Wednesday, August 25, 2021

The Rolling Stones- Fully Finished Studio Outtakes: R.I.P. Charlie Watts

 
 
Another sad day for music with the news that drummer, Charlie Watts passed away at the age of 80. Charlie Watts was considered by many as "one of the greatest drummers of his generation", as drummer for the self-proclaimed, greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world, the Rolling Stones. I admired Watts for his consistently steady and distinct low key style that defined the sound of the Stones just as much as Jagger's voice and Richards guitar. Watts has been behind the skins for 58 years and he truly was the backbone and backbeat of the band's sound. It's sometimes hard to believe he was a drummer for a band that had the reputation for the classic "drugs and rock 'n' roll" lifestyle, who was just as comfortable playing jazz or rock. I've been a fan of the band since the mid-70's, so they have been a big part of the soundtrack of my life and I own most of their albums up until Tattoo You, which celebrates it's 40th anniversary this year. Wow, time waits for no one!

 
As a tribute to Charlie, I'm posting a new collection of very interesting studio outtakes from the Stones that haven't been officially released. This 3 volume set was generously shared by indiepop on Exystence and it sounds amazing (they are fully finished), fresh sounding and some of the songs are actually pretty good. Quite the epic set and if you haven't heard these already through bootlegs etc, you'll be pleasantly surprised!
 
Here's a track by track breakdown with some information about the recording I lifted from the good ol' web. I apologize now if there is any mis-information or errors, I was too lazy to proof-read.
Enjoy!

CD 1, VOLUME 1
NOBODY PERFECT, ca. 1975 – Apparently from the Black and Blue sessions, I would argue that this track has much more of an 80’s feel, the production a give away – That and the drive of Charlie’s drumming. Both Ronnie and Keith’s licks playfully lap against each other. (1985 – 4:02)

TROUBLE’S A COMING, 1972 – Not 1972, surely but from much later in the decade. An incredible, insistent groove with a solid March – The chorus is fantastic in and of it’s own! Jagger’s vocals are mixed much lower in the mix than they should be so assume this to be an earlier rehearsal / working take that never came to fruition. Previously released as ‘Break Away’ – an embryonic version – on VGP’s ‘The Pain Of Love’ (1979 – 4:41)

DREAMS TO REMEMBER, Ca. 1983 – A classic Stones take on country tonk, Jaggers vocals are variously spoken and screamed while the band barroom it up in the background. The guitar licks flicker and squeak while the whole track has a cataclysmic tone of collapse. A certain 1970’s sound in the vein of John Lennon’s ‘Walls and Bridges’ album (1982 – 7:43)

DON’T LIE TO ME, 1972 – No, not that one but an 80’s version instead. Very interesting lyrics referencing a “Monkey Man”, this is in the very same style as ‘Troubles A Coming’ (Track 2) (1985 – 2:08)

FIJI JIM, 1978 – Originally heard on boots such as ‘Palace Pigalle’  (VGP), ‘Paris Outtakes Vol.2’ (Vigotone), ‘Hot Stuff Two’ (Great Dane) and several hundred more, this take is at the later stages of production (1977 – 3:38)

ELIZA UPCHINK, 1983 – Regards a certain lady of no scrupels, this dash of blues runs slightly longer than previously bootlegged at 4:38. (1982 – 4:47)

DEEP LOVE, 1985 – A deep and funky, loose guitar driven track from the Dirty Work sessions. Keith veers between roar and growl with his vocals. (1985 – 3:45)

SHE’S DOING HER THING, 1967 – Sorry? It sounds very much like a TMSR outtake – Fey 60’s Newleyisms, whistling, a jumpy mix between early Stones but with a psychedelic, whispy organ in the back ground. It IS one of those tracks that’ll have you sit, raise your eyebrows and mutter, ‘wow’. As you realise that, as Kinksian as it is, it would have made a belter or a B, arguably, A-side in 1967 without distracting from sales of the album. this has also appeared before on boot as ‘Title 15’, without vocals (1967 – 3:02)

PUTTY IN YOUR HANDS,1982 – Soul styled romp with Keith staring just as closely as Mick’s bellowed vocals. This track has as much sass as the girl who’s leading Mick around and up and down. It’s a cover-version of a Chirelles track from 1962 and makes a good fist of attempting to sound like it might. (1985 – 3:07)

DOG SHIT, 1983 – I guess you’d rather putty in your hands rather than the alternative but this track, which made it’s inaugural appearance on ‘Foxes In The Boxes’ as a thrilling instrumental now features vocals. A storming horn lead thruster with an insatiable appetite for longevity (Sounds about right, eh?) is far too good to have been left by the side of the road but here we are. (1983 – 6:05)

20 NIL, ca 1991 – A dusty little piece from the Voodoo Brew sessions (I wonder how deep THAT well is?) – It fits well of the time and would still sound amazing now. An extended, indieish into leads in to an almost primal squall from Mick while Ronnie and Keith ad-lib in the background, taking turns at stripping off levels of slow-burn guitar. (1997 – 5:43)

TELL HER HOW IT IS, 1971 – OK, you’ll hit the first few notes of this very well known bootleg placement (Otherwise known as ‘Potted Shrimp’), it’s upgraded – not by a million miles, accepted, but it’ll be an upgrade, that’s good enough, surely? No! 0.17 in – vocals! Much like the Exile tracks that got us stoked on the deluxe treatment of a few years earlier, this track is now replete with an extra pinch of Jagger salt and he sounds crazed! The vocals are of the fact that they sound vintage enough to be of the time – The beauty of looking after your voice for the past 60 years, I guess – we could ponder the fact that they could also have been recorded for the reissue but this stuff is better than we could have imagined. (1970 – 4:05)

