Whats Up Doc - Number Five - January 2008

You may have noticed, January 2008 has arrived.

Well although it can be a lean month for new music, I have two bands that I reckon can be pretty big this year, mind you - the competition will be tough.

Just look at some of the established acts with new albums lined up, and these are just the ones I am looking forward to right now!

In no particular order... Emmylou Harris, Marianne Faithful, Franz Ferdinand, CSS, Madness, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, The Black Crowes, Billy Bragg, Guillemots, Martha Wainwright, Drive By Truckers, REM, David Byrne, Moby, PJ Harvey, Primal Scream, Supergrass, Counting Crows and The Pogues.

Musically that's quite a taster for the year to come.

However if you want a recommendation right now, then if you have not yet enjoyed No Fixed Abode, can I be the first to share this superb band with you.

Their roots may be in folk (predominately modern), however as I listen I hear so many inspirations (The Waterboys, Bruce Springsteen, Fairport Convention and a host of others) that said, this really is a refreshing current sound, and I love it!

Check out these two songs, and if you are attracted by them, the album builds superbly on these.

On a personal note, this really is a band I would urge you to tell your friends about.

No Fixed Abode - 02 - Kebab.mp3

No Fixed Abode - 05 - Absent.mp3

You can buy their album HERE along with a chance to read independent reviews, or sample the whole album first.

Also the No Fixed Abode My Space site is HERE.

Next we are off to Brooklyn, New York, for a band that yes are already featured on other blogs - MGMT.

They are, I understand on the David Letterman show in the USA today, and touring in the USA right now.

It's a simple case of 'I like their music'. OK I am old enough to be their collective father, but they have an energy that translates into great music. The proof is in the eating so enjoy these tracks from their wonderfully titled 2007 Oracular Spectacular album:

Links Removed - MP3 Policy.

MGMT - Electric Feel.mp3

MGMT - Kids.mp3

MGMT - Tiime to Pretend.mp3

You can find out more HERE at their My Space site, along with link details for purchasing their music.

Finally I am going back to a time, when not only was I not old enough to be anyones father, I was in some cases not even born.

I tend to avoid main stream compilation albums, as they often include the same old boring songs, that have made much of todays radio, so predictable and boring.

However despite the clearly defined marketing for December purchasers, and a few of the usual suspects, Dreamboats and Petticoats, is a wonderful trip back to a time when a very young me, wondered what all the fuss was about ( and then along came Radio Caroline).

A few examples from this compilation to help explain:

Links Removed - MP3 Policy.

John Leyton_Johnny Remember Me.mp3

Helen Shapiro - It Might as Well Rain Until September.mp3

Connie Francis - Who's Sorry Now [50s Oldies].mp3

Mike Sarne & Wendy Richards - Come Outside.mp3

Connie Frances - Lipstick On Your Collar.mp3

Find out more from this really diverse but rather aged double album along with purchase options HERE.

OK so I started off talking about the year to come and new artists, and somehow I have dragged you back to the late 1950's and early 1960's!

Lets hope that musically the year 2008 delivers, it does not look so bright on the other horizons does it?

Finally the random 'Whats Up Doc' mp3, and why not?

Lighthouse Family - Lifted.mp3

Whiskeytown - Live at Cats Cradle 1995

Whiskeytown only released three albums, and yet they are often cited as one of the key elements in the development of the alternative country rock scene or 'Americana' during the 1990's.

Ryan Adams and Caitlin Cary were the only two members of Whiskeytown to see the whole adventure through, indeed Ryan Adams had a reputation of being difficult to work with during the bands history, and therefore the overall turnover of members was quite high.

Formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1994, the bands first album was released in 1996.

Describing this era the entry in Wikipedia states:

Faithless Street, released on Mood Food Records in 1996, established the band as one of the genre's leaders, thanks to glowing reviews in publications such as No Depression, and helped the band score a major-label record deal with the Geffen Records imprint Outpost.

Faithless was re-released on the imprint in 1998 with nearly a dozen bonus tracks from the era, some of which are new, and others of which showed up on Stranger's Almanac, Rural Free Delivery, and other early EPs in different versions. One track, "Oklahoma," was removed. Adams claimed that the reason for the re-release was the muddy sound of the original version and his distaste for "Oklahoma," which was added to the album despite his objections.

The liner notes to the re-release provide some insight to the band's dynamic at the time, referring to the lineup as "this version of Whiskeytown" and featuring a quote from Adams regarding the 1995 recording sessions: "In retrospect, I knew that was the last optimism I was gonna have for a long time."

All of which makes this particular recording poignant.

Recorded 'relatively' close to the bands hometown of Raleigh North Carolina, at Cats Cradle a highly established venue at 300 East Main Street, Carrboro, North Carolina, USA, this is a fascinating concert before their debut album was released.

It also captures the band in their early stages of development and comfortable to play a few diverse cover songs along with their own material.

