Tribute to Lal Waterson 25-10-07

Someone asked me a couple of weeks ago if I had this: yes, I do have it and here it comes.

Lal Waterson was part of the Watersons, a british vocal folk band, whose main focus was on traditional songs; but in the seventies Lal started (at last) recording her own stuff, first with her brother Mike in the seminal 1972 LP "Bright Phoebus" and then with her sister Norma in 1977 ("A True Hearted Girl"), and finally in the nineties with the help of her son Oliver Knight for the 1996 masterpiece "Once in a Blue Moon" (which I uploaded some time ago here) and the 1999 "A Bed of Roses".

Lal Waterson passed away in 1998. 10 years later BBC broadcasted this tribute featuring many members of her family and band (Eliza Carthy, Martin Carthy, Norma, Mike) and fans among her colleagues (James Yorkston, Kathryn Williams). This is the recording of that night's tribute concert, but for those who want to know something more about Lal's life and work I invite you to go download the BBC 4 documentary @ the mudcat board (scroll down the page searching for the word "mediafire" and you'll find it).

By the way, I love James Yorkston's try at At first she starts.

This is a video from the tribute night with Lal's daughter Maria Gilhooley singing Fine horsemen:

Tribute to Lal Waterson 25-10-07

Pink Floyd: Cruel But Fair

Hard to believe it, but I think this is probably my first Floyd post here and, as far as intentions go, I guess it won't be the last. In a few words: "Cruel But Fair" is simply one of the best Pink Floyd bootlegs ever made, and more so because it is taken from a very interesting period in their career (to me at last), i.e. when Roger Waters & co, during the 1975 "Wish You Were Here" tour, started testing new songs from what was to become the "Animals" album. I know: "Animals" is not a fan favourite, but it is (still) definetely one of my favourites.

So, the very first two songs on this 2-discs boot are what were to be named Sheep and Dogs respectively, while the rest is from the WYWH album and the second disc is the whole "Dark Side of The Moon" plus Echoes (from "Meddle"). One important detail: the Have a Cigar appearing here is not taken (entirely) from the April 26th 1975 gig in Los Angeles, like the rest of the tracklist, but from the Boston show of the same year, due to some problems with the original tape.

Anyway, this here is a great show, the performance in many of the songs is amazing and the overall sound is, by large, one of the best amongst all PF boots (more so if you consider they're all -up to the 1977 tour- audience recordings), so if you enjoy the band you'll sure love this one.

...and maybe next time I'll do a whole "Animals" gig.

Next Post: Lal Waterson

Cruel But Fair 1

Cruel But Fair 2

Richard Thompson: Dream Attic Acoustic Demos

I haven't been posting anything in a very long time, but I mean to get back to give you more music (and so please leave comments if you want any old d/l likn reposted), starting now with these Acoustic Demos from Richard Thompson's new album "Dream Attic". Two reasons why I've decided to post this: I love Thompson's music (that's one, and it's an obvious one), and (the second one is) I think the demos are maybe even better the electric album itself. It may be because it is also a live recording, I don't know, but except for some tracks (i.e. the magnificent Crimescene: go check that on the original "Dream Attic"), I find it a bit laid back, too controlled.

Although there are, indeed (and as always), many great guitar licks and solos, as you will see by listening to this youtube video:

Anyway, if you like RT's stuff I urge you to go buy the "Dream Attic Deluxe Edition" (which includes this demos (@ Amazon.uk or @ RT's website).

In the meantime get this:

Dream Attic Acoustic Demos

The Go-Betweens: Live in Manchester 1987-05-01

I haven't posted a Go-Betweens' boot in a very long time, and it seems kind of right to do t just after the 200000 visits (not that it matters that much, but still...), and so I pulled out one of the not-so-many bootlegs of theirs I havent' uploaded here yet.
This "Live in Manchester" (at the International, in May 1, 1987) is an audience recording (but a good one), and it features what maybe was my favourite line-up of the band, i.e. the one with five members but with Vickers still on bass, plus it has some little gems: one of the seldom live renditions of Don't call me gone, my two favourite GoBes' b-sides (This girl, black girl and When people are dead), and You tell me, a quite weird number from "Tallulah" that I've always loved but that they almost quit playing after this tour. Moreover I love this version of Man o' sand to girl o' sea.

Picture taken from Flick (and from a 1985 show, by the way, but I liked it a lot)
Feel free to comment (and does anyone know what happened to the Go-Betweens' Archive?)

Tracklist:
01. Bye Bye Pride
02. Unkind & Unwise
03. Part Company
04. The House That Jack Kerouac Built
05. The Clarke Sisters
06. This Girl, Black Girl
07. Don't Call Me Gone
08. When People Are Dead
09. Your Turn, My Turn
10. Cut It Out
11. You Tell Me
12. Head Full Of Steam
13. Right Here
14. Man O'Sand To Girl O'Sea
15. Cattle And Cane
16. Spring Rain
17. Apology Accepted
18. Karen

Live in Manchester 1987

Bob Mould: Live Solo December '09

I went to see Bob Mould for the very first time only last December (I know: shame on me, I know...), and it was kind of a weird concert too, being the good old Bob on his own (i.e. with no backing band). No harm done, but, being Mould definitely one of the godfathers of punk (punkfathers?), it is a bit weird seeing him play with no heavy sounding backup. But it was also good having the chance to listen to these (well-known, to me at least) songs flirting with a new (and more simple) dress. Though, yes, Mould is no Richard Thompson, and hence there isn't much great guitar here, but this doesn't necessarily mean that it's not a good listen.
And now there is jsut one more thing I'd like to stress: the man does have a great voice.
Plus, there's his whole life in music here: Husker Du, Sugar and solo career. And yeah, this is an audience recording, but not such a bad one (more or less like the last one I taped myself, the Piano Magic one).