YOU BETTER STOP THAT, 1983 – Short but sweet, very much of it’s time and sounding like ‘Neighbours’, the type of angsty, punky ripple with stabs of electric piano in the background. (1982 – 2:46)

SCARLET, 1975 – So we remember the debacle of this piece on the GHS reissue – None of the Stones or Jimmy Page (apparently) remember sneaking in to the studio in the prime of their careers and putting this to tape – Over two nights, granted, but maybe that’s how you measure time when you’re a rock star. The suns up or it’s not. Some of the overdubs present on the CV seem to be missing here from half way, so this may be one of the tracks that was laid down the first night, maybe? It’s far too good to be forgotten, far too good to be erased. Maybe if it had lingered for much longer the full session tape might have made it out .. It’d be nice to think. (1974 – 3:35)

WALK WITH ME WENDY, 1974 – Another ‘Dog Shit’ style track but replacing the horns with electric piano. Jagger bellows over the head of it all. (1970 – 4:02)

NEVER MAKE YOU CRY, 1977 – Another of those late, rain soaked Saturday ballads, spiked with a Little Rock . Blissfully dreamy, warm and regretful, it’s perfect. It’s also cleaner sounding that previously booted versions (1977 – 4:27)

PART OF THE NIGHT, 1976 – Also known as ‘Golden Caddy’ from the Pathé Marconi sessions (As heard on ‘Foxes In The Boxes’), this track might as well be ‘Never Make You Cry’ part two but one where the piano takes the place of the guitar instead. (1982 – 5:37)

LOW DOWN, 1997 – A Keith vocal for a change, one that was given up to Mick for the final BtB album – Keith’s voice here being buried under the instrumental (Though it’s a tight race between such a densely layered production), it was the right decision to give the job over. This take also features additional studio chatter after the take. (1997 – 5:02)

CD 2, VOLUME 2 
IT’S A LIE, 1978 – Another left over from the Paris Match sessions and also recently released on the ‘Foxes In The Boxes’ collection. Part Stones template, slide guitar and muted piano line. (1979 – 4:19)

 I CAN’T SEE NO ONE ELSE, 1985 – A perfectly packaged double-entendre of a song. Mainly piano led but featuring a stinging Shadows styled guitar with a chugging rubbery bass-line and fabulous call and response harmonies. (1985 – 5:05)

NOT THE WAY TO GO, 1977 – A punky, ramshackle, 50’s surf romp with a lean line in lyrics (Jagger seems to give up part way through and riffs on the title instead). This version fades out quicker than previous versions in ‘The Harder They Come’ (Idol Mind) of Yellow Cat’s ‘From Paris To LA’ (1978 – 3:39)

GIVING IT UP, 1989 – Taken from sessions for the ‘Steel Wheels’ album, this version features an extra piano line that was absent from boots like ‘Training Wheels (Rattlesnake) (1989 – 4:14)

HANDS OFF, 1986 – A tough, thundering rocker with a quick, choppy tempo. Really very Stones-of-the-time. (1993 – 3:34)

BUILT THAT WAY, 1984 – Something rather different here – A ‘Heatwave’ style swing with a Queenish guitar line occasionally popping up through the background. I wouldn’t have been at all surprised if this was a Style Council cover in all honesty. It’s really very different but cruisingly good. (1975 – 4:40)

KEEP IT COOL, 1982 – A clean little number, light piano lines with barely there guitars which drifts at an almost glacial pace. Jagger whispers his vocals at a volume that just barely breaks over the backing. Originally released on Foxes In The Boxes, this is the shortest version at just over 5 minutes. (1982 – 5:24)

CAN’T FIND LOVE, 1983 – I think this sounds like George Harrison’s / Bob Dylan’s ‘If Not For You’ in the smallest way. At nearly 7 minutes, it’s one of the longest tracks on this collection. The mixture also features a Buddy Hollyesq chiming guitar line over a strolling beat. (1982 – 7:22)

YOU WIN AGAIN, 1977 – A Hank Williams cover that was originally released on “Paris Results” and “From Paris To LA”. (1978 – 3:25)

BLOOD RED WINE, 1968 – The sister track to ‘Winter’, most regularly mentioned in tandem with it’s inclusion on the ‘Trident Tapes’ or any over-view of the “Beggars ..” sessions. I dare suggest it was too weak for album inclusion and ‘Winter’ was a more obvious choice for release on “GSH”. (1968 – 5:14).

FAST TALKING, SLOW WALKING, 1972 – Another of the more often bootlegged tracks from sessions in Jamaica. A woozy, swooning barroom lament with a joyous piano undercurrent underneath the spacey guitar lines and pattering, jazzy drum beats. An exceptional piece of work. There’s also a snatch of studio chatter at the end. (1974 – 5:49)

COOKING UP, 1982 – One of the speedier efforts to this set, short speedy guitar riffs as Ronnie and Keith dance around each other and Nicky Hopkins peddles away along side. A curious title to the track, however, it’s almost impossible to make out what Mick is singing about. (1982 – 4:11).