This then is Whiskeytown at Cat's Cradle, Carborro, NC, on the 25th May 1995

The Set list is:

01. Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart
02. Lucky Me
03. Drugstore Truck Driving Man
04. Don't Take Your Guns To Town
05. Tennessee Square
06. Desperate Ain't Lonely
07. Top Dollar
08. Midway Park
09. Western Stars (Chris Isaak)
10. Blank Generation (Richard Hell)
11. Way Down In The County
12. This May Be The Last Time (Staple Singers)
13. Faithless Street
14. Encore Break/Interlude
15. Drank Like A River
16. If He Can't Have You

The band line up is:

Ryan Adams
Caitlin Cary
Phil Wandscher
Steve Grothmann
Skillet Gilmore

The sound quality is exceptional, it is most likely a direct stereo soundboard copy.

THE REPLACEMENT DOWNLOAD LINK IS AVAILABLE IN COMMENTS BELOW (3rd September 2009).

Whiskeytown, Ryan Adams, and Caitlin Cary, material is available HERE in the Beehive Candy Amazon affiliate store.

Pink Floyd - Studio Out Takes & Demos 1971 - 1972

Pink Floyd out takes and demos from 1971 and 1972.

There is plenty of Pink Floyd material around from this era, including studio out takes.

I plan to feature a couple of live concerts from the seventies in due course, however decided to start with these out takes for one specific reason.

The quality is really good, all mp3's are at 320kbps, and the journey from the original masters is a limited one, retaining much of the initial quality.

I am personally fascinated by the first track 'On The Run' and where this piece of music may have originally gone, alas - as with all musical history from bands like Pink Floyd there remain so many 'what ifs'.

Track listing is:

1. ON THE RUN (OUTTAKE) 1.44m
(Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, November 1972)

2. TIME (DEMO) 6.05m
(Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, June 1972)

3. MONEY (ACOUSTIC DEMO) 1.38m
(Recording location unknown, 1971)

4. US & THEM (DEMO) 5.27m
(Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, June 1972)

5. BRAIN DAMAGE / ECLIPSE (DEMO) 3.24m
(Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, June 1972)

6. BRAIN DAMAGE (OUTTAKE, PART 1) 1.24m
7. BRAIN DAMAGE (OUTTAKE, PART 2) 2.18m
(Both recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, November 1972)

8. ONE OF THESE DAYS (DEMO ONE) 4.50m
9. ONE OF THESE DAYS (DEMO TWO) 6.49m
(Recording studios unknown - 1971)

Reloaded - 03/June/2015 - download link in comments.

The White Stripes - Live In London 2007

I hate the expression 'back to basics'.

Yet The White Stripes even when enlisting the bag pipes as part of their sound, have such a raw primal energy, they takes rock'n'roll music 'back to b...

I cannot think of another two piece band that generates such an impact (actually I am struggling to think of another two piece rock band as I write this - go on, shame me with the obvious).

This is The White Stripes earlier in 2007, performing live for BBC Radio One, in front of an audience of very fortunate fans.

Unfortunately there is a little bit of Radio One 'speak' early on, however once the band get going, its all good stuff.

Set list:

01 Icky Thump
(Performed for Jo Whiley Live Lounge - followed later by Zane Lowe hosting the remaining full show)
02 Let's Shake Hands
03 Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
04 The Denial Twist
05 I'm Slowly Turning Into You
06 Effect and Cause
07 The Same Boy You've Always Known
08 I Think I Smell A Rat
09 Ball and Biscuit
10 Wasting My Time
11 You're Pretty Good Looking
12 A Martyr For My Love For You
13 Hotel Yorba
14 Blue Orchid
15 Hello Operator
16 We're Going To Be Friends
17 I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself
18 Seven Nation Army

The performance was at the Maida Vale Studios, Maida Vale, London, and originally broadcast live on the 13th June 2007.

This is a very high quality recording of the show - fully mixed stereo soundboard, with digital post production.

Reloaded - 03/June/2015 - download link in comments.

Alanis Morissette - Miss Thing (1996)

Back in July, I ran a piece on the 1991 'Alanis' album, and the rather dated 1980's 'disco' sound. This was rather cruel considering how young she was at the time (1991 that is, not last July!).

I am, I hope in my own small way, something of an advocate for some of the excellent artists that have come out of Canada and achieved international recognition.

Alanis Morissette is no exception, indeed as previously mentioned, she was absolutely fantastic when I saw her live in London some years ago.

So in order to address the balance here is a concert of Alanis from 1996.

This is from a CD boot that seems to have emerged from the Czech Republic on 'Oxygen' records.

The album title is 'Miss Thing' which considering that the CD back cover, claims to have 'art direction and design', makes me wonder about the creativeness amongst bootleggers in that part of the world, (anyway is is now digitized and free of charge).

This is Alanis Morissette live at the Melkweg, Amsterdam, Holland on October 17th 1996.

The set list is (I think) as follows - it is different to the CD cover, so much for 'design':

1. All I really Want (7.07)
2. Right Through You (3.39)
3. Not The Doctor (7.39)
4. Hand In My Pocket (4.46)
5. Mary Jane (6.24)
6. Ironic (4.29)
7. You Learn (5.27)
8. Forgiven (6.02)
9. Wake Up (5.28)
10. You Ought'a Know (7.21)
11. Head Over Feet (4.30)
12. Perfect (3.27)
13. You Ought'a Know (4.28)*

* track 13 was recorded live during the MTV Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, NY, on the 7th September 1996.

