's most prodigious talents found a new media for a new century. Presented here (with links and tracklist in comments) are the eight volumes which comprise the first CD-ROM. The highlights are innumerable and the set is downright overwhelming, but in the best way possible. Volumes 9-22 will follow in the coming weeks, so don't be a stranger.
Update: Tracks 20-28 on Disc 8 were not contained in the original zip file. You can now download them here. My apologies for this oversight.
From the early days of the Beatles up to the last days of his life John Lennon made frequent use of his home tape machine; recording demos, oldies, comedy skits and love letters to Yoko, it seems the man was fascinated with preserving every step of the artistic process. It's no surprise then, that the amount of Lennon bootlegs is incredibly vast, while the quality of most of those, both aurally and aesthetically, leaves much to the imagination. The 1998 John Lennon Anthology was an enormous success in terms of getting a decent chunk of these home recordings, demos and studio outtakes to the public, and for many this four disc set covering his post-Beatle decade was a revelation in terms of the wealth of material collected and the high quality of the recordings. But for more savvy collectors, the infamous Lost Lennon Tapes radio series was the end all source of unreleased gems. Originally broadcast in 1988, this Westwood One program was hosted by Lennon's close friend Elliot Mintz, who over the course of the its 35 episode run had the good sense (or undying respect for his pal) to not talk over the intros or outros to any of the tunes, thus allowing home listeners to get the bootleg train rolling. After several incarnations from vinyl to cassette and CD, a 22 volume Complete Lost Lennon Tapes was compiled onto 3 CD-ROMs in 1999, and the sketchbook of one of modern music's most prodigious talents found a new media for a new century. Presented here (with links and tracklist in comments) are the eight volumes which comprise the first CD-ROM. The highlights are innumerable and the set is downright overwhelming, but in the best way possible. Volumes 9-22 will follow in the coming weeks, so don't be a stranger.Update: Tracks 20-28 on Disc 8 were not contained in the original zip file. You can now download them here. My apologies for this oversight.
Monday
Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette
Ruta and Daitya - 1971
In this midst of their tenure with Miles Davis' group, pianist Keith Jarrett and drummer Jack DeJohnette stole away a little time while in Los Angeles to create Ruta and Daitya. Alternating between avant-funk and minimalist classic jazz, the LP comprises a group of brilliant sketches that serve as a meditative counterpoint to what the duo were producing on stage and in the studio with Miles. Jarrett is undoubtedly the master of ceremonies here, improvising from end to end and effortlessly switching from woodwinds, acoustic and electric pianos, sometimes playing two at once, but always working within the confines of the two man ensemble as DeJohnette works the range of his kit and taps away on African percussion. I initially approached this album with the expectation that it would be similar to Miles' work around this same time. Although it's a logical extension from that, Ruta and Daitya is a different animal entirely. Enjoy.
In this midst of their tenure with Miles Davis' group, pianist Keith Jarrett and drummer Jack DeJohnette stole away a little time while in Los Angeles to create Ruta and Daitya. Alternating between avant-funk and minimalist classic jazz, the LP comprises a group of brilliant sketches that serve as a meditative counterpoint to what the duo were producing on stage and in the studio with Miles. Jarrett is undoubtedly the master of ceremonies here, improvising from end to end and effortlessly switching from woodwinds, acoustic and electric pianos, sometimes playing two at once, but always working within the confines of the two man ensemble as DeJohnette works the range of his kit and taps away on African percussion. I initially approached this album with the expectation that it would be similar to Miles' work around this same time. Although it's a logical extension from that, Ruta and Daitya is a different animal entirely. Enjoy.