EVERY TIME I BREAK HER HEART, 1977 – A space-effect country lilt, the kind that the Stones seem to have perfected through the years remains unreleased and hasn’t appeared on any other bootleg before. (1977 – 7:05)

DREAM ABOUT, 1992 – This might the stray mutt of the collection. A shonky set of lyrics with a very rote drum backing and less than inspiring musical prowess. Thankfully, it’s buried in the middle of the set making it easier to forget. (1997 – 5:03)

FLIP THE SWITCH, 1998 – From the BtB sessions again, Flip is a solid Keith vehicle. A wildly different production with a disjointed feel – Not that that’s damning it with faint praise – it’s a brave move for someone who professes a more blues oriented style generally. (1997 – 4:33)

CD 3, VOLUME 3 
SANCTUARY, 1994 – An odd little breathy whisp of a ballad abound a curious organ bedding and bongos. As with the next track, it draws deeply on Minneapolis’s most famous son, unlike the following, it never seems to go anywhere and opposed to being sexy, sounds a little creepy. There’s a lot to be said for experimentation, though and this track is wildly different to what you might expect. (1997 – 4:54)

DESPERATE MAN, 1973 – a proto-Prince production of spidery silk slide guitar lines and falsettos. It edges in, stealing from styles as it shifts around too, showing just how versatile the band can be all in the space of a few minutes. (1997 – 6:11)

PRAIRIE LOVE, ca 1993 – Prowling funk work out with a breathy vocal line and slinky clockwork bass line. A B-side at best (And considering the glut of danceable remixes that littered CD singles at the time, that’s no bad thing). (1997 – 5:20)

LIVING THE HEART OF LOVE, 1974 – Very easily a mid-70’s production, it’s a close brother to ‘Silver Train’ and ‘Brown Sugar’, a repeated refrain starts the track before blossoming in to a broader chorus. (1974 – 3:27)

STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU, 1982 – While we discuss tracks that share DNA with a certain era, this track fits straight in to it’s date line. Ponderous, warm, reflective piano and sleepy pedal-steel are enveloped in this delicately produced ballad. (1982 – 4:25)

I TRIED TO TALK HER INTO IT, 1982 – A sweet country influenced piece with a great slice of steel guitar. It skips along merrily and wouldn’t sound out of place of any nu-country album released this side of the year 2000. This is longer than the ‘Dirty Work’ version too. (1982 – 4:44)

MIGHT AS WELL GET JUICED, 1998 – Borne of static and a moody, looping riff, an electronic throb permeates through this BtB track. This one is around a minute and a half longer than the CV. (1997 – 7:16)

TOO MANY COOKS, 1973 – An anomaly as this is obviously the John Lennon produced solo track that was oft’ traded until it’s eventual release on the solo best of, ‘The Very Best Of Mick Jagger’. It is a full minute longer here however (1973 – 4:57)

Curtis Meets Smokey, 1966 – Does exactly what it says it does – This soft shuffle Motown homage perfectly pastiches it’s grounding in Detroit soul. Apparently recorded in 1969, it wouldn’t have any of the bitter resentment of battalion fury of anything on Let It Bleed – We can only wonder what they were thinking at this point, it’s easy to hear why it never went anywhere but it is beautiful. (1969 – 4:17)

COVERED IN BRUISES, 1981 – A split combination of force between the Glimmer Twins recorded at the Pathé Marconi sessions – Barrel big and chunky with a fat bass line that drives. It’s an odd amalgam of a track but it really, really works. (1977 – 4:49)

IVY LEAGUE, 1994 – A more complete version of the track, slightly less complete than the version on Voodoo Stew (Vigotone) (1993 – 4:54)

TOO TIGHT, 1998 – A Keith lead track from BtB that was handed back to Mick for the CV. (1997 – 4:30)

CRISS CROSS, 1972 – Another from the deluxe catalogue after being a bootleg staple for so many years, most specifically on Idle Minds / Midnight Beat’s ‘Acetates’, it finally appeared with a striking video on the GHS reissue in 2020. (1973 – 3:40)

STRICTLY MEMPHIS, 1995 – This track appears almost fully formed, a soul funk stomp that cuts in on a take that’s already in full flow. This version adds a little extra brass. Take your pick of ‘Dirty Work’ outtake compilations previous – It’s probably already featured on there already. (1985 – 3:30)

IT’S ONLY ROCK’N’ROLL, 1973 – Saving the best to very nearly last, we’ve got a classic without it’s shoes on. A very early studio demo of IORR, the concept of which was apparently Mick and Ronnie in Ronnie’s home studio, prior to Ronnie’s invitation to join the stones, gamely joined by David Bowie. Long a treasured holy grail, here it is. Jagger and an over excited Ronnie seem to be all over this recording, Bowie, if he is there, has a more muted part to play in all this. I would expect that the second guitar part is Bowie and his harmonies could almost be imagined if you suspect that you hear something. Over all, the track sounds splendid, certainly not fully fleshed out, and you can hear that Jagger has found his next hit as he chuckles with glee. (1973 – 4:42)

STUDIO JAM SESSION (Extreme Western Grip), 2002 / STUDIO JAM SESSION (Well Well), 2002 – Already released on bootleg and possibly the only two tacked on for filling the time, these two instrumentals, from one of the last big leaks of material. 2002 – 3:04 / 3:01)

 Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!
 