The material is good soundboard quality, and captures the energy and adrenalin of Alanis back in these heady days!

Reloaded August 2015 see comments.

A Trip With The Beatles - The Alternate Sgt Pepper and a Little More

The Beatles - The Alternate Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and A Little More, was released by Dolphin Productions (CDP 790103 - 2 CD set) in 1997.

Like a lot of bootleg CD releases, the packaging attempted to make the album look official, however the back cover failed to list the track contents accurately, and the front shown here was a little predictable.

However the music is the key factor, and on this occasion the album is something of a gem to put it mildly.

For nearly every track there's the mono mix at some stage in production, and a few stereo versions along the way.

There are a lot of fragments from 'The Making Of Sgt. Pepper's' with George Martin playing back the individual tracks and explaining things.

There's Anthology stuff, snippets from interviews, songs previously released on the Unsurpassed Masters series by Yellow Dog, tracks from 'The Lost Pepperland Reel' (like the Good Morning Good Morning animal noises) and more.

In summary these Cd's seem to be a complete overview of the making of the Beatles' Sgt Pepper, with commentary from George Martin, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon.

The studio quality, and 'the story with music' production, is well thought out, it is a collectors 'must have', and of real interest for anyone with just a passing interest in The Beatles, and the development of popular music in the '1960's.

The complete track listing is I believe as follows:

Disc 1

1. George Martin & Paul McCartney - about Sgt. Pepper
2. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - mono remix 3 from take 10
3. With A Little Help From My Friends - mono remix 15 from take 11
4. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite - mono remix 4 from take 9
5. Only A Northern Song - remixed mono version from take 3 and 11
6. Fixing A Hole - mono remix from take 2
7. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (one) - remix 11 from take 7
8. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (two) - mono remix 4 from take 8
9. Getting Better - mono remix 3 from take 15
10. She's Leaving Home - mono remix 6 from take 9
11. Strawberry Fields Forever (one) - John demo tape and the songs development
12. Strawberry Fields Forever (two) - trumpet & cello development
13. Penny Lane (one) - overdub sessions
14. Penny Lane (two) - remix 11 from take 9
15. Joking - like! your having a laugh !

Disc 2

1. Within You Without You (one) - the basic track was recorded 15th March 1967
2. Within You Without You (two) - mono remix from take 2
3. When I'm Sixty-four - mono remix 8 from take 4
4. Lovely Rita - mono remix 15 from take 11
5. Good Morning Good Morning (one) - rough stereo mix of take 8
6. Good Morning Good Morning (two) - mono remix 2 of take 11
7. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) - rough mix of take 5
8. A Day In The Life (one) - rough mix of take 5 (five)
9. A Day In The Life (two) - early mix of take 7
10. Everywhere It's Christmas - excerpt from fourth fan club xmas flexi disc
11. Excerpts From The Family Way Soundtrack - George Martin Orchestra (written by Paul McCartney - 1966)
12. All You Need Is Love - take 58 - with pre-recorded rhythm track take 11 (basically the ‘live’ version)
13. It's All Too Much - from the alternative ‘magical submarine tour’ CD
14. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Jimi Hendrix Version

Although not all the material ended up on Sgt. Pepper there is a chronological order to the album in terms of the work undertaken by The Beatles at the Abbey Road Studios between November 24th 1966 and June 25th 1967, hence the 'Little More' referring not only to the commentary. The Jimi Hendrix cover at the end does seem out of place, but hey - it's Hendrix!

Reloaded - 03/June/2015 - download link in comments.

Devo - Live in Boston USA 1982

The Devo credentials 'are all there'.

The pivotal moment for the formation of Devo was the first hand witnessing by one of the bands founders Gerald Casale of the Kent State University shootings of May 4, 1970.

The first form of Devo was the 'Sextet Devo' which performed at the 1973 Kent State performing arts festival.

They are 'discovered' by David Bowie and Iggy Pop in 1976, and subsequently record 'Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!' which was produced by Brian Eno.

They are referenced as 'punk', 'new wave', 'post punk', 'art rock', and into the 1980's as the acceptable face of 'synth pop'. That's not a bad selection of street credibility references in any ones books is it?

There is so much to Devo, that I am going to take the easy way out, and provide a link HERE to wikipedia.

Actually I have read through it and learned a lot more, and of course been reminded of the fantastic visual appearance(s) they have created down the years.

This is Devo coming towards the end of their initial success story.

Within the next couple of years although they would remain firm favorites of music critics, they would see a drop in record sales and a three year hiatus began from late 1984.

So from their 'golden days' this is Devo Live at The Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA, USA, on the 11th November 1982.