Soft Machine
Fourth - 1971
Although Robert Wyatt wouldn't leave Soft Machine until they began recording its follow up, Fourth is where his departure from the group truly began, as the LP included no original compositions or vocals from its founding member. Despite these shortcomings, Fourth is an incredible album of trippy, muscular jazz fusion performed by a band at the height of its powers. Wyatt's drumming is arguably the strongest of his career, but the major contributor here is bassist Hugh Hopper, writing five of the LP's seven songs, including, in true prog fasion, the four song suite that comprised its B side. The unquestionable highlight of this set is its opener "Teeth"; a schizophrenic epic that clocks in at over nine minutes and soars and battles through multiple time shifts, gentle passages and sections of frothy, pummeling rage. Carrying an intensity that may not match that which the band achieved on Third, Fourth is superior in recording quality and outright musicianship. Although better than the majority of their contemporaries for the remainder of the decade, it was all downhill from here for Soft Machine.
Although Robert Wyatt wouldn't leave Soft Machine until they began recording its follow up, Fourth is where his departure from the group truly began, as the LP included no original compositions or vocals from its founding member. Despite these shortcomings, Fourth is an incredible album of trippy, muscular jazz fusion performed by a band at the height of its powers. Wyatt's drumming is arguably the strongest of his career, but the major contributor here is bassist Hugh Hopper, writing five of the LP's seven songs, including, in true prog fasion, the four song suite that comprised its B side. The unquestionable highlight of this set is its opener "Teeth"; a schizophrenic epic that clocks in at over nine minutes and soars and battles through multiple time shifts, gentle passages and sections of frothy, pummeling rage. Carrying an intensity that may not match that which the band achieved on Third, Fourth is superior in recording quality and outright musicianship. Although better than the majority of their contemporaries for the remainder of the decade, it was all downhill from here for Soft Machine.Thursday
Nicky Hopkins
The Tin Man Was a Dreamer - 1973
Any fan of British rock throughout the 1960s and 70s is inevitably a fan of Nicky Hopkins, as the keyboardist lent his talents to an astonishing number of LPs - the Who's My Generation, the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street, the Kinks' Village Green Preservation Society just to name a few. Unquestionably the session man of the classic rock era. It's no surprise then, that after adding his mark to countless albums by other artists, Hopkins would have a wealth of his own material and a tremendous album up his sleeve. Recorded with the help of many of his fellow session men of the period, including saxophonist Bobby Keys and bassist Klaus Voormann, as well as George Harrison (credited as George O'Hara) and the Rolling Stones' Mick Taylor, The Tin Man Was a Dreamer was Hopkins' second solo effort and one that holds its own next to the albums on which he contributed as a sideman. Every bit the album you'd expect from a musician whose work lay mostly in the shadows, Tin Man is full of subtle variations in style and lyrical context, shifting from semi classical solo numbers to smart, beautifully orchestrated pop tunes with timid, oddly charming lead vocals throughout. The highlights are numerous, but my hands-down favorite is "Waiting for the Band". Tight production with songwriting that wouldn't sound out of place if this LP were released today, Tin Man will undoubtedly take your appreciation of Hopkins to a whole new level.
Any fan of British rock throughout the 1960s and 70s is inevitably a fan of Nicky Hopkins, as the keyboardist lent his talents to an astonishing number of LPs - the Who's My Generation, the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street, the Kinks' Village Green Preservation Society just to name a few. Unquestionably the session man of the classic rock era. It's no surprise then, that after adding his mark to countless albums by other artists, Hopkins would have a wealth of his own material and a tremendous album up his sleeve. Recorded with the help of many of his fellow session men of the period, including saxophonist Bobby Keys and bassist Klaus Voormann, as well as George Harrison (credited as George O'Hara) and the Rolling Stones' Mick Taylor, The Tin Man Was a Dreamer was Hopkins' second solo effort and one that holds its own next to the albums on which he contributed as a sideman. Every bit the album you'd expect from a musician whose work lay mostly in the shadows, Tin Man is full of subtle variations in style and lyrical context, shifting from semi classical solo numbers to smart, beautifully orchestrated pop tunes with timid, oddly charming lead vocals throughout. The highlights are numerous, but my hands-down favorite is "Waiting for the Band". Tight production with songwriting that wouldn't sound out of place if this LP were released today, Tin Man will undoubtedly take your appreciation of Hopkins to a whole new level.Otis Redding
Live In Europe - 1967
Recorded during the infamous Stax/Volt revue overseas tour in the Spring of 1967, the Live in Europe LP is a testament to the overwhelming power of soul music during this brief window in time, and the absolute rapture into which Otis Redding would send his audiences. It was coined "Beatlemania in Reverse" for good reason. Sadly, this was also the final LP Redding would see released before his death in December of that same year. As the Stax house band throughout much of the decade, Booker T and the MGs backed all of the artists on this European tour, and here do the same for Otis. Rather than the smoky, hypnotic grooves laid down by his usual touring group (as featured on his In Person at the Whiskey a Go Go LP), the MGs provide a tight, bouncy elegance that, aside from a few deviations and extended endings, keep the songs true to their studio counterparts. But as with any Otis Redding live document, his vocal prowess and ability to reinterpret his own tunes is nothing short of stunning. Now, forty years since it was recorded, the version of "Try a Little Tenderness" included here remains one of the most incredible performances of all time.