 
 
"Special Limited Edition for The Rolling Stones Fan Club"
Black Frisco Records/Made in Japan
 Lineage: Silvers >> foobar2000 >> flac (level 4)

CD 1/VOLUME 1 (TIME 79:20)
1. Nobody Perfect, 1975
2. Trouble’s A Coming, 1972
3. Dreams To Remember, 1983
4. Don’t Lie To Me, 1972
5. Fiji Jim, 1978
6. Eliza Upchink, 1983
7. Deep Love, 1985
8. She’s Doing Her Thing, 1967
9. Putty In Your Hands, 1962
10. Dog Shit, 1983
11. 20 Nil Ca 1991
12. Tell Her How It Is, 1971
13. You Better Stop That, 1983
14. Scarlet, 1975
15. Walk With Me Wendy, 1974
16. Never Make You Cry, 1977
17. Part Of The Night, 1976
18. Low Down, 1997

CD 2/VOLUME 2 (TIME 74:32)
1. It’s A Lie, 1978
2. I Can’t See No One Else, 1985
3. Not The Way To Go, 1977
4. Giving It Up, 1989
5. Hands Off, 1986
6. Built That Way, 1984
7. Keep It Cool, 1982
8. Can’t Find Love, 1983
9. You Win Again, 1977
10. Blood Red Wine, 1968
11. Fast Talking Slow Walking, 1972
12. Cooking Up, 1982
13. Every Time I Break Her Heart, 1977
14. Dream About, 1992
15. Flip The Switch, 1998

CD 3/VOLUME 3 (TIME 78:17)
1. Sanctuary, 1994
2. Desperate Man, 1973
3. Prairie Love, Ca 1993
4. Living The Heart Of Love, 1974
5. Still In Love With You, 1982
6. I Tried To Talk Her Into It, 1982
7. Might As Well Get Juiced, 1998
8. Too Many Cooks, 1973
9. Curtis Meets Monkey, 1966
10. Covered In Bruises, 1981
11. Ivy League, 1994
12. Too Tight, 1998
13. Criss Cross, 1972
14. Strictly Memphis, 1995
15. It’s Only Rock’n’roll, 1973
16. Studio Jam Session (Extreme Western Grip), 2002
17. Studio Jam Session (Well Well), 2002


Saturday, July 17, 2021

Juliana Hatfield- Live At Q Division Studios, June 2021: Beautiful Creature Album

 
 
For the 7th album livestream from Juliana Hatfield, she performs the Beautiful Creature album that was released in 2000. It's hard to believe it was 21 years ago and it's even crazier to realize she's been releasing solo records for almost 30 years! Beautiful Creature was a well received album with many favourable reviews and it was simultaneously released with the Juliana's Pony: Total System Failure. This was an ambitious project recording two polar opposite sounding albums, with TSF a much more grittier and loud, while BS was a more melodic and satisfying listen. It was a treat to hear the entire album in it's entirety, it's been a while since I've listened to it all at once and hearing it today it stands as one of her best. 
 
 
I bought the CD box-set with both albums together. Both signed as well!


 
This livestream performance might be her last in a while since she is planning to go on tour this summer (August/September) with Soul Asylum and Local H. The closest she'll be playing to where I live, is Minot, ND on 9/11, but as of now the U.S./Canada border is still closed, so I'm not making plans to buy tickets yet. Maybe she'll play some shows in Canada in the new year, but again I'm not holding my breathe and besides it would probably be Toronto. Hopefully some live recordings from the tour will surface.

 
The recording as usual, sounds great and her performance is worth watching. She still has some problems remembering songs, but that happens when digging into the deep tracks. During the extra (non-album) tracks there's a lot of guitar doodling and attempts at songs, so be patient. I'm away for a couple weeks, but in August we'll do the annual anniversary celebrations and I'll try to increase the amount of posts. I believe this will be the 15th anniversary of the Teenage Dogs In Trouble music blog! Stay tuned!
Enjoy!

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!
Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use
Please share!


 
JULIANA HATFIELD
Q Division Studios
Somerville, MA
Livestream- solo electric
June 19, 2021
Beautiful Creature album

01. Daniel
02. Close Your Eyes
03. Choose Drugs
04. Cool Rock Boy (Baby Bok Choy)
05. Don't Rush Me
06. Slow Motion
07. Might Be In Love
08. Somebody Is Waiting For Me
09. Until Tomorrow
10. The Easy Way Out
11. Hotels
12. When You Loved Me
13. Beautiful Creature (short excerpt)
14. Cry In The Dark

15. Lost Ship
16. Wonder Why
17. Candy Wrapper
18. If I Could
19. Chunks
20. <talk>

Tracks 01-12, 14 from the album, Beautiful Creature
Track 13- non-album track
 
 

Thursday, July 15, 2021

Modern Lovers- Live At The Longbranch And More


 
Jonathan Richman is such an entertaining showman, you must see him live in concert to fully appreciate his charm, charisma and his surprisingly good musicianship. There are many (bootleg) live recordings of Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers (and solo) from the late 70's to present and there was an official live album released in 1978. This record, Modern Lovers Live was credited to the Modern Lovers, but live recordings of the "classic" line-up of the Modern Lovers (Richman, Jerry Harrison, David Robinson, Ernie Brooks) are harder to find and rare. The only live recordings I've heard are from the Longbranch Saloon and Harvard University. I have a cassette I dubbed from the Precise Modern Lovers Order Live CD (from my sister?) in the mid-90's which include the previously mentioned gigs in Berkeley and Boston. I'm posting the remixed, reissue that is pretty much the same recordings with four different songs during the Harvard university portion. The sound quality is better than I remember it and considering it's not a soundboard, it's not bad. If there are any other decent live recordings from this Modern Lovers era (before the Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers album), please let me know so we can share.
Enjoy!


Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!
Do NOT convert to lossy, except for personal use
Please share!



 
MODERN LOVERS
Live At The Longbranch And More (1998)


01. Someone I Care About       
02. Dance With Me               
03. She Cracked                      
04. Hospital                       
05. Girlfriend                       
06. Foggy Notion                   
07. Ride Down On The Highway       
08. Pablo Picasso               
09. A Plea For Tenderness       
10. Walk Up The Street               
11. Modern World               
12. Old World                       
13. 96 Tears                      
14. I'm Straight               
15. Wake Up Sleepyheads               
16. Don't Let Our Youth Go To Waste
17. Roadrunner                       

Edited and remastered in 1998 at Archer Studios in Winooski, Vermont.
Previously released on Fan Club / Newrose in 1992. The 1998 version includes four songs not on Live At The Longbranch Saloon.
Tracks 01 to 08 recorded at the Long Branch Saloon, Berkeley Cal., April 1972.
Track 09 recorded in Cambridge, Mass. 1973.
Tracks 10 to 17 recorded at Harvard University, 1971 (maybe 1972). 

MODERN LOVERS- Live At The Longbranch And More, FLAC. rar

Sunday, July 11, 2021

Tribute To Adam Schlesinger: A Music Celebration


 
It's been over two months since the live-stream broadcast of the tribute to Adam Schlesinger, that celebrated the life and music of this great artist who passed away in the spring of 2020. The tribute was touching and a wonderful compilation from friends, musicians and comedians who had a common bond and connection with Adam. Many of the contributions were video recordings of the musicians performing songs that Adam wrote either as a member of Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, Tinted Windows or music for soundtracks for film and TV. The performances were varied, some opting for a slicker edited "music video" style, some more casual in their home, recording studio, backyard, on the street and on a soundstage with Jody Porter's band supporting solo performances. Between segments, quotes from classic musicians were shown (Ray Davies, Brian Wilson), while other musicians/comedians spoke about Adam (Mickey Dolenz, Drew Carey, Sarah Silverman, Jody Porter, Eszter Balint). There were many highlights including Butch Walker's, wonderful performance of Guitar Center, an unreleased Adam song, a re-united Tinted Windows and both versions of That Thing You Do by Mike Viola (and band) and Bambi Kino.
 
Mike Viola

Jody Porter & The Berlin Wall

Sean Ono Lennon

Minus 5 (Scott McCaughey, Peter Buck)

Nicole Atkins

Butch Walker
 
I hesitated posting this broadcast since it was a paid show and in case the video and/or music would be officially released somewhere. I didn't record the video and I recorded the audio directly from the video feed. I separated the tracks and wrote up the setlist program, so if there are errors, please let me know and I'll correct them. To be honest, listening to the program is just as much or more enjoyable than the video, it's a good listen. If you want to watch the videos from the show, some have appeared on YouTube, search the individual artists or "Adam Schlesinger tribute" (I linked some with the photos), I've watched a lot of them already.
Enjoy!

Rachel Bloom w/ Jack Dolgen

Ben Kweller

Bretta Phillips w/Dean Wareham

Tinted Windows


Justin Courtney w/ Geoff Sanoff (Fred Armisen on drums)


Do NOT sell or profit from this recording!
Please share!
 
 
Tribute to Adam Schlesinger: A Music Celebration (2021)
Various artists
Livestream
May 5, 2021


01. Intro/Fountains Of Wayne- Survival Car
02. Fountains Of Wayne- Richie And Ruben
03. Jody Porter
04. Jody Porter & The Berlin Waltz- Sink To The Bottom
05. Courtney Love- Hey Julie
06. Mike Viola- That Thing You Do
07. Ben Lee- Hackensack
08. Sean Lennon- Fire Island
09. Minus 5- I'll Say It
10. John Gallagher Jr.- Summer Place
11. Mickey Dolenz
12. Nicole Atkins- Laser Show
13. Michelle Branch w/Patrick Carney- It's The Best Thing
14. Chris Carrabba- Mexican Wine
15. Drew Carey
16. Butch Walker- Guitar Center
17. John Brodeur- Bright Future In Sales
18. Robert Schwartzman- Everything's Ruined
19. CJ Vanston w/Harry Shearer
20. Kelly Buchanan- I Hate To See You Like This
21. Jody Porter
22. Peter Himmelman- All Kinds Of Time
23. Rachel Bloom w/Jack Dolgen- Settle For Me
24. Eddie Baranek- I Was There
25. Fountains Of Wayne- Better Things
26. Diane Gentile- I-95
27. Ben Kweller- Denise
28. Joe McGinty- Utopia Parkway
29. Bretta Phillips w/Dean Wareham- Never Do That Again
30. Matthew Caws- Back In Our Town
31. Jody Porter intro/Eszter Balint- Traffic & Weather
32. The Still Out- Sick Day
33. Tinted Windows- Back with You
34. Sarah Silverman
35. Justin Courtney w/ Geoff Sanoff (Fred Armisen on drums)- It Must Be Summer
36. Jesse Malin- Hey Julie
37. Glenn Tilbrook- Hackensack
38. Bambi Kino- That Thing You Do
39. Jody Porter & The Berlin Wall- Little Red Light

Tracks 10, 17, 20, 26, 31, 36- backed by the Berlin Wall
 
 

Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Wilco- First Avenue, June 30, 2001: 20 Years Ago!