Set List:

1. Time Out For Fun (4:18)
2. Patterns (2:57)
3. Speed Racer (2:39)
4. Big Mess (2:43)
5. Peek-A-Boo (4:33)
6. Out Of Sync (3:31)
7. That's Good (3:36)
8. Freedom Of Choice Theme (2:39)
9. Whip It (2:37)
10. Girl u Want (4:52)
11. Planet Earth (2:29)
12. Deep Sleep (3:32)
13. Jocko Homo (3:07)
14. Uncontrollable Urge (1:05)
15. Gates Of Steel (3:11)
16. Smart Patrol / Mr. Dna (7:05)
17. Gut Feeling (3:41)

'Jocko Homo' and 'Uncontrollable Urge' have been edited, I know not why! 'Beautiful World' was also performed at this gig, but is missing from the bootleg.

The sound quality is superb. Without wanting to get technical here are the notes that came with this recording.

Soundboard to 'unknown' to Nakamichi Dragon to Turtle Beach Pinnacle Pro to Sound forge to
FLAC front end to mp3. Average bitrate: 266kbps, channels: stereo.

The final editors comments are 'Even though there are a couple analog generations on this one, this is easily the best sounding DEVO boot that I've heard. The only modifications I did was a slight hiss reduction in soundforge'.

I understand this level of detail pleases some, so if I have it, I am happy to share it. I will just settle for what my ears tell me, oh! and those tiny voices that follow me around from time to time, what? you don't hear them ???

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

The Beehive Candy store has official Devo material HERE to purchase if you please.

Procol Harum - WPLJ Live - New York 1971

First of all the radio bit. WPLJ became in late 1970, a '100% live free form' rock format station.

By September 1971 they had developed into the very first AOR (adult orientated rock) station in the USA.

The station would play the music of artists such as Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Deep Purple, Rod Stewart, and The Allman Brothers. The station would also play more 'popular' songs from artists such as James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Carly Simon.

All in all, and compared to the 'AOR format' in later years, at least the music was new or relatively new back then, and throughout the 1970's WPLJ was one of the most successful stations on the planet!

Procol Harum sat comfortably in WPLJ's 'free form' rock format, back in April 1971. Having moved on from the psychedelic pop music phase that was 1967's 'A Whiter Shade of Pale', Procol Harum were a well respected band, whose quite unique sound, made them difficult to pigeon hole into a specific genre.

'A Salty Dog' remains a personal favorite of mine, both the album and the single release.

Procol Harum produced a unique sound that emphasized Gary Brooker's melancholy vocal style and an evocative mix of his eclectic piano, Matthew Fisher's elegant church-like organ, B.J Wilson's dramatic drumming and Robin Trower's searing guitar, with frequent black humour and a penchant for experimentation.

Musically from the late sixties until 1971, Procol Harum was split between Robin Trower's guitar driven blues rock style and Gary Brooker's and Matthew Fisher's structured classical rock sound.

The group often combined the two into a dynamic fusion, but by mid 1971 the disparities in style became too great; the end of an era was marked for Procol Harum, with the release of their fifth album Broken Barricades, and subsequent departure of Robin Trower to form his own power trio band.

All of which helps understand why this particular bootleg is often known as 'Robin's Last Stand'.

Recorded live with an audience by WPLJ this is Procol Harum at WPLJ Radio Studios, New York, NY, on April 12th 1971. The show was broadcast on FM stereo.

The set list is:

1. Memorial Drive
2. Still There'll be more
3. Nothing that I didn't know
4. Simple Sister
5. Luskus Delph
6. Shine On Brightly
7. Whaling Stories
8. Broken Barricades
9. Juicy John Pink
10. A Salty Dog
11. Whisky Train
12. Power Failure

As regard the songs performed only two were from 'A Salty Dog', four were from the album 'Home' and five were from 'Broken Barricades' the final album to include Robin Trower.

Line up was :

Gary Brooker : piano, vocals
Keith Reid : words (organ)
BJ Wilson : drums
Chris Copping : bass, organ
Robin Trower : guitar, bass

DOWNLOAD THIS BY CLICKING ON COMMENTS BELOW, SCROLL DOWN FOR SECOND (REPLACEMENT) LINK

This is a soundboard stereo recording of the show.

The Beehive Candy Amazon affiliate store includes three great Procol Harum Cd's, click HERE and scroll down to view.

Bob Dylan Part One - The Hollywood Bowl - 1965

The controversy of it all! 1965, the year Bob Dylan 'went electric'.

Looking back now, it all seems so quaint.

Fans outraged that Bob Dylan had sold out, abandoning his folk roots, and daring to perform with a band, and not only that, some of them had 'electric guitars'.

It all began at the Newport Folk Festival in July of that year, with the crowd apparently 'booing' as he performed three songs with what was then most of The Paul Butterfield Band.

The legend of going electric (with the famously recorded heckle of 'Judas' the following year in Manchester - England), is of course in the scheme of things pretty unimportant, but way back then the folkies were clearly a serious bunch, not open much to their icons doing the unthinkable.

Mind you it did not do Bob's record sales any harm, and can you imagine 'Desire' or 'Blood On The Tracks' as wholly acoustic affairs?

