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...The Who!
Let's get started at the beginning, well not the exact beginning, but the show which broke the band for American audiences. Monterrey Pop changed popular music in 1967 and The Who were one of the major acts who smashed down the door.
We have the full set, with no video, and then a few clips of the band playing the opening and closing numbers with full visual destructive action. Enjoy:
00:00 Eric Burdon Introduction
00:17 "Substitute"
03:59 "Summertime Blues"
07:47 "Pictures of Lily"
10:38 "A Quick One, While He's Away"
19:03 "Happy Jack"
21:25 "My Generation"
All songs written by Pete Townshend except "Summertime Blues," written by Eddie Cochran and Jerry Capehart.
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.
When RtBE hears the term 'Rock Band' (not rock and roll mind you) The Who are always the band who jumps to mind. The group were heavy/hard before there was punk/metal. They were over the top, before there was prog. They were in touch with their feelings like folkies, but would make you start a mosh before that was a thing and they never backed down from a fight.
Pete Townshend, Roger Daltry, John Entwistle and Keith Moon were the perfect rock quartet. Each played their roles, were amazing at their craft and produced some of the greatest albums in rock history. They were not prolific in the studio, but each record we talk about today could be in talks for best ever.
Unlike a lot of other British Invasion acts, The Who didn't owe very much to the blues masters that came before them, they were much more influenced by the early American rock and roll inspired by those artists, almost a second generation influence. Unlike the Beatles and the Stones they kept the "roll" out of it and went more for a blasting, the already mentioned metal/punk/prog approach to their songs as they grew as a unit.
Townshend as a songwriter also tapped into constant themes of childhood abuse, teenage angst and mental confusion. The best part about his songs is that he somehow managed to keep a sense of humor about him and his lyrics. The Who were fun, deep, exciting and a kick ass band so let's dig into their top 5 studio albums....As a reminder, this list is meant to start discussions, not end them....
In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's artists, The Jimi Hendrix Experience performing a live cover of "Like A Rolling Stone"
Thoughts on Original:
The song that launched a true revolution, with an opening snare drum like a dead man's last pistol shot baby. "Like A Rolling Stone" is mega in all fashions, Dylan is accusatory, mad, feed up, zoned out, poetic, rambling and always moving with he sound as the track is large and in charge even today. One of the Bard's top 3 songs any which way you break them down, Like A Rolling Stone has been covered
Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
We have been chatting about Jimi all month here at RtBE. He is simply put one of our favorites of all-time.
Thoughts on Cover:
This cover song might have been the Experience at their best as they are getting loose and still managing to rip as Mitchell's drum fills are glorious and Hendrix does what he does so well, even when he misses a verse. We put this on our list of favorite live shows as well. The guitar playing, singing, drumming and in the moment feel of this live performance pushes it over the top, and while Hendrix never made this song truly his own (like next weeks offering), the trio did a hell of a job playing it on this night.
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.
While The Beatles were always around growing up and the foundation to so much popular music, Jimi Hendrix was the first artist who really broke through my ear drums to my brain. As a kid you flounder around with a weird mix of music and then at some point there is a gateway band, and Jimi was that when it came to rock and roll (Public Enemy & The Beastie Boys did that for hip hop around the exact same time). He was the first major musical artist who truly amazed me and was someone we had to write about in RtBE's Masters collection.
Unlike others in this series, Hendrix was a comet and left only a small recorded legacy. With only three studio albums fully recorded and released while he was alive, Hendrix was just beginning to scratch the surface of his studio mastery. All original releases are vital to own as they sound so fresh and cosmic now it is no wonder they were revolutionary at the time.
With the legal wrangling after his death, many albums were released and some of which were pure money grabs and some are truly revealing collections. Audio quality varies, re-mastering will be a thing til the end of time with Hendrix and every single take will eventually see a professional release, but these are the studio releases and collections of outtakes RtBE likes the best.
More then anyone else in rock history it is a shame Hendrix died when he did, because his music still sounds as fresh today (not matter what year you read this) as it did while he was alive. He was a magician, the best electric guitarist ever, a sonic poet, a soulful singer, an emotional songwriter who was only finding his voice...one of the true Masters. So let's tackle this topic, below we rank Hendrix best studio albums...
As always, these lists are designed to start conversations, not end them.
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.
