Lyle Lovett - Live In London,1992

This is Lyle Lovett performing at one of my favorite music venues from the days when it was still known as the Hammersmith Odeon (West London).

This is predominately from a BBC Radio 2 FM broadcast back on June 12th 1992, however some additional tracks came with this collection and are included.

While typically associated with the country genre, Lyle Lovett's compositions often incorporate folk, swing, blues, jazz and gospel music as well as more traditional country material. This concert really does demonstrate these diverse styles as he performs along side some excellent singers and musicians.

Source: FM Broadcast.

Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps.

Genre: Country, Alt Country.

Set: Full broadcast set & extras.

Set List:

01 She's No Lady
02 Church
03 She's Leaving Me Because She Really Wants To
04 You've Been So Good Up To Now
05 All My Love Is Gone
06 North Dakota
07 Flyswatter/Ice Water Blues
08 Since The Last Time
09 L.A. County
10 What Do You Do/Glory Of Love
11 Cowboy Man
12 She's Hot To Go

Woburn Abbey, England June 20th 1992 (FM Broadcast)
13 She's Already Made Up Her Mind
14 If I Had A Boat

Live On Tom Jones' - "The Right Time" (TV Nicam Stereo)
15 Flying Shoes

Links: Official site HERE.

Comments:

Lyle Lovett has just released a new studio album called 'Natural Forces' on Lost Highway Records. As regards this boot recording the actual mp3's are tagged Paul Masson Winery for some unapparent reason. Sound quality is exceptional, as is the performance.

Download link in comments below or click on the picture.

Buy: Mp3's at Amazon.co.uk - Lyle Lovett

Curved Air - Live At The BBC - 1975 & 76.

This is Curved Air recorded live for BBC Radio One. Both performances were recorded at the Paris Theatre in London.

The 1975 session was recorded on the 31st January and the BBC transcription disc also includes a version of 'Stark Naked' however that track is missing from this boot collection, it does feature in the second live session.

The second live performance was recorded on the 21st February 1976. Some of the second sessions tracks were also included on an officially released album 'Live At The BBC', however the boot edition was lifted from one of the transcription discs which were circulated in three differing versions.

Source: Soundboard - BBC transcription discs.

Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@320kbps.

Genre: Prog Rock, Folk Rock.

Set: Two BBC concert Sessions

Set List:

1. Marie Antoinette
2. The Fool
3. Midnight Wire
4. Women On A One Night Stand

5. Stark Naked
6. Women On A One Night Stand
7. Young Mother
8. Kids To Blame
9. Hot and Bothered
10. The Fool

Links: Official site HERE.

Comments:

Curved Air evolved out of the band Sisyphus and was named after the piece "A Rainbow in Curved Air" by contemporary composer Terry Riley.

The musicians came from quite different artistic backgrounds, classic, folk, and electronic sound, which resulted in a mixture of progressive rock, folk rock, and fusion with classical elements. Along with High Tide, It's A Beautiful Day and East of Eden, Curved Air were one of the first rock bands to feature a violin.

The officially released 'Live At The BBC' album is not widely circulated and used versions are changing hands for £50 ($60 US) plus on Amazon.

Reloaded - 29/May/2015 - download link in comments. 

Buy: Mp3's at Amazon.co.uk - Curved Air

Gong - Great American Music Hall, 2000

Currently touring in Europe with the original line up, Gong continue to amaze audiences with their musical tales of Pot Head Pixies, Gnomes, Zero The Hero and more.

Going back to the beginning of the 'noughties' decade and Gong were continuing to tour worldwide on a regular basis.

This recording is from the 9th September 2000 at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, California.

This is a full concert and features quite a lot of material from the 1970's era of the band. Gongs latest album '2032' was released in September this year.

Source: Soundboard

Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@320kbps

Genre: Progressive rock, psychedelic rock, space rock, jazz fusion.

Set: Full set.

Set List:

01. Planet Gong intro - Zeroid
02. Radio Gnome Invisible
03. Yoni on Mars
04. Bodilingus
05. Zero The Hero and the Witch's Spell -Witch's Song/I'm your Pussy
06. Magdalene
07. Infinitea - Mad Monk
08. You Can't Kill Me
09. Flute Salad
10. Oily Way
11. Outer Temple
12. Inner Temple
13. Get It Inner
14. Master Builder
15. Tropical Fish
16. The Invisible Temple
17. Selene

Band Line Up:

Daevid Allen - guitars and vocals
Gilli Smyth - vocals and space whispers
Mike Howlett - bass
Theo Travis - sax and flute
Chris Taylor - drums
Gwyo ZePix - Keyboards, Synths

Links: Official Site HERE.