After the Newport festival and in support of the record 'Highway 61 Revisited', Dylan was booked for two U.S. concerts and set about assembling a band.

Mike Bloomfield was unwilling to leave the Butterfield Band, so Dylan mixed Al Kooper and Harvey Brooks from his studio crew with bar-band stalwarts Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm, best known at the time for backing Ronnie Hawkins.

In August 1965 at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, the group was heckled by an audience who, Newport notwithstanding, still demanded the acoustic troubadour of previous years. The band's reception on September 3rd at the Hollywood Bowl was more uniformly favorable.

This is the Hollywood Bowl concert in full.

Acoustic Set:1. She Belongs to Me
2. To Ramona
3. Gates of Eden
4. It's All Over Now Baby Blue
5. Desolation Row
6. Love Minus Zero/No Limit
7. Mr. Tambourine Man

Electric Set (with The Band):1. Tombstone Blues
2. I Don't Believe You
3. From Buick 6
4. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
5. Maggie's Farm
6. It Ain't Me Babe
7. Ballad of a Thin Man
8. Like a Rolling Stone

This is a well preserved soundboard recording and very good quality.

Link in comments (23/02/2016).

The Byrds - Live In Holland - 1970

The Byrds have been credited with forging the link between the musical style's of Bob Dylan and The Beatles back in the 1960's.

They can also claim to be one of the pioneers of folk rock and country rock, whilst retaining a pedigree in the sixties psychedelia scene.

Not bad eh?

In 1969 they performed at the Fillmore West, the concert subsequently being released as an official album, and receiving good reviews and sales.

The following year (1970) the Byrds were touring and promoting that years 'Untitled' double album, (with the second half again being live).

During the tour the band were legitimately recorded in Holland by Dutch radio organisation VPRO.

This concert had a notably different set list than the Fillmore West concert.

This then is The Byrds, Live Concertgebouw, Amsterdam (Holland) on July 7th, 1970.

This is a pristine copy from the broadcast on the Dutch Radio 2 on August 10, 2006 by KRO, as direct from the original master tape - lets just say top quality.

Set list:

01 House announcement (Dutch language)
02 My Back Pages
03 Baby, What You Want Me To Do
04 Willin'
05 This Wheel's On Fire
06 Ballad Of Easy Rider
07 Jesus Is Just Alright
08 Medley: Turn Turn Turn >
09 Mr. Tambourine Man >
10 Eight Miles High >
11 Hold It > 'Encore Applause'
12 So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star
13 Mr. Spaceman
14 Chestnut Mare
15 Chimes Of Freedom

Band line:

Roger McGuinn - guitar, vocals
Clarence White - guitar, vocals
Skip Battin - bass, vocals
Gene Parsons - drums, vocals

Reloaded - 03/June/2015 - download link in comments.

Whats Up Doc - Number Four - 2007 and all that kinda thing...

I am going to avoid any pretentious personal charts for the year soon to pass.

Rather you can just skip back over the previous 'Whats Up Doc' posts, and if you are still awake, after the ordeal, get a feel for some of the more current music that has appealed to my ears.

Among those already featured have been, Vanessa Paradis, Clare Burson, Lucy and The Teenage Monster, Siouxsie, Tegan and Sara, Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen, Babyshambles, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, The White Stripes, Pauline Croze, and plenty of others, some well known and some not so well known.

So on this edition I thought I would fill in some of the gaps, of other artists and music, that has appealed this year.

Afterwards I will probably remember some more, so lets just say, this is far from definitive.

Neil Young's 2007 release 'Chrome Dreams II' is simply wonderful! Full of a variety of styles , it exceeded all expectations by miles. Here are a couple of examples:

Links Removed - MP3 Policy.

Neil Young - 01 Beautiful Bluebird.mp3
Neil Young - 09 No Hidden Path.mp3

If you have not checked out Beirut, then please do, Zach Condon has come up with some incredible music that skips across genres with ease. I just love watching the music press trying to place them in one. From the second album 'The Flying Club Cup' here's some choices:

Beirut - 02 - Nantes.mp3
Beirut - 03 - A Sunday Smile.mp3
Beirut - 04 - Guyamas Sonora.mp3
Beirut - 09 - In The Mausoleum.mp3

The previous album 'Gulag Orkestar' has a wonderful 'Balkan gypsy style' , like I say hard to define, all I can say is check them both out!

Bjork remains as popular as ever, her album 'Volta' this year, is a favorite of mine, and watching the Glastonbury concert (albeit on TV sadly), was really superb.

Bjork - Earth Intruders.mp3
Bjork - Volta - 07 - Pneumonia.mp3
Bjork - Volta - 09 - Declare Independence.mp3

Grinderman was a rollicking blast from Nick Cave and three other Bad Seeds, gone was some of the seriousness on more recent material, and a little bit more rock'n'roll.

Nick Cave & Grinderman - Go Tell The Women.mp3

Have I mentioned Arcade Fire this year? OK so here is another shameless plug for their second album 'Neon Bible'. That's all it is, a shameless plug.