Recorded during the infamous Stax/Volt revue overseas tour in the Spring of 1967, the Live in Europe LP is a testament to the overwhelming power of soul music during this brief window in time, and the absolute rapture into which Otis Redding would send his audiences. It was coined "Beatlemania in Reverse" for good reason. Sadly, this was also the final LP Redding would see released before his death in December of that same year. As the Stax house band throughout much of the decade, Booker T and the MGs backed all of the artists on this European tour, and here do the same for Otis. Rather than the smoky, hypnotic grooves laid down by his usual touring group (as featured on his In Person at the Whiskey a Go Go LP), the MGs provide a tight, bouncy elegance that, aside from a few deviations and extended endings, keep the songs true to their studio counterparts. But as with any Otis Redding live document, his vocal prowess and ability to reinterpret his own tunes is nothing short of stunning. Now, forty years since it was recorded, the version of "Try a Little Tenderness" included here remains one of the most incredible performances of all time. Stan Getz
Captain Marvel - 1972
Having famously paired with Joao Gilberto for 1963's massive Getz/Gilberto bossa nova summit, it's no surprise that another equally successful collaboration was in the cards for Stan Getz. At the time he was forming his Return to Forever band, Chick Corea got wind that Getz was on the hunt for a band with which to tour and record new material. Putting his own project on temporary hiatus, Corea plucked Airto Moriera and Stanley Clarke from his fledgling group and enlisted fellow Miles alum, Tony Williams on drums. The resulting album is almost exactly what you'd expect this collection of greats to turn out, and every bit as incredible as Getz better known Gilberto collaboration. With Corea originals making up five of the album's six tunes and Airto's Brazillian percussion filling out the mix, Captain Marvel has a heavy Latin bend throughout, but the percussive plunk of Rhodes piano and controlled chaos of Williams behind the kit pulls it all so slightly into fusion territory. Unquestionably one of Getz' finest moments of the decade, and a fascinating glimpse as to how straight these Davis graduates could play it when they wanted to.
Having famously paired with Joao Gilberto for 1963's massive Getz/Gilberto bossa nova summit, it's no surprise that another equally successful collaboration was in the cards for Stan Getz. At the time he was forming his Return to Forever band, Chick Corea got wind that Getz was on the hunt for a band with which to tour and record new material. Putting his own project on temporary hiatus, Corea plucked Airto Moriera and Stanley Clarke from his fledgling group and enlisted fellow Miles alum, Tony Williams on drums. The resulting album is almost exactly what you'd expect this collection of greats to turn out, and every bit as incredible as Getz better known Gilberto collaboration. With Corea originals making up five of the album's six tunes and Airto's Brazillian percussion filling out the mix, Captain Marvel has a heavy Latin bend throughout, but the percussive plunk of Rhodes piano and controlled chaos of Williams behind the kit pulls it all so slightly into fusion territory. Unquestionably one of Getz' finest moments of the decade, and a fascinating glimpse as to how straight these Davis graduates could play it when they wanted to.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)