Comments:

After spending most of the Eighties in his native Australia, Daevid Allen returned to the UK in 1988 with a new project, the Invisible Opera Company of Tibet, whose revolving cast included the likes of Harry Williamson, violinist Graham Clark and Didier Malherbe. This morphed into GongMaison and by 1992, the name Gong was again in use, by which time early drummer Pip Pyle had also rejoined. The band released the album Shapeshifter (subsequently dubbed Radio Gnome part 4), followed by extensive touring. In 1994, Gong celebrated its 25th birthday in London, including a performance by most of the 'classic' line-up, including the returning Gilli Smyth and Mike Howlett. This formed the basic of the "Classic Gong" band which toured worldwide from 1996 to 2001 and released Zero to Infinity in 2000 (by Allen, Smyth, Howlett and Malherbe plus new recruits Theo Travis and Chris Taylor).

Download links (three) in comments below (track four replacement link in separate comment).

Buy: MP3's at Amazon.co.uk - Gong

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Winterland, San Francisco 1975

This is Lynyrd Skynyrd live at the Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, California on the 27th April 1975.

From 1973 through to the tragic air crash in October 1977 that decimated the band, Lynyrd Skynyrd were one of the most popular live acts in rock'n'roll history.

A couple of points of interest for fans and trivia addicts, Billy Powell was absent from this show, so the band had to find a substitute for his piano part in Call Me The Breeze. Notably Sweet Home Alabama also sounds a little different as a result. Lee Freeman, who had played with Ed King in Strawberry Alarm Clock and would later play on Gimme Back My Bullets, blows the harp. An early incarnation of Lynyrd Skynrd supported Strawberry Alarm Clock back in 1968 on some East Coast tour dates.

Source: Soundboard.

Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@320kbps.

Genre: Southern rock, blues-rock, country rock.

Set: Full set.

Set List:

01 Whiskey Rock a Roller - I Ain't the One
02 The Needle and the Spoon
03 I'm A Country Boy
04 Gimmie Three Steps
05 Don't Ask Me No Questions
06 Saturday Night Special
07 Railroad Song
08 Call Me the Breeze
09 Sweet Home Alabama
10 On the Hunt
11 Freebird

Links: Official site HERE. Excellent history Site HERE.

Comments:

The Winterland Ballroom, often referred to as Winterland Arena or simply Winterland, was an old ice skating rink and 5,400 seat music venue in San Francisco, California. Located at the corner of Post Street and Steiner Street, it was converted to exclusive use as a music venue in 1971 by rock promoter Bill Graham. After closing his New York City venue known as the Fillmore East in 1971, he began to hold regular weekend shows at Winterland.

Lynyrd Skynyrd joined a veritable 'whose who' of rock history by performing at the venue with the likes of bands such as Cream through to The Sex Pistols, or The Doors through to Pink Floyd and many, many more 'top class' acts having played there until it's closure in 1978.

Reloaded - 29/May/2015 - download link in comments. 

Buy: Mp3's at Amazon.co.uk - Lynyrd Skynyrd

The Alan Parsons Project - Tokyo 1997.

This is The Alan Parsons Project live at The International Forum, Tokyo, Japan, on the 4th October 1997. This concert was part of the Japanese leg of the 'On Air' tour.

This comes from a two CD recording and is credited as sourced from the soundboard. Having listened to the recording (which by the way is an absolute must for any fan, or an excellent introduction to the band) the audience seems a little close and high in the mix between songs, which often suggests an audience recording. However the quality of the music and stereo mixing suggests soundboard. So I am not sure about this one, that said though, it is a great recording of a very good show.

Source: Soundboard (see above).

Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps

Genre: Soft, Pop, & Prog rock.

Set: Full set.

Set List:

1. Sirius/Eye In The Sky
2. I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You
3. Can’t Take It With You
4. Old And Wise
5. Money Talks/La Sagrada Familia
6. Days Are Numbers (The Traveller)
7. Prime Time
8. Limelight
9. Time
10. Turn It Up
11. Standing On Higher Ground
12. Blue Blue Sky II
13. I Can’t Look Down
14. So Far Away
15. Fall Free
16. Cloudbreak
17. Brother Up In Heaven
18. (The System Of) Dr. Tarr & Pr. Fether
19. Psychobabble
20. Don’t Answer Me
21. Band Intro/You’re Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned
22. Games People Play

Band Line Up:

Alan Parsons - Guitar, Keyboards,Vocals & Percussion
Stuart Elliott - Drums
Ian Bairnson - Guitars & Sax
John Giblin - Bass
Peter Beckett - Vocals & Keyboards
John Beck - Keyboards
Neil Lockwood - Vocals & Guitar


Links: Alan Parson's official site HERE. Alan Parsons Project site HERE.