Arcade Fiire - 05 - Black Wave Bad Vibrations.mp3
Arcade Fire - 07 - The Well and the Lighthouse.mp3
Arcade Fire - Black Mirror (1).mp3

I banged on about Rilo Kiley last year on another blog, this years album 'Under The Blacklight' has gained lots of attention, and that's deserved as far as I am concerned. Its a good album, a little less indie a bit more LA classic pop, and whats more highly enjoyable.

Rilo Kiley - Dreamworld.mp3
Rilo Kiley - 05 - Under the Blacklight.mp3

Last month I mentioned Kate Nash, and commented that I was not sure what to make of her album. Yes I still here Lily Allen in there, and I can add Goldfrapp as well now, but actually I really like her music. Here's a couple more reasons:

Kate Nash - Foundations.mp3
Kate Nash - Carolines a Victim.mp3

Finally a totally unrelated song from the late great Kirsty MacColl - do I need a reason?

Kirsty MacColl - A New England.mp3

You can find all the featured artists albums in the Beehive Candy Store with some quick links HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Minneapolis Live - 1999

There are so many positive things to write about Tom Petty and his musical career. For me three things stand out immediately with a dozen or so more, hot on their heels.

First of all the music both solo and with The Heartbreakers, and whether studio or live, has been almost 'a' typical working mans (and women's!) rock'n'roll, and also so good to sing or dance along to.

Secondly he has the respect and admiration of so many other musicians and artists, and yet his personal ego appears from a far, to be permanently under control.

My third initial thought is how he has been prepared to stand up to the music industry, and maintain his principles against the cynical ways within. He has also spoken out on the dire state of commercial radio, and so gets my immediate thumbs up on that one.

This is a really good performance (well after the above comments what else would you expect), recorded at the Target Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA, on the 3rd August 1999.

The set list is:

01. Jamming Me
02. Running Down A Dream
03. Breakdown
04. Swingin'
05. Don't Do Me Like That
06. Last Dance With Mary Jane
07. I Won't Back Down
08. Listen To Her Heart
09. Diamond Head
10. Don't Come Around Here No More
11. Walls Fall Down
12. Room At The Top
13. You Got Lucky
14. Free Girl Now
15. You Wreck Me
16. Free Fallin'
17. Gloria
18. American Girl

Replacement link in comments or click on the picture (24th January 2010).

This is a stereo soundboard recording that I understand originated from the SFX Radio Network. The audio quality is excellent.

The Beehive Candy Store has a few Tom Petty Cd's for sale, including new & used at sensible prices - click HERE for more details.

The Wikipedia main article on Tom Petty, makes interesting reading, and hopefully explains some of my opening comments more clearly. Click HERE to read.

Joy Division - Bowdon Vale Youth/Social Club - 1979

As collectors items go, I guess this really is 'A List' material.

With the passing of Anthony H. Wilson, founder of Factory Records, along with the film of the late Ian Curtis and Joy Division, (with the reissues of all Joy Division material), obtaining something alternative from the band may prove difficult.

That this boot is also a very real part of the post punk and new wave era at grass roots level adds to the attraction.

So why were Joy Division playing a gig at a youth club, to an audience of predominately 10 to 16 year olds?

They were bizarrely playing the youth club because Bob Jefferson, who was promoting the gigs at the venue on Wednesday nights, had bought them out of their first contract, so they could join Factory Records.

He owned Streets Ahead records in Altrincham. They played the gig as a thank you!

I do not know the kind person that cleaned up this sound board recording, however considerable work went into developing a digital version. Here are the notes that came with the recording.

"I've been meaning to clean this up for ages. The original had many, many little drop-outs and an imbalance between the channels. This was probably down to the deteriorating quality of the original tape or dirty tape heads. There were also about 200 digital clicks which have all
been manually removed. This allowed me to normalise the whole show, track by track to allow playback at fairly constant volume. You can now hear snare, hi-hats and symbols without the need for further digital enhancement. There is absolutely no noise/hiss reduction so there is still a slight hiss, predominantly on the right channel".

So in all their early glory here are Joy Division live at Bowdon Vale Social Club, Altrincham, England, on Wednesday 14th March 1979.

Set list:

01 Exercise One
02 She's Lost Control
03 Shadowplay
04 Leaders Of Men
05 Insight
06 Disorder
07 Glass
08 Digital
09 Ice Age
10 Warsaw
11 Transmission
12 I Remember Nothing
13 No Love Lost (incomplete)

Sound quality: Improves after track one, unfortunately the final track is incomplete. It is an incredible gig!

I thought I would go with an actual photo from the gig apologies that it comes with 'proof' across it ( photo by Martin O'Neill).

Reloaded 09/June/2015 download link in comments.

Sheryl Crow - Austin City Limits 1997

First aired in 1976, Austin City Limits has become American television's longest-running concert music program.

The program is taped live by PBS (public broadcast) member station KLRU on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. Images of Austin, Texas, the self-proclaimed "Live Music Capital of the World," are seen in the opening credits. ACL's set also features a mock skyline of Austin.

The show inspired the Austin City Limits Music Festival, an annual live music festival at Zilker Park in Austin.

