Neil Young & Crazy Horse New Song "Milky Way" From Upcoming COLORADO

Fortuitous timing on this one as we do our last post for August and get to highlight a new release from this month's Masters series artist Neil Young. Not just any Neil release either, our favorite act he plays with Crazy Horse. For this go round Nils Lofgren fills in for an ailing Frank "Poncho" Sampedro.

The track listing for the new record COLORADO has been released along with the first single from the album title "Milky Way". The tune is not guitar ripping, more atmospheric for the most part but hints at a jamming undercurrent and power lurking under the surface, pretty coo, but listen for your self.  The albums full track listing and info is below. 


Thanks for checking out our thoughts on Uncle Neil this month. 

COLORADO will be available on high resolution digital audio through NYA, and on a three-sided, double vinyl album set with a bonus 7” vinyl single as well as CD and digitally at all streaming and digital outlets. The bonus single contains two non-album tracks, “Rainbow Of Colors,” (live) recorded live by Neil Young solo and was the first-ever public performance of this powerful new fan favorite, and “Truth Kills,” a studio track by Young with Crazy Horse.

COLORADO 
Track listing:
Side 1 Think Of Me, She Showed Me Love
Side 2 Olden Days, Help Me Lose My Mind, Green Is Blue, Shut It Down
Side 3 Milky Way, Eternity Rainbow Of Colors (studio version) I Do
Side 4 Etched artwork Bonus 7”
Single: A-Side: Rainbow Of Colors (solo, live in Portland, OR May 17, 2019) B-Side: Truth Kills (Neil Young with Crazy Horse – studio)

Full Show Friday: Neil Young & Crazy Horse Austin City Limit Festival 2012

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Neil Young & Crazy Horse!

For August The Masters Focuses on Neil Young

Saved some of our favorite Neil for the last Full Show Friday of this month as his work with Crazy Horse is the project he works on that we dig the most. RtBE was lucky enough to catch The Horse twice on this tour, once at MSG and once up in CT. 

The tour was behind the pretty solid Psychedelic Pill double album and found the fellas in fine form. The band still has it all, and ton the way this year hopes are high. 

Pro Shot, Pro Sound (if a bit distant, play it louder than loud) with full set list info below:

Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Austin City Limits 2012 setlist
1. Love And Only Love
2. Powderfinger
3. Born In Ontario
4. Walk Like A Giant
5. The Needle And The Damage Done
6. Twisted Road
7. Ramada Inn
8. Cinnamon Girl
9. F*!#in’ Up
10. Psychedelic Pill
—
11. Down By The River
12. Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)

Third Man Records Partner with Nugs.net

The good people over at Third Man Records, Jack Whites killer record label have been leading the way on vinyl recordings. Nugs.net have been leading the way on digital archives and live online video. Now they partner up for a combo live streaming system and audio archive.

This is exciting news and to kick it off you can catch the Raconteurs upcoming sold out Ryman Auditorium shows on the site!

View this post on Instagram

Watch each of @theraconteurs’ performances from their sold out three-night stand at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville live on August 29th, 30th & 31st, only on nugs.tv, to celebrate the launch of #ThirdManRecords’ @nugsnet live performance audio archive store. Stream begins at 9pm CT each night. Listen to live audio recordings free for 30 days from The Raconteurs and more including The White Stripes, The Dead Weather & @officialjackwhitelive at nugs.net/thirdmanrecords We’ve managed to negotiate a super sweet discounted introductory rate for #TMRVault members, login to the Vault to find out more info!

A post shared by Third Man Records (@thirdmanrecords) on Aug 28, 2019 at 10:11am PDT

There will be discounts for Vault members and more offered on the site so check it out. Here are a current list of older shows which will be made available on the site soon:

The Raconteurs

* October 14, 2006: Glasgow, Scotland (Academy)

* October 15, 2006: Manchester, UK (Manchester Apollo)

* October 18, 2006: Newcastle, UK (Academy)

* October 19, 2006: London, UK (Brixton Academy)

* October 20, 2006: London, UK (Brixton Academy)

* October 22, 2006: Bristol, UK (Colston Hall)

* October 23, 2006: Nottingham, UK (Rock City)

* October 24, 2006: Wolverhamton, UK (Civic Hall)

* October 25, 2006: Liverpool, UK (Liverpool University)

 

The Dead Weather

* August 26, 2009: Los Angeles, CA (The Mayan)

 

Jack White

* March 8th, 2012: Nashville, TN (Third Man Records)

 

The White Stripes

* September 27, 1999: Athens, GA (40 Watt)

To spice things up how about some live Raconteurs, Dead Weather and White Stripes to wrap this announcement up?