The Godfather himself, James Brown joins The Masters series here on RtBE. He is the visionary artist who helped invent funk and hip-hop as he moved through the amazing funky waters of time and his mind. Mr. Please Please Me is iconic and moved from The Famous Flames to Soul Brother #1 to the Godfather with ease as he aged.
He however joins the likes of Miles when RtBE is conflicted about the art and the artist. Longform collected just a few pieces on him, but it is safe to say that Brown's actions makes it tough with our love for the mans music. That said, we wrote about our feelings on Brown when he passed away for Glide as he had a huge influence on our musical ears and he won't be the first or last artist we are conflicted about loving.
Today we are going to dive into his studio output and rank our favorite studio albums by Brown. Perhaps not shockingly, but like Elvis Presley, Brown is a mega artist who does not have definitive studio albums. His early albums were almost random collections of singles, his later albums were scattered, many didn't even have the title songs on them or were mixes of live/studio/overdub Frankenstein's (looking at you Sex Machine).
Some of these actual records are out of print and honestly people aren't losing much because of that. Live albums, box sets, greatest hits, he checks all those boxes, but a definitive studio effort is hard to find...let's give it a go anyways...
As always, these lists are designed to start conversations, not end them.
Hope everyone had a relaxing Labor Day weekend and to ease back into this short work week we are going to travel far back to the Labor Day weekend of 1967 which closed the highly adventurous Summer of Love and cemented The Grateful Dead as "A Happening, Man"!
Lets kick September Dead style off right as that show in Rio Nido, CA turned out to become a pretty righteous one in the Dead's history, listen to 9-3-1967 or stream it below, this is not a show to be missed:
I know this show is coming a day late in our Monday series, but you will certainly forgive the holiday tardiness when you are 10 minutes into the simply epic "Midnight Hour" that opens this. At that point we are about as far from the Steve Cropper/Wilson Pickett tune as you can go and still call the it a cover, but I am getting slightly ahead of myself, 9-3-1967 really is a high point from the Dead's early days and they knew it. When the band re-mastered and released their Self titled first album they added the "Viola Lee Blues" from this night as a bonus track...there was magic in the air at the Dance Hall in Rio Nido, California.
Like most relics from days gone by their is a bit of wear and tear on the recording, but considering the year and technology the damage is negligible, in fact as the show progresses the sound ebbs and flows but the playing would be worth listening to had the show been broadcast through a muffler of a Ford Fairlane.
(Ok Maybe not that kind of muffler...snapperhead!)
The version of "In The Midnight Hour" that opens this recording was probably from later in the show, or possibly even the next night, but when Phil Lesh complied his Fallout From The Phil Zone he handpicked this exact version to be on the disk and he is pretty sure it comes from this night, so the good people at the Archive have it for us check out...and it is a WHOPPER. Clocking in at over a half hour and not boring once throughout it is a stunning work from the band; longevity doesn't always equal succes with the group but on those special nights when you wished the group would just let it all hang out and never stop...well you get that right from the jump here.
After Pigpen (who is top-notch all show) gets the jam a-goin' with his slapdash blues vocals the group begins the adventure experimenting with the musical conversations to each other. Phil in particular is vibrant with his bass lines weaving in and out of Garcia while he keeps the dancing psychedelic groove bumpin'. Bobby's strums are flared out and around the 13 minute mark things are completelyout there and flying. In what would become a successful them this night, the structure of the cover tune would be wrapped up quickly and then the great wide sonic open would lay before them allowing the quintet to dabble like painters. When they get back around to the vocals Pig has some fun trying to get the crowd up and jivin', he even gets on young Bobby Weir telling him to take a break from his guitar and dance with a fancy lady. I haven't thought too much about my favorite version of the fellas covering this song, but I am guessing I will be hard pressed to unearth a better one then this.
Next comes "Dancing In the Streets", another soul cover from the cosmic cowboys and we follow the same pattern, all though this cover was a little newer to them and the original song part gets a bit of a butchering (with some wobbly sound to boot) but once they toss of the shackles of structure the night opens up with Jerry and Bobby playing in multiple directions while the groove is locked with Pig Phil and Billy holding down the rhythm (Mickey wouldn't join the fellas until later in the month). What starts off a bit shaky works really well in the spacey realm that the Dead were so comfortable in.