Comments:

From the Alan Parsons Project website, regarding how the band got it's name. - In 1974 Alan Parsons was nominated for a Grammy award to recognise his engineering work on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Soon after that he and Eric Woolfson got together with Eric acting as Alan's manager for his engineering and production work. After a string of hits, Eric had the idea of making an album on the lines of developments in the film business, where directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick were the focal point of the film's promotion, rather than individual film stars. If the film business was becoming a director's medium, Eric felt the music business might well become a producer's medium. As a songwriter, he had been developing an album inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe and he now saw a way to combine Alan's and his respective talents: Alan as the engineer and producer, Eric as the songwriter and musician.

Eric put a proposal to 20th Century Records (now Universal) along these lines. He gave it a working title of 'The Alan Parsons Project' and the record company went for the idea. They decided that they liked the proposal and the working title and so it stuck - The Alan Parsons Project was born.

Bearing in mind Alan's known association in the business with Pink Floyd and The Beatles plus the fact that Eric was also the manager of The Project, Eric felt it was better to use Alan's name as the figurehead.

Reloaded 21/June/2015 - link in comments.

Beehive Recommends - Keb Mo

Keb Mo is a singer, songwriter and guitarist whose musical origins are firmly linked to the Delta blues.

His Grammy awards and nominations are testimony to his outstanding talent. Keb has a distinctive sound and yet embraces pop, rock, folk and jazz within his craft.

Having said all of that, his natural blues stripped down to just guitar and vocals is both refreshing and moving.

His new contemporary blues album is quite appropriately named Live & Mo. It features six awesome live performances from notable moments on the road, and four brand new studio recordings, including the anthemic song A Brand New America, a band version of the inspirational Victims of Comfort, the funky sound of Government Cheese, and the back-porch rhythm and blues of Hole in the Bucket. If you already know the mood and style past releases Keb’Mo, you’ll dig “Live & Mo”.

Listen:
'Am I Wrong'



MP3: Am I Wrong.
Website: Official Site.
Buy: Keb' Mo'

Otis Redding - Los Angeles 1966

This is Otis Redding live at the Whiskey A Go Go on Sunset Strip Los Angeles, California, USA back in the spring of 1966.

There have been two official releases of Otis Redding performing live at the venue in 1966. The first was titled 'In Person' and released back in 1968 (Atco). The second was 'Good To Me' which was released in 1993 (Stax).

Some 'Whiskey A Go Go' material also appeared on an Atlantic Records release in 1982 called 'Recorded Live - Previously Released Performances', however I understand these were included on the 1993 Stax release.

This is Otis on the 10th April 1966 from the late show at the venue.

Source: Soundboard.

Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps

Genre: Soul.

Set: Full set.

Set List:

01 - Intro
02 - Your One and Only Man
03 - Security
04 - Good to Me
05 - Respect
06 - Ole Man Trouble
07 - I Can't Turn You Loose
08 - A Hard Day's Night
09 - These Arms of Mine
10 - Papa's Got a Brand New Bag (intro then restarts)
11 - Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
12 - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
13 - Outro

Links: Official site HERE.

Comments:

There is a little tape hiss on this recording but this does not distract. Classic songs such as 'Dock Of The Bay' may leave our memories of Otis as a more laid back soul singer, this live performance cuts right through that image, as Otis belts out some incredible high tempo and funky songs including covers of A Hard Days Night, and Satisfaction.

Download link in comments below or click on the picture.

Buy: Mp3's at Amazon.co.uk Otis Redding

10000 Maniacs - Greek Theatre 1993

This is 10000 Maniacs live at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California, back on the 3rd June 1993.

This concert was recorded for the Westwood One Radio Networks 'In Concert' series and was subsequently broadcast on October 25th 1993 .

The band had already recorded the MTV Unplugged concert a couple of months earlier, and that was of course released as an album around the same time as this concert was originally broadcast.

As was mentioned in the last 10000 Maniacs feature, Natalie Merchant had already informed the band she was leaving. This concert was part of the 'Our Time In Eden' tour that concluded with Natalie's final performance in the band a few weeks later in New York on the 29th July.

Source: Soundboard (pre FM).

Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@160kbps.

Genre: Alternative Rock, Indie.

Set: Full set.