 

 
It's amazing what a year makes. With the vaccines for COVID-19 being distributed as we speak, music tour scheduling is starting to ramp up, especially south of the border in the U.S. Here in Canada, concerts and tours are much more pared down with the restrictions province to province slowly loosening. There are some small shows and bigger tour dates that are proceeding with selling tickets again for concerts in the fall. For a band like Wilco, they have recently added more shows to their schedule with already about 40 dates from August until late October, so far. A lot of those dates are make-up shows for ones that were postponed last spring and a proposed tour with Sleater-Kinney for last summer is going ahead in August. I would love to see Wilco with the Young Fresh Fellows for a bunch of shows in October on the U.S. west coast! Since the Canada/U.S. border is still closed, I don't want to take the gamble of buying a ticket and not being able to travel due a continued closure or a possible 4th wave. I will have to be content this summer watching and listening from afar, hopefully a lot of  live shows will be recorded and shared.

One of my favourite places to travel to for concerts is the closest large city, about a 7 hour drive to the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul). I've seen lots of amazing shows at various venues and it's an opportunity to see bands that normally don't make it to my neck of the woods. The last time we made the trek was to see the Posies three years ago at the Turf Club in St. Paul and unfortunately due to this pandemic we haven't been back since. It seems the time of year we end up in the Twin Cities is around this time, June/early July and I've noticed there are plenty of cool shows there booked now. The trip 20 years ago to see Wilco was one of my most memorable concert trips. I normally don't travel alone, but this was one of those pilgrimages I wanted to experience, to attend both nights and indulge myself in record store shopping nirvana that is sometimes best to partake alone.

The second night of the two night stand for Wilco was even better than the night before. The band seemed more comfortable with the new material and the set included a few more songs from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot they debuted. They opened with the chill, Via Chicago to ease into the show, the previous night they opened with Misunderstood that crescendo-ed with Jeff shouting "nothing" so many times I thought he would blow his voice or a blood vessel. One of the reasons the second night has the potential to be an even better show, is that if the band is feeling good, extra encores are possible. No resting up for the next night. The highlight was definitely the three encores, the band was on fire and the crowd was very appreciative (and polite), they didn't want the concert to end. Wow!
 
A couple more notes:
  • Viovoom, a band fronted by Jessy Greene opened both nights. It was appropriate as Jessy has performed with Golden Smog (Tweedy was in that band) and locally was a member of the Jayhawks. It was a treat to see her on stage with Wilco during Jesus, Etc, since she played violin on the recording for YHF. I've always love Jessy, she adds so much to the sound of GS/Jayhawks and her solo material is really good. A very underrated talent! (I recorded their set both nights as well and the sound quality is better thanks to less crowd chatter.)
  • This was guitarist, Jay Bennett's last club show. As I mentioned in the last post he played two more outdoor shows including his final show for the 4th of July show in Chicago. I sensed some un-comfortableness with Jay on stage and his interaction with Leroy Bach when they both played keyboards side by side. I thought it was nothing, but...
  • The lineup onstage for Wilco these two nights was Jeff Tweedy, Jay Bennett, John Stirratt, Glenn Kotche and Leroy Bach. This exact lineup only played 4 shows together. (correct me if I'm wrong)
  • The First Avenue is one of those venues that is a must-see if you visit Minneapolis. There have been many classic shows there and I've seen a bunch of good ones. The sight-lines aren't great, as I've watched all the shows on the floor, but the sound has always been decent. My most vivid memory (of the shows I've been at 10 years ago and earlier) is that people just drop their beer bottles on the ground, so the floor is covered in pools of beer and broken glass. Is that still a "thing" there? or anywhere else??

Enjoy! 


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See Wilco on tour and buy their records!

 
WILCO
First Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
June 30, 2001

AUD Master

01. Via Chicago / A Shot In The Arm
02. I'm Always In Love
03. War On War
04. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
05. Hesitating Beauty
06. Remember The Mountain Bed
07. Airline To Heaven
08. Feed Of Man
09. She's A Jar
10. Ashes Of American Flags
11. Kamera
12. How To Fight Loneliness
13. California Stars
14. Red-Eyed And Blue / I Got You (At the End Of The Century)

Encore:
15. Misunderstood
16. Jesus, Etc.
17. Sunken Treasure

Encore 2:
18. Reservations
19. Passenger Side
20. Outtasite (Outta Mind)

Encore 3:
21. Forget The Flowers
22. Monday
23. Casino Queen
 

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Wilco- First Avenue, June 29, 2001: 20 Years Ago!

 
 
It's hard to believe it's been almost 20 years since the release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, the fourth album from Wilco. The story behind the recording of the album and the complicated mess surrounding it's release was beautifully documented in the film, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco directed by Sam Jones and the excellent book, Wilco: Learning How To Die by Greg Kot. I read and watched both and it gives you the inside story and circumstances behind YHF. A quick recap: the album was recorded in late 2000 and early 2001, Glenn Kotche (new drummer) joins the band for the recording, personality struggles and power battles ensue between Jeff and Jay, Jay Bennett is fired from the band, Reprise Records (the band's label) rejects the album, Wilco subsequently acquires the rights of the record, Wilco streams the entire album for free on their website on September 18, 2001 (the original date the album was suppose to be officially released), the album is officially (retail) released by Nonesuch Records on April 23, 2002. The result: the band's website on September 18 received over 50,000 hits to stream the record, the album was critically acclaimed placing it on many "best of" lists for the year, the decade and all-time, it is Wilco's best selling work and considered by many their "masterpiece".