 

WWOZ Revisits Art Neville's 13th Ward Bag

The fantastic WWOZ is reaching back into their archives for a good one and you don't have to be in New Orleans to hear it.

From their Instagram page:

View this post on Instagram

In the summer of 1981, WWOZ founder Jerry Brock engineered a 90-minute WWOZ program, hosted by a then 43-year-old Art Neville. It was called "Art Neville's 13th Ward Bag," in acknowledgement of the neighborhood where he and his brothers had grown up, and Art still lived. The show was recorded at the WWOZ studios above @tipitinasuptown, which looked out over the 13th Ward across Napoleon Avenue in uptown New Orleans. This was less than a year after WWOZ first went on the air. On Wednesday, August 28, we'll be airing this show again-- the first time it's been heard in nearly 40 years. WWOZ show host @djsoulsister, a.k.a. Melissa Weber, who is also now the curator of the Hogan Jazz Archive at @tulaneu, will be joining Jerry on the air as a co-host.Listen live at 90.7 FM or wwoz.org starting at 2p. The show will also be available afterwards on our 2-week archive. This broadcast made possible thanks to the @jazzandheritagefoundation Archive. First image courtesy of the Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane.

A post shared by WWOZ 90.7 FM New Orleans (@wwoz_neworleans) on Aug 28, 2019 at 5:43am PDT

With Art's recent passing this is a great tribute and revisit. The show airs today at 2 pm Central (1pm Eastern) and can be heard for the next two weeks on their archive site.

Pretty great stuff, here is some video of Art playing to get you in the mood.

Album Review: Skull Practitioners - Death Buy EP

Skull Practitioners 

Death Buy EP

*** out of *****

The NYC based noise rock trio Skull Practitioners have played off and on for the last few years, but have not released an official album, that is coming later this year, and they celebrate that with the Death Buy EP which previews their fierce sound.

The tracks are a mix of experimental instrumentals, punk pounding and dreamy escapism. The players, guitarist Jason Victor, bassist Kenneth Levine and drummer Alex Baker can get both tight and loose with equal fuzzy ease. The grimy four song offering starts with the clanging instrumental title track recalling older garage bands with an air of experimental freedom. 

The punk influence is amplified for the driving "Grey No More" with its shout-able chorus and a ripping guitar solo from Victor which cooks with high octane fuel before the Gun Club and Butthole Surfers influence comes out for bass and drum lead track "The Beacon". 

The brief EP wraps up with "Miami" which stretches the bands scope as the over ten minute track is hypnotic with repetitive bass, flair like guitar lines, distortion, warbling effects and dreamy asides. The combo presented on this short but sweet offering makes the upcoming full length highly desired by these ears as Skull Practitioners are converting their studies to success. 
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Support the band (NYC readers their EP release party is Friday at Gran Torino in Brooklyn), buy the EP, stream the record and peep some video below:

The Masters: Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Top 5 Albums

RtBE loves listening to new music and prides itself on keeping tabs on up and coming artists but in 2019 we are also going to have a monthly spotlight on legendary artists who we really love. We are calling this series The Masters. It will focus on the best albums, live records, transcendent shows and other odd ways we appreciate the artists and their contribution to music, culture and our formation.

For August The Masters focuses on the great Neil Young.

This month we already chatted about Neil Young's best studio albums, his best live work and now we tackle his studio work with Crazy Horse. The reason we broke all of these up is because if we didn't, the records below would have dominated all of our lists; there is no doubt that RtBE likes Neil Young best when he is backed up by Crazy Horse. 

With a new NY&CH album coming soon we couldn't be more excited to revisit these great records. As always this list is a discussion starter, not a final statement on the matter. Let's dip into it as the top album on this list is our favorite thing Neil has done and I guess could technically top all three of our previous lists....

Dylan Cover #390 Neil Young "All Along The Watchtower" Live Farm Aid 1994

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by Neil Young, Willie Nelson and Crazy Horse  performing "All Along The Watchtower" 

Thoughts on Original:
From our first take on a cover of this:
There are certain songs we are surprised we missed cover versions of in the Bard's back catalog...but "All Along The Watchtower" isn't one of them. There is a reason we haven't covered a cover version (confusing). As Wilson mentioned in his post back in cover #44 there is only one true version of this song...and that is Mr. Jimi's.
Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
RtBE digs on Uncle Neil a bunch and are showcasing him this month in our Master's Series.