(Picture taken from Flickr)

Tracklist:
01 Wishing well
02 Hear me calling
03 Hoover dam
04 See a little light
05 No reservations
06 Hardly getting over it
07 Sinners and their repentances
08 I'm sorry baby...
09 Life and times
10 The Breach + Paralyzed
11 Your favorite thing + The act we act
12 I apologize + something I learned today
13 In a free land + Celebrated summer
14 If I can't change your mind
15 Makes no sense at all

Live December '09

Townes Van Zandt: Some Bootlegs

This is one of the reasons why I love music SO much: there's alsways something new to dig into. And that's exactly what happened to me when I first listened to Townes Van Zandt: I was mesmerized by it, like something resonated inside me. It's a bit like what George Harrison saisd while telling about the first time he heard indian music play: there! An instantaneous connection! And so I did fall in love with this great musician's music (though I'm not sure if I can bet, like Steve Earle does, that he's the greatest american songwriter ever, even better than Dylan), and I'm still going on listening more and more stuff of him (i.e. official and non official releases), so, though I can't quite recommend one of his albums (over another) with certainty, I think I can quite comfortably stress that some of his best recording are actually live recordings. Probably because too many of his records were made with too much of an ear to the typical (Nashville) country act (specially in the 70's... i.e. too much lap steel, man!), and later on there were some of the usual awkward sounds of the 80's, plus his voice wasn't the same as it used to be (but during some concerts it did sound pretty better than in, say, "At My Window" or in "No Deeper Blue").

Of course that was pretty obvious with my previous post on him, being the "Live at the Old Quarter" a true masterpiece of a live album, but there is indeed some magic to be found in many bootleg out there too, and I've traced down a great site with lots of them (both in mp3 and in FLac, yeah!), which is OUSTERHOUT.NET (by ROIO), where you can find also some Dylan, Richard Thompson, Wilco, Leonard Cohen, Lucinda Williams, Paul Simon, Steve Earle, (and many more).

So, if haven't won you over on Van Zandt yet, well, check these out.
Here's No place to fall:

and here If I needed you:

And then, finally, 'I'd suggest you to go watch the whole "Be here to love me" documemantary on TVZ. This is the first fragment, but if you want to see the rest of it check Nothingdrugs' YouTube Channel.

Townes Van Zandt

Best of 2009

This is what I came up with...

1-Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions:
Through The Devil Softly



2-Laura Gibson:
Beasts of Seasons



3-Girls:
Album



4-The Unthanks:
Here's The Tender Coming



5-Vic Chesnutt:
At The Cut



6-Black Heart Procession:
Six



7-Flaming Lips:
Embryonic



8-Gomez:
A New Tide



9-Cass McCombs:
Catacombs



10-Vic Chesnutt:
Skitter On Take-Off




11-Real Estate:
S/t



12-Beach House:
Teen Dream



13-MV & EE:
Barn Nova



14-Califone:
All My Friends Are Funeral Singers



15-Bill Callahan:
Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle



16-Dirty Projector:
Bitte Orca



17-Magnolia Eletric Co:
Josephine



18-PJ Harvey & John Paris:
A Woman A Man Walked By



19-Built To Spill:
There Is No Enemy



20-Nancy Elizabeth:
Wrought Iron



21-Choral:
Mountains



22-Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3:
Goodnight Oslo



23-Yo La Tengo:
Popular Songs



24-Sholi:
S/t

Frightened Rabbit: Nothing Like You (new single & video)

Yesss!


Frightened Rabbit on MUZU

Mazzy Star: Live at The Metro, Chicago, 1994

It's been quite a while (exactly four years!) since the last time I posted something regarding Mazzy Star, so when I came across this great bootleg (an FM broadcast from some WXRT radio) and I heard how good it was I decided it was time for some great atmosphere music... Besides, Hope Sandoval's last record ("Through the Devil Softly") is definetely one of my favourite ones this year (I haven't made up my mind yet for my "Best of 2009" list...), so I'm in a bit of a Hope Sandoval mood.
Well, if you want to know more about Mazzy Star go search @ Mazzy Star Boulevard, a good tool indeed (with tabs as well).
What more can I say? Great songs, great guitar licks by Roback: listen to Give you my lovin's steel guitar and you'll see where some of Damon and Naomi's stuff comes from, I guess. And yeah, the end of that song must be an homage to Reed's Sweet Jane (I mean: isn't David Roback one of Lou's most dedicate fans? C'mon!)

...and this is another good live performance from youtube:



Tracklist:

1. Flowers In December
2. Ride it on
3. Into Dust
4. Give You My Lovin
5. Fade Into You
6. Halah
7. Ghost Highway
8. Blue Flower

Live at The Metro

Frightened Rabbit: Swim Until You Can't See Land

Man, have I been waiting for Frightened Rabbit's new "The Winter of Mixed Drinks"... In the meantime the only thing is listening to this first single off their forthcoming album (and listen to the second, Nothing like you, @ their myspace).
Included with Swim until you can't see land is also the (non-album track) Fun stuff.

Swim Until You Can't See Land