I was one of those people that streamed the album on Wilco's site, but I had already listened to tracks from file sharing networks, as well as unreleased outtakes and alternative versions of the songs. Reminiscing about this album was special for another reason. I road-tripped it to Minneapolis to see a pair a shows from Wilco on June 29 & 30th, 2001 at the legendary First Avenue club. This was the first show that Wilco performed songs from the album, between the two nights they probably played all the songs that would be on the still-to-be released, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The 29th show was drummer, Glenn Kotche's live debut with Wilco and the show on the 30th was Jay Bennett's last club show with the band, he would play two more outdoor shows in Milwaukee and Chicago. 
 
Wow! Well worth the $20 it cost to attend the concert!
 
I made the trip alone and I obsessively prepared my recording gear which at the time was a Sony cassette recording Walkman (WM-GX35) and a cheap, but decent stealth stereo mic. I labeled and smuggled in extra Maxell tapes and spare batteries into my pockets. Thinking back, I really liked recording with that deck, sure it was a pain in the ass to blindly flip or change the tape within the 45 minute side and try not to move or bump into anyone during the show, but it was no frills, you didn't have to worry about sound levels. It was press record, look at my watch and try not to stress. These recordings turned out sounding not too bad, but there is a lot of crowd noise and chatter as I was smack dab in the middle of the crowd on the floor. It documented the event exactly how it sounded to my eyes. The two nights kind of blurred together, but there was a buzz in the air that made it feel this was something special. I saw a couple members of Golden Smog/The Jayhawks hanging in the backstage area and there was a film crew there (maybe both nights?) that turned out to be the crew for the Wilco documentary. In the film, there is footage shot at the First Avenue and if you watch the DVD bonus special features, a full song is shown from the concert. I'm pretty sure you can see me knee deep in the crowd! This was my first time seeing Wilco live and seeing and hearing the new material for the first time was definitely the highlight and the songs were warmly received. The only negative of the night was during the second encore during the quiet, Reservations that Tweedy performed solo, some idiot in the crowd threw something at Jeff. Not sure what, maybe a crumpled piece of paper (?) or a beer label (?), but regardless the show was over after he finished the song. I believe they planned to play a longer encore, at least a few more songs, but Jeff appeared to be pissed. The next night's encores more than make up for this shorter show. To be continued...
Enjoy!
 
The master tapes from the two concerts. Viovoom (Jessy Greene's band) opened both nights.

 
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Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use
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WILCO
First Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
June 29, 2001

AUD Master (cassette)

01. Misunderstood
02. A Shot In The Arm
03. War On War
04. I'm Always In Love
05. How to Fight Loneliness
06. Hesitating Beauty
07. Blood Of The Lamb
08. She's A Jar
09. Forget The Flowers
10. Airline To Heaven
11. Remember The Mountain Bed
12. California Stars
13. Sunken Treasure

Encore:
14. encore break- crowd
15. Jesus, Etc.
16. Kamera
17. I'm The Man Who Loves You
18. I Got You (At The End Of The Century)
19. Hoodoo Voodoo
20. Casino Queen
21. Monday

Encore 2:
22. Reservations

Wilco- 2001-06-29 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN FLAC Master. rar

Saturday, May 29, 2021

Dinosaur Jr.- BBC: In Session


 
With the release of their latest album, Sweep It Into Space this past April, Dinosaur Jr has continued to record quality new material into their fifth decade of recording. Yes, it's kind of a shocker the band has been around this long, but there was an eight year hiatus in the middle of their career (original breakup 1997) and officially the band has been together longer the second time around since they reformed in 2005. Adding to that is that the original lineup of J, Lou and Murph were only together for the first 3 albums and since reuniting these three have now recorded 5 albums. I have seen Dinosaur Jr twice live, the first time in 1997 close to end of the first time before J retired the Dino name and later when the band reformed I saw them in 2007. For the 1997 show, J was the only original band member and what I remember about the show was that they seemed to be going through the motions. The performance lacked a spark or energy and where I was standing at the First Avenue in Minneapolis the sound sucked. In 2007, the band was touring their first album with the original lineup since Bug, Beyond (it's a great record!) and the performance was much fresher and enjoyable. J isn't known to be a flashy performer as he was flanked by his massive wall of amps, but Lou Barlow gave the band energy that is sadly missed without him and the band gave a solid performance in a smaller, more intimate venue.
 
The album, In Session is 10 tracks from in-studio sessions on the BCC that capture the band during the earlier part of their career. Two tracks (7 & 10), are from 1992 without Barlow and Murph, but the bulk of the tracks date to 1988-89. Great versions of these songs live, though they don't sound too much different than the studio album versions, but it is treat to hear the band live with such good studio quality live sound. Short, but sweet!
Enjoy!