This is the soundtrack to Sheryl Crow's performance on, January 31st, 1997, at Austin City limits, Austin, Texas.

Set list is:

1. Every Day is a Winding Road
2. Hard to Make a Stand
3. Leaving Las Vegas
4. A Change
5. Run, Baby, Run
6. If It Makes You Happy
7. Redemption Day
8. Strong Enough
9. Sweet Rosalyn
10. I Shall Believe

This is a stereo soundtrack copy - and is a high quality recording. It is also a really good show!

Replacement link in comments below or click on the picture (12th April 2010).

A selection of Sheryl Crow CD's can be purchased HERE.

Simon and Garfunkel - Voices of Intelligent Dissent

1968 and Simon and Garfunkel were riding high in the charts both with contributions to the 'Graduate soundtrack', and the release of their album 'Bookends' along with hit singles both sides of the Atlantic.

This is Simon And Garfunkel Live At The Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, CA, USA on the
23rd August 1968.

Probably intended as an official live album, the original concert recording was engineered by Al Kooper, however it eventually surfaced as a boot, on Vigotone (VT-124) under the title 'Voices of Intelligent Dissent'.




Set List:

1. (2:57) Mrs Robinson
2. (2:35) Homeward Bound
3. (4:38) April Come She Will
4. (3:06) Fakin' It
5. (2:35) Overs
6. (1:39) The 59th Street Bridge song
7. (4:30) America
8. (2:46) A Most Peculiar Man
9. (3:12) I Am A Rock
10. (2:07) At The Zoo
11. (3:50) Scarborough Fair
12. (2:19) Bye Bye Love
13. (5:16) Cloudy
14. (2:43) Leaves That are Green
15. (2:23) Punky's Dilemma
16. (3:27) Benedictus
17. (2:44) The Dangling Conversation
18. (3:35) For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her
19. (2:01) A Poem On The Underground Wall
20. (2:29) Anji
21. (3:26) The Sound Of Silence
22. (2:50) Richard Cory
23. (3:31) Old Friends
24. (3:07) He Was My Brother

Paul Simon : guitar / vocals.
Art Garfunkel : vocals.
Engineered be Al Kooper.

This is from the Soundboard, professionally mixed and taken from a 'silver CD' copy.

Reloaded 09/June/2015 - link in comments.

Happy Mondays - Live in London 1992

I remember well, seeing the Happy Mondays live at Wembley stadium in London back in 2000. They were supporting Oasis, and in my opinion by far, the better of the two bands.

This was the second incarnation of the Happy Mondays who had split back in 1992. Alas they split up again soon after this gig, however if you excuse the pun they again went out on a 'high'.

Back to 1992, when having cost the indie label Factory an estimated £250.000.00 for their, then new album 'Yes Please' the band toured in support of the album.

Sadly the album failed to achieve the financial success of previous material, and with both New Order's album 'Ceremony', and the label owned Hacienda Club also costing Factory Records an 'arm and a leg' the label went bust, and the Happy Mondays went the same way.

This concert was recorded by the BBC for broadcast prior to the band splitting up. Despite all the troubles of that year, this is a fine concert, and well worth a listen.

Recorded at The Kilburn National - London on the 26th October 1992, by BBC Radio, and with 320Kbps stereo quality, this is a must have for anyone who needs a little lift.

Set List:

1.W.F.L.
2.Loose fit.
3.Donovan.
4.Kinky afro.
5.Sunshine and love.
6.Cowboy Dave.
7.Stinkin' thinkin'.
8.Hallelujah.
9.Angel.
10.Theme from Netto.
11.Dustman.

I am really pleased that the Happy Mondays are again back together, and despite the fact that years of 'substance' use may have taken their toll on some, and the fact that none of the band are getting 'any younger', they remain a superb live band, along with the legacy of some stunning songs that epitomise all things Madchester, along with the UK's 1980's psychedelic and dance scene.

If you have not visited their very excellent website with online live videos and more click HERE.

Reloaded 09/June/2015 Link in comments.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Live 1997

Neil Young and Crazy Horse undertook tours of Europe and North America in 1996, which resulted in both a live album and a tour documentary directed by Jim Jarmusch. Both releases took the name Year of the Horse.

This concert was performed the following year as part of the H.O.R.D.E. festival tour, and is quite different to the Year of the Horse release.

Recorded at the Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA, on August 10th, 2007 this is an excellent quality soundboard recording, that could be mistaken for an official release.

Released as a double 'silver CD boot' the quality has been retained.

Set list:

CD One
1 Slip Away
2 Down By The River
3 Crime In The City
4 From Hank To Hendrix
5 The Needle And The Damage Done
6 Ohio

CD Two
1 Throw Your Hatred Down
2 Big Time
3 Hey Hey, My My
4 Sedan Delivery
5 Piece Of Crap
6 Mansion On The Hill

Band line up:

Neil Young - vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica
Frank Sampedro - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Billy Talbot - bass, vocals
Ralph Molina - drums, vocals

Reloaded 09/June/2015 Link in comments.