Thoughts on Cover:
For one of the most expressive guitar players to channel both Hendrix and Dylan with Crazy Horse backing him up and Willie Nelson guesting on acoustic, this is a special version of this tune.

Full Show Friday: Neil Young 10/19/97 Bridge School Benefit

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Neil Young!

For August The Masters Focuses on Neil Young

Here is Uncle Neil going acoustic for the Bridge School Benefit he hosts every year. Very emotional and heartfelt from Young. Pro Shot, Pro Sound, Enjoy:

Neil Young - Full Concert Recorded Live: 10/19/1997 - Shoreline Amphitheatre (Mountain View, CA) More Neil Young at Music Vault: http://www.musicvault.com Subscribe to Music Vault: http://goo.gl/DUzpUF Setlist: 0:00:00 - Introduction 0:01:00 - Without Rings 0:04:50 - Slowpoke 0:08:15 - Buffalo Springfield Again 0:11:22 - Horseshoe Man 0:15:09 - Good To See You 0:18:10 - Tuning 0:18:59 - Silver & Gold 0:22:17 - Stage Banter 0:23:10 - Oh Mother Earth 0:28:39 - After the Gold Rush 0:33:11 - Tuning 0:33:50 - This Note's For You 

0:38:24 - Outro  

New Neil Young & Crazy Horse Album - COLORADO

Well this is a first, we are focusing on Neil Young for our Masters Series this month, and he comes out and announces a new record due out in October.

Not just any new release, COLORADO is a Crazy Horse record and Nils Lofgren is back in the mix after a very long time. Needless to say we are very excited to hear the new album. Their last Psychedelic Pill was surprisingly solid, even if Americana was a huge let down, but as the positive people we are here at RtBE we have high hopes for this one. Here is Uncle Neil's announcement as well as a plug for his Album of the Week series which focuses on Tonight's The Night, an album that made our Top Studio Albums round up of Neil:

The first track from COLORADO, our next Crazy Horse album, is coming out this month. Billy, Ralphie, Nils and I are all very happy to bring this song ‘Rainbow of Colors’ to you in all its ragged glory, as my original producer and life-long friend, the late David Briggs once said. 113 new songs ranging from around 3 minutes to over 13 minutes, will be coming your way. We hope you love this new album as much as we do.
I have been continuing our work on `Mountaintop Sessions’, the documentary film about the making of COLORADO. It is a wild one folks, no holds barred. You will see the whole process just as it went down! Worts and all! I don’t think a film about this subject with the openness and intensity we have captured has ever been seen. You can be the judge of that, because Shakey Pictures’ `Mountaintop Sessions’ masterfully shot by cinematographer C.K. Vollick, will be released in over mo theaters world-wide the week our album COLORADO debuts, in October.
Made for you in double Vinyl, (three sides plus a 7″ exclusive two-sided single not on the album) will be released, along with CD and streaming versions of COLORADO.
This week on Wednesday, ‘Tonight’s the Night’ will be the album of the week. Watch for a never before seen video, featuring the camera of David Briggs! It will be released in the NYA Times-Contrarian for your viewing, along with an ‘Album of the Week’ story I have written for you. With the 12-minute ‘Tonight’s the Night’ video and that story, you should have a more clear look at ‘Tonight’s the Night’ than you have ever had in the history of this recording! I know it was a long time ago, almost 5o years, but Im still here and it is still so fresh in my mind. That’s what this Archive is about, bringing it home to you. I love the music, the way we played it and what it was about, as well as all the great people who were part of making it. Maybe you are one of them. I hope you love it like I do, along with the good people at Reprise! ny

Until the first track is released later this month, here is some recent Horse to get pumped up for COLORADO. 

Album Review: Seratones - Power

Seratones

Power

***and1/2 out of *****

Back in 2016 I was asked to review the Dandy Warhols at Bowery Ballroom, getting there early was a smart move because the best thing that happened that night was I got turned on to Shreveport Louisiana's Seratones, who kicked major ass with their garage rocking set. Their debut album released the same year was a winner and it even made RtBE's top ten for the year and now comes their follow up and they shifted gears/style/sound in a major way.