 
DINOSAUR JR.
BBC: In Session (1999)

01. In A Jar
02. Leper
03. Keep The Glove
04. Budge
05. Bulbs Of Passion
06. Raisins
07. Keeblin
08. No Bones
09. Does It Float
10. Get Me

Tracks 1 & 3 recorded in 1-3-1989
Tracks 2, 5, 6 & 9 recorded in 8-11-1988
Tracks 4 & 8 recorded in 25-4-1989
Tracks 7 & 10 recorded in 24-11-1992

Dinosaur Jr.
1988-89: J Mascas- guitar/vocals, Lou Barlow- bass, Patrick Murphy (Murph)- drums
1992: J Mascis- drums/guitar/vocals, Mike Johnson- guitar/vocals
 
 

Monday, May 24, 2021

Juliana Hatfield- Live At Q Division Studios, May 2021: Blood Album Release Show



 
For her sixth live stream concert, Juliana Hatfield used this as an opportunity to introduce her new soon to be released album, Blood. Her past shows have focused on one record, performing them in their entirety top to bottom, but for the Blood album she previewed several tracks from the album along with "blood" or violence themed songs. She admitted about halfway through the 23 song set it was difficult to deal with such a depressing disturbing theme, but we were treated a fine set of music. She mixed a variety of covers, ranging from the Who, Police, Misfits and her former band, the Blake Babies, with her originals, with many deep cut tracks. It always puts a smile on my face every time I hear the song, Kellyanne from the Pussycat album, I love that song! (I had to spin the vinyl of that one right after listening to this set!) Oh, and of course some songs from the new album, which all sound really good, though she took a couple attempts to perform Gorgon, which she played twice completely. Juliana mentioned during the "talk" portion, she is working on the Hey Babe album for an upcoming show, but was uncertain what album will be next month. Stay tuned.
Enjoy!

Juliana showing off her yoga moves.


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JULIANA HATFIELD
Q Division Studios
Somerville, MA
Livestream- solo electric
May 8, 2021
Blood album release show


01. Parking Lots
02. Everything Is Forgiven
03. Mouthful Of Blood
04. My Sister
05. Rats In the Attic
06. Cesspool
07. Gorgon
08. Evan
09. Swan Song
10. Broken Doll
11. Anemia
12. Splinter
13. Push Pin
14. Had A Dream
15. Murder By Numbers
16. Dog On A Chain
17. Skulls
18. Nirvana
19. Kellyanne
20. My Wife
21. Gorgon (take 2)
22. My Pet Lion
23. Torture
24. <talk>

Tracks 3, 7, 12, 14, 21, 23 (from Blood album)
 

Tuesday, May 04, 2021

Fountains Of Wayne- Hoboken, NJ 2009/Adam Schlesinger Tribute


 
It's been over a year (and month) since Adam Schlesinger from Fountains Of Wayne died of complications from COVID-19. The remaining members of the band and Sharon Van Etten, filling in for Adam on bass, reunited for the Jersey 4 Jersey livestream benefit in late April 2020 as a tribute to Adam. They performed (in isolation), Hackensack.
 
A tribute concert, Adam Schlesinger: Music Celebration is set for tomorrow, Wednesday, May 5th at 8pm (Eastern) and will air online via Rolling Live Studios featuring an all-star lineup. Performers confirmed for the show include, Jody Porter, Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey, Courtney Love, Mickey Dolenez (from the Monkees), Ben Kweller, Ben Lee, some Tinted Windows (James Iha, Taylor Hanson) and many many more amazing guests. This will be an incredible night celebrating the music of Adam Schlesinger. Expect to hear songs from the catalog of Fountains of Wayne, Tinted Windows, soundtrack tunes from That Thing You Do and Crazy Ex-girlfriend, maybe some Ivy and more! Wow, should be great! Tickets are an affordable $25 available from Rolling Live Studios. Net proceeds go to The Bowery Electric (shuttered venue) and MusiCares (for struggling musicians).

Last spring, there was an outpouring flood of live Fountains of Wayne shows on Dime following Adam's death and I was fortunate enough to download shared shows I didn't have already. There are so many great concerts to choose from, but some of my favourites were from the band's full band acoustic tour in 2009. This stripped down live presentation sounds quite full and the songs didn't lose any power performed acoustically, in fact it showcased the quality of their songwriting and their strong musicianship. These shows are fun to listen to with the band more relaxed and casual with more interaction with their audience. A good example of one of these shows is the concert I'm posting, a great sounding show from Maxwells in Hoboken, NJ. highlights include an interesting rendition of Stacy's Mom and the classic rock medley during Radiation Vibe, which are always tons of fun!
Enjoy!
(thanks to Scott Bernstein for recording, mastering and tracking the show, the original poster and the reseeder!)

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Please share!!
 
 
Fountains Of Wayne
Maxwells
Hoboken, NJ
June 29, 2009
acoustic

DPA 4021(cardioid, in hat)->Battery Box->Sound Devices 722 (@24/96)

FLAC File processing in SoundForge Audio Studio 9.0c (LOUD clap removal, Peak Level Normalize to 0db then resample to 44.1 with interpolation accuracy 4, anti-alias filter then 24->16 bit highpass triangular dither with high pass contour noise shaping); Tracked in CDWav.


1. intro music/tuning
2. Please Don't Rock Me Tonight
3. Little Red Light
4. Someone To Love
5. The Summer Place
6. Fire Island
7. Cold Comfort Flowers
8. Hey Julie
9. A Road Song
10.Red Dragon Tattoo
11.Barbara H (w/"Under Pressure" bass intro)
12.I95
13.Fire In The Canyon +
14.Half A Woman
15.Bright Future In Sales
16.Radiation Vibe (w/Beat It, Yes song [Roundabout?], Jet Airliner)
17.encore break
18.Cemetary Guns
19.Stacy's Mom
20.Joe Rey

+ = w/Mike Viola (vocals and guitar) & Kelly Jones (vocals)
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