A Trip With The Beatles - And In The End

This is a tidy little Beatles bootleg, that comes under the name 'And In The End'.

It finds the band at their rather difficult 1969 and early 1970 period.

Despite all the strains and tensions of that time, musically they were still producing adventurous and excellent material.

Worthy of note are 'The Long Medley' (both parts) which are from EMI master tapes in their original form, with 'Her Majesty' in it's original position.

The Trident Studios Acetate of 'I Want You', sees Paul handling the lead vocals on the Lennon song.

Intriguingly 'I Me Mine' and 'Let It Be'. are both being recorded with only Paul, George and Ringo, together in the studio. Johns absence is noted by George when he mentions, "Dave Dee is no longer with us".

The full track listing is:

1. Come Together (Take 1) (John's Acetate) (7-21-1969).
2. I Want You (Trident Acetate) (2-22-1969).
3. I Need You (Trident Acetate) (2-22-1969).
4. Oh Darling (Early Version) (4-20-1969).
5. Maxwell's Silver Hammer (Alternate Stereo Mix) (8-6-1969).
6. Octopus's Garden (Early Stereo Mix) (4-29-1969).
7. You Never Give Me Your Money (Acetate) (7-11-1969).
8. The Long Medley (Part 1) (Uncut EMI Tape Reel) (7-30-1969).
9. The Long Medley (Part 2) (Uncut EMI Tape Reel) (7-30-1969).
10. Her Majesty (Take 3) (Mono) (7-2-1969).
11. KMET Los Angeles Radio (January 1970).
12. I Me Mine (Take 1) (1-3-1970).
13. I Me Mine (Take 2) (1-3-1970).
14. I Me Mine (Acetate) (1-3-1970).
15. I Me Mine (Take 15) (1-3-1970).
16. Let It Be (Acetate) (1-4-1970).
17. The Long And Winding Road (Overdub Session) (4-1-1970).

click on the link below to download:

REPLACEMENT LINK IN COMMENTS BELOW OR CLICK ON THE PICTURE (04TH OCTOBER 2009).

The usual selection of all things Beatles can be found HERE.

The music quality on this recording is of course studio sourced, with some excellent rarities and gems.

Booker T & The MG's - Live at Slims - 1991

Often regarded as one of the driving forces behind two key soul record labels, Stax and Volt, in the 1960/70's, Booker T and the MG's were both the key house band for numerous artists, and in their own right a successful and popular act, both sides of the Atlantic.

Booker T Jones received a lifetime achievement Grammy award on February 11th 2007, having already been inducted in to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 1992.

Around a year before the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction they performed this wonderful show at Slims, San Francisco, California, USA, on April 20th 1991.

This is a soundboard copy of the show and includes many of their enduring classics.

The set list is as follows:

01 Intro
02 Green Onions
03 Melting Pot
04 Band Introductions
05 Untitled
06 Soul Limbo
07 Summertime
08 Hip-Hug-Her
09 Groovin'
10 The New Song
11 Born Under A Bad Sign/
12 Hang Em High
13 Time Is Tight
14 crowd - encore break
15 Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay
16 Double Or Nothin'

The band line up for this performance was:

Booker T Jones
Steve Cropper
Donald "Duck" Dunn
Anton Figg

click on the link to download via megaupload

Booker T & The MG's - Slims, San Francisco, CA- April 20, 1991

If you love this music then visit Booker T Jones official site HERE which includes some music purchase options.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Closing Night - Fillmore West 1971

This is Creedence Clearwater Revival live on the closing night of the Fillmore West in San Francisco, way back in 1971.

Ironically the band were starting to fall apart at this time, following an intense period of recording and touring that had lasted since the late 1960's, during which they achieved considerable critical acclaim, along with a number of highly successful albums.

Recognising the milestone that was the Fillmore West closing, the band performed a concert that was relevant, and a must for any fan of the band, or the era.

This then is Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Fillmore West closing night, San Francisco, California, USA, on July 4th 1971.

The set list includes the source for the concert KSAN FM, possibly the most appreciated alternative radio source in the USA at that time.

01) intro before 1st song 1:47
02) Born On The Bayou 5:22
03) Green River 3:55
04) It Came Out Of The Sky 3:31
05) Door To Door 3:26
06) Travelin' Band 3:29
07) Fortunate Son 2:20
08) Commotion -> 4:13
09) Lodi 2:11
10) Bad Moon Rising 2:11
11) KSAN station ID 0:06
12) Proud Mary 4:08
13) Up Around The Bend 3:32
14) Hey, Tonight
15) Sweet Hitchhiker
16) John Fogerty talks about Fillmore West closing night 0:35
17) Keep On Chooglin' 9:53
18) Bill Graham outro 0:48

The source of this recording is KSAN, however some owners of this boot, have commented that the quality is so good, it could be pre FM soundboard.

REPLACEMENT DOWNLOAD LINK IN COMMENTS BELOW (25TH FEBRUARY 2009).

Some minor editing and remixing has been undertaken on this using pro tools.

If you want some really good official CCR material, at sensible prices click HERE.