No longer a raucous garage rock band with a side of boogie-woogie rhythm, now the outfit deliver a dose of modern soul music with experimental R&B, electro pop and dance rock in the vein of the Alabama Shakes or St. Paul & The Broken Bones. The slick sounds were produced by Brad Schultz from Cage The Elephant as the group goes for mass pop appeal.

The band has also made some lineup changes as AJ Haynes (Vocals, Guitar) Adam Davis (Bass, Backup Vocals) and Jesse Gabriel (Drums, Percussion, Vibraphone, Backup Vocals) remain
but gone is lead guitarist Connor Davis and in his place is Tyran Coker (Keyboard, Piano, Synth, Guitar, Backup Vocals) and Travis Stewart (Guitar, Backup Vocals).

While the players may have shifted this record showcases Haynes coming into her own, from the album art to the videos, to the bands more styled appearance to the soul/disco/dance influences overtaking the sound, Haynes is front and center. Her vocals are dynamic as she sings from the heart about issues she cares about in numbers like the anthemic title track burner all the way through the torch song ballad closing "Crossfire" which just uses a piano and her pipes.

The best effort here is the upbeat dance-floor ready "Gotta Get To Know Ya" which infuses a killer bass line, distortion riffs and spaced out synths, but Haynes is still at the center with her confident swagger. The retro soul is brought to the forefront on the excellent disk opening "Fear" and the expansive "Lie To My Face" which pushes all the correct buttons while "Over Me" takes those elements and injects a modern defiance and killer riff.

These tracks solid but the band is clearly intent on pushing labels and genres. questioning groove vehicle "Who Are You Now" and the dance ready, distortion laced "Heart Attack". "Sad Boi" is straight electro pop thin rock while "Permission" is a slow modern R&B track with minimalist sounds, focusing entirely n Haynes vocals.

When Sleater-Kinney went the full pop rout on The Center Won't Hold, the band had a huge back catalog and decades behind them which made the shift odd, Seratones did the same (even down to the piano ballad finale) on a much smaller scale as they are still a young outfit searching for the right fit. While personal tastes will lead me back to their debut, it is hard to argue with the professionalism, slick sounds and pop appeal of Power. 
__________________________________________
Support the band, buy the record, stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:

Album Review: Sleater Kinney - The Center Won't Hold

Hey all, got a new review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!!!

It is of Sleater-Kinney's ninth studio album, The Center Won't Hold.

This was one of the toughest albums for RtBE to review. Had the name on the cover not been Sleater-Kinney, things would have been different, but this is a band who has never disappointed with a release.

While we like some (Dig Me Out, The Woods) more than others (All Hands On The Bad One) no release has been remotely bad....and The Center Won't Hold certainly isn't bad, it is just worldly different from anything they have ever done. In fact going back to listen to All Hands On The Bad One, it sounds much better than I had remembered it, I am not sure that will be the case with this release.

The Center Won't Hold, more than any record we have reviewed in recent years, will need time to either grow in our brain or be washed out and forgotten, only time will tell how we feel about in a few months for our year end review. Until then, judge for yourself.

Support the artists, buy the album, peep some video below:

Phish Fall Tour Dates - Returning to the Islands Tour

Tour date Tuesday continues as we promote the Fall tour from Jamband kings Phish.

It looks like the band is re-living their fantastic 1998 Spring Island tour as they play both Rhode Island and Long Island again. For those unaware, Phish was in the midst of recording The Story of the Ghost and got stir crazy, so they booked a mini four show tour in Rhode Island and Long Island. RtBE was lucky enough to catch the first Nassau show.

The tour is well regarded as the band got fuuuunky and played extended and unique versions of tunes as well as debuting some future warhorses like "Birds of a Feather". Here's hoping they go back that route this Fall, as full dates are below and a few tunes from the '98 Island tour are there as well to get us all in the mood.




Phish Fall Tour:
11/29 – Dunkin’ Donuts Center – Providence, RI
11/30 – Dunkin’ Donuts Center – Providence, RI
12/1 – Nassau Coliseum – Uniondale, NY
12/4 – Peterson Event Center – Pittsburgh, PA
12/6 – North Charleston Coliseum – Charleston, SC
12/7 – North Charleston Coliseum – Charleston, SC
12/8 – North Charleston Coliseum – Charleston, SC

Big Freedia and Low Cut Connie "Azz Across America" Tour

One of the most unique tours in recent memory was recently announced as the bar room piano rock of Low Cut Connie will be opening for New Orleans Bounce legend Big Freedia on a Fall tour.