Set List:

1. These Are Days
2. If You Intend
3. What’s The Matter Here?
4. A Campfire Song
5. Like the Weather
6. How You’ve Grown
7. Jezebel
8. Eat for Two
9. Trouble Me
10. Gun Shy
11. Stockton Gala Days
12. Candy Everybody Wants
13. Hey Jack Kerouac
14. Few and Far Between
15. My Sister Rose
16. Everyday is Like Sunday
17. City of Angels
18. Let the Mystery Be

Links: Official site HERE. Natalie Merchant Site HERE.

Comments:

The Greek Theatre concert was released on CD as a bootleg by various 'labels' and with Natalie departing the band these became a collectors item for many fans. This particular recording is from an Italian release that was titled 'Theme For Imaginary Canyon'.

Other CD titles of the same concert included, 'How You've Grown', 'Edens Children', 'Eat For Two', 'Our Time At The Greek', and a German record 'label' kept it simple with 'Live In Los Angeles'.

No doubt the bootleggers did quite well out of this CD with so many versions turning up in Europe and the USA. This is a good quality recording of a very good show, so enjoy (free of course).


Reloaded - 29/May/2015 - download link in comments.

Buy: Mp3's at Amazon.co.uk - 10,000 Maniacs

Johnny Cash - American Outtakes 1993.

Johnny Cash was approached in 1993 by producer Rick Rubin and offered a contract with Rubin's American Recordings label, better known for rap and heavy metal than for country music.

Under Rick Rubin's supervision, Johnny Cash recorded the album 'American Recordings' in Rick's living room, accompanied only by his guitar.

For years Cash was often at odds with his producers after he had discovered with his first producer, Sam Phillips, that his voice was better suited to a stripped down musical style. Most famously he disagreed with Jack Clement over his sound, Clement having tried to give Cash's songs a "twangy" feel and to add strings and barbershop-quartet-style singers. His successful collaboration with Rick Rubin was in part due to Rubin seeking a minimalist sound for his songs.

A number of out-takes CD bootlegs have circulated, the following comprises a sizable amount of what has surfaced and importantly the 'copy' quality is very good

Source: Soundboard.

Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps

Genre: Country

Set: Rehearsal Session

Session List:

01 For Heaven's Sake
02 I'm A Drifter
03 I Witnessed A Crime (with Billy Gibbons)
04 Banks of The Ohio
05 The Next Time I'm In Town
06 Breaking Bread
07 To Beat The Devil
08 Friends In California
09 The Caretaker
10 The Wonder of You
11 East Virginia Blues
12 Bury Me Now
13 I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal (But I'll Be A Diamond Someday)
14 Go On Blues
15 If I Give My Soul

plus from a separate source in Nero music files.

16. Bad News
17. All Gods Children Ain't Free

Links: Official site HERE.

Comments: These out take recordings are reported to have taken place between the 17th and 20th May 1993. As mentioned above the location was Rick Rubins living room, clearly professional recording equipment was used. The stripped down 'bare' feel of the official album release is also captured here on these wonderful intimate recordings.

Reloaded - 29/May/2015 - download link in comments. 

Buy: - MP3's at Amazon.co.uk Johnny Cash

Beehive Recommends - Two From Cheap Lullaby Records

Cheap Lullaby Records have released a couple of fascinating albums in the last week or so both very different and also superbly crafted.

Josh Ottum are from Seattle, USA and have just released 'Like The Season'. It's not just the Beehive that's giving them a rather large thumbs up and unashamed plug, The Seattle Weekly recently stated - "Like the Season is one of the more adventurous musical offerings to come out of Seattle in years".

I'm not going to draw comparisons with other bands, Josh Ottum have a pretty distinctive sound and for me sit somewhere between Indie and Alt Rock maybe even a few country 'tinges' here and there. Thankfully you can check them out below!

Listen:
'It's Alright'



Website: MySpace.
Buy: Cheap Lullaby Store. MP3's at Amazon Josh Ottum

We seem to have escaped from Brooklyn regarding new music (just browse the recent recommendations & spot the trend) and 'remain' in Seattle for our second choice this week which is Ivan and Alyosha.

I really hope you take the time to give them a listen, particularly if you have a liking for uplifting indie or good old pop music. Citing influences from the extremes of Elvis Presley to ELO, or The Beatles to Bing Crosby, they are a real buzz. The promo adds 'Smooth, soaring guitar pop from Seattle duo that is plaintive and pristine' I tend to agree.

The new album 'The Verse, The Chorus' has just been released and will comfortably be in my personal top twenty for 2009.

Listen:
'Beautiful Lie'



Website: MySpace.
Buy: Cheap Lullaby Records. MP3's at Amazon:Ivan & Alyosha