While perhaps a mismatch on paper, both have been known for their exciting live shows and are sure to bring the party around the country with their Azz Across America tour. This will also be a great mixing of fan bases as the announcement mentions collaborations between the two acts as RtBE has caught Freedia live and reviewed LCC.

The only downside? No NYC date!  Hopefully that will be remedied in the near future, the Big Apple needs some Azz.

Below are the full list of dates and some video to prep you for the adventurous night of tunes.

“Azz Across America” Tour Dates:

10/24: Atlanta, GA – Masquerade

10/25: Savannah, GA – Victory North

10/26: Asheville, NC – Orange Peel

10/27: Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson

10/29: Washington, DC – 9:30 Club

11/2: Boston, MA – Royale

11/4: Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom

11/5: Detroit, MI – St. Andrew’s hall

11/7: Minneapolis, MN – First Ave

11/9: St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall

11/11: Kansas City, MO – Record Bar

11/12: Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre

11/13: Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall

11/15: Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre

11/16: Eugene, OR – Wow Hall

11/17: Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom

11/19: Berkeley, CA – UC Theatre

11/20: Los Angeles, CA – Regent Theater

11/21: Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up

Dylan Cover #389 Neil Young "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by Neil Young playing "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues"

Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune:
An energetic romp that has been covered by everyone, this tune is a great swirl through Dylan's freaky mind. It was a punch and a whirlwind journey through Juarez, Mexico around Easter time...Maybe. There are lots of literary hints dropped, as well as a mischievous smile throughout. One of the first Dylan tunes we gravitated towards and with good reason, it is still one of our favorites.
Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:
RtBE digs on Uncle Neil a bunch and are showcasing him this month in our Master's Series.

Thoughts on Cover:
Love it. Neil nails this one by channeling Hendrix with his expressive guitar work. I am actually surprised Neil doesn't incorporate this tune more into his live show as it is a perfect fit for the man and his style.

Full Show Friday: Neil Young + Promise Of The Real 9/26/18 Port Chester, NY

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Neil Young + Promise Of The Real!

For August The Masters Focuses on Neil Young

For his most recent performances Young has gone young recruiting Promise of the Real to back him around he world on a wide range of his back catalog and new tunes. The band has a lot of the same Crazy Horse feel but a little less of the caveman stomp and ferocity, they are basically more nimble and probably better overall players, but still no Horse.

This is fan shot and sound, video waivers, but it is worth checking out to see Uncle Neil still getting down. Full set list and info below:

Recorded on September 26, 2018 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. Setlist: 0:00 stage entrance 1:40 Like an Inca - video starts at 2:31 24:37 Tell Me Why 28:30 Field of Opportunity 33:10 Heart of Gold 37:10 Lotta Love 43:27 Eternity 48:44 Words (Between the Lines of Age) 1:01:00 Winterlong 1:06:17 Unknown Legend 1:11:11 Harvest Moon 1:17:03 Fuckin' Up 1:24:01 Cortez the Killer 1:34:24 Cinnamon Girl 1:39:40 Rockin' in the Free World Encore: 1:49:39 Roll Another Number (For the Road)

Album Review: The Hold Steady - Thrashing Thru the Passion

Hey all, got a new review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!!!

It is of RtBE Personal Fav's The Hold Steady. It is their 7th studio album and while not their best it is a return to form after the disappointing Teeth Dreams.

While we have showcased a few of these tunes before and have seen the band play them live, the new tunes are cool and the whole release holds up.

It is true, this band has settled into their cult ways, touring to cities they want to play every few months and only over the weekends, playing the hits. The fact that they are confident enough and all on the same terms when it comes to writing and recording new tunes is a bonus.

They really don't need new tunes and none of these will take the place of "Stevie Nix" or "Chip's Ahoy" in the live setlist, but "Entitlement Crew" and "Denver Haircut" as well as others can be slipped onstage with very little let down. A solid collection of tracks that sound excellently recorded.

Here's hoping the new songs have some horns on them (and some old ones get a horn treatment) when we catch them at their annual Brooklyn Bowl stand this December.

Until then, support the band, buy the album, stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:

The Masters: Neil Young - Best Live Albums

RtBE loves listening to new music and prides itself on keeping tabs on up and coming artists, but in 2019 we are also going to have a monthly spotlight on legendary artists who we really love. We are calling this series The Masters. It will focus on the best albums, live records, transcendent shows and other odd ways we appreciate the artists and their contribution to music, culture and our formation.

For August The Masters focuses on the great Neil Young.

Live music is the best thing out there. Being caught in the moment is religion. Palpable vibes of healing and energy are transmitted and shit...gets...real. This month's focus, Neil Young has been following his musical muse from soft acoustic one man shows to huge loud electric raging his whole career.

We already discussed best studio albums and will get to our favorites with Crazy Horse next week, but now it is the live show. Having seen Uncle Neil live in various formations this was a fun one to revisit. There have been a bunch of recent archive releases, and there promises to be even more in the future, which could alter this collection but this is how we feel now.

Also, there is one album in his catalog which could possibly top this list, but we will discuss why we kept it out later. Remember these lists are meant to start conversations, not end them, now let Neil guide the way....

Album Review: The Black Keys - Let's Rock

The Black Keys

Let's Rock

***and1/2 out of *****

It has been five years between Black Keys albums as the band acknowledged burnout has been the main reason why. Their previous record Turn Blue didn't have many markings of that feeling (containing one of their best individual songs) but it was a clear come down from their career high-points El Camino and the fantastic Brothers. The title let's you know the bands intent and it is true that the tracks are mostly straight ahead blues rock, but there is a spark missing from most which makes for a tame overall feel.

The best efforts are the first three, "Shine A Little Light" uses a sturdy riff and beat to sing about death, loss and the afterlife with a big chorus and layers of production complete with background vocal support by Leisa Hans Ashley Wilcoxson, far from the duo days of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney solely. "Eagle Birds" is the best straight ahead electric blues on the album while the pop rock hook laden "Lo/Hi" is a clear single with combo of heavy riffs and disco like dance beat.

A track like "Go" is more reminiscent of the album as a whole though. It checks all the classic rock boxes and does it's job admirably, but never truly ignites to where it could/should head to. The Nashville influence on the album can be clearly heard on "Sit Around and Miss You" complete with a country groove and more background vocals but it would would seem to fit better on a Auerbach solo album. Dan's production style is top notch these days and Let's Rock sounds alive throughout. 

"Tell Me Lies" and "Under The Gun" both play that classic rock bingo game by reminding of Fleetwood Mac and Steve Miller Band while "Get Yourself Together" goes big with an arena ready chorus. The Black Keys (and especially with Auerbach's last solo record) always wear their influences close to the surface and it is easy to pick out influences throughout this record with T-Rex, Stealers Wheels and Steely Dan all also popping up for cameos.

Closer "Fire Walk With Me" ends things on an upbeat note with hand claps and excellent drumming as the band gets it's groove back. While not on par with the groups best work, it is return to form and solid rock album, which is becoming rarer in today's musical landscape.
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Support the artist, buy the album and peep some video below:

Dylan Cover #388 Neil Young "Blowin' In The Wind" Live

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by Neil Young playing "Blowin' In The Wind"

Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we tackled a cover of this song:
The classic Dylan song, if you asked 100 people to name you the first Bob Dylan song they thought of, or his best known song, I am guessing 95-99 of them would answer "Blowin' In The Wind".  It is an epic, vital song in the history of recorded music. The lyrics tell a stirring tale, the melody is enchanting, it is pretty spot on perfect, and when it originally came out if announced to the world the greatness that was/is/always will be Bob Dylan.

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
RtBE digs on Uncle Neil a bunch and are showcasing him this month in our Master's Series.

Thoughts on Cover:
This is a stunning cover which opened up the Weld tour right around Desert Storm. Powerful, chill inducing and a hell of an interpretation of this amazing song. A+ stuff here. 

Full Show Friday: Neil Young - In Concert 1971 BBC

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Neil Young!

For August The Masters Focuses on Neil Young

This show is pro shot for the BBC back in 1971 and features an acoustic set from Neil. Just the man his songs, his stories between songs a guitar, harmonica, his voice and piano. Pro shot, pro sound, full set list and info below. Enjoy:

01.- Out on the Weekend 00:00 02.- Old Man 03:59 03.- Journey Through the Past 08:04 04.- Heart of Gold 13:09 05.- Don't Let It Bring You Down 17:16 06.- A Man Needs a Maid 20:15 07.- Love in Mind 24:14 08.- Dance Dance Dance 26:27