After some extended playing we dig in for soulful blues with a compact and powerful workout of the classic "It Hurts Me Too" from Tampa Red. Pigpen is again in his element taking the mic and making us feel with his words and harmonica playing that was missed after he passed, but it is Jerry's cutting lines that hit home and set the tone with their weeping power. This is a cover the Dead always did justice too no matter when in their career they chose to play it, but it sounds a bit different then the original, which has a more buoyant and uplifting musical shuffle.
Both great versions and another killer cover (notice a trend today?) scoots it's way into your ears, the traditional "Cold Rain and Snow" . I love the amped up fire of 1960's versions of this classic as it's energy is tight and the playing always seems crisp in front of Pig's high pitched organ runs and Phil's dropping bass notes; this version is a winner. Another Pigpen fronted cover came up next with the walking blues of "Good Morning Little School Girl" focusing on Phil's dynamite playing the slight rhythm strums of Bobby and the squirrely Garcia riff runs that transform into feedback blasts with ease. This is a cool daddy-o version with the band completely in sync with one another and when Jerry teases us via those ripping blasts he is hinting at a monster that is about to arise next...unfortunately when "Schoolgirl" seems to be peaking we get our audio nuts cut when the tape ends...ouch, blue ears.
It is unfortunate considering the quality of the playing being expressed on this night, but the end of "Schoolgirl" and "Viola Lee Blues" which is mega-highlight has it's beginning and end snipped, but we can't focus on what we don't have we can only showcase what is here and it is glorious....
As the tape fades back in we hear the boys ending a verse and Jerry is instantly off and riffing with support from a game Weir and Pigpen. Phil seems to be out on his own wavelength with Billy just slapping the shit out of the snare to march the tune up hill. "Viola Lee" was the song the Dead really started it's jamming ways on, it would take the Noah Lewis original and bring it to places I doubt the jug band musician could have even imagined. It sounds like Phil and Jerry really get into things around the 7 minute mark with the band digging in and furiously exploring different avenues as Kreutzmann keeps it fast and pulsing. Jerry and Billy both flash fire in a guitar snare duet around the 9 minute mark and the whole group is off again with the night as their sonic oyster; willing to go anywhere and they do.
Things get climatic at the 15 minute mark as the band builds to the inevitable crescendo and explode...back into the structure of the jug band original at 16:20. Then the groove starts up again with everyone building while Jerry runs full steam ahead until once again we hit the vocals to close things out, and while the tape is cut slightly it can't take away from the other worldly playing that just took place.
For a band that was closer to simple blues and folk then anything else at the start of the year to have this cataclysmic explosion of experimentation is amazing and it would serve notice to everyone else that they were the premier psychedelic band on the scene...well for the next 25+ years.
"Big Bossman" acts as set breather with a simple shuffle letting the boys and crowd ease down from the tripped out highs they just heard. Then a sleepy "Alligator" rears up and slinks onto the stage....it takes the group only a few minutes to rev the energy in the dance hall back up and get the night flying again. 3:41 in the funky strumming of Bobby works wonderfully with the lead high pitched notes of Jerry moaning along while Phil and Billy take no prisoners on the low end. Bobby keeps at it, turned up loud in the forefront laying an R&B foundation that the others can vibe around...in the speakers it sounds really crisp serving as a reminder that Weir was vital for the band even when he wasn't singing.
7 minutes in the band is peaking yet again on this amazing evening, hitting out in all different directions but maintaining it's center. The complete package is being expressed as the band can solo on their own while remaining a consistent force blowing minds with their power and electricity, everyone in their own space yet flowing communally...uber-impressive. At 10 minutes in you can't help but smile as they are locked and loaded, hunting for bear. You can tell they don't want the magic to stop, and luckily for us we have these amazing shows so it never will... what a tune, what a night, what a show!!!
As legend has it Robert Hunter who had been friends with Garcia for years, and had written the lyrics to "China Cat Sunflower/The Eleven/Alligator" and others already, was in attendance this night in Rio Nido (one of the supposedly 25 people who were). Legend continues that this impressive night of music moved him like never before with the group. It is said that after this night he decided that his future was tied to the boys and he would devote the next 30+ years to being a member of the band who just never took the stage with them, even going so far as to write the first verse of "Dark Star" that weekend.
Whatever the case may be, it is hard to deny the power of this show, perhaps the true highlight of 60's Grateful Dead musical prowess and fittingly it occurred on the final weekend of the Summer of Love...A Labor Day of Love? Nah, I won't get that cheesy, just enjoy the Show.
(Edit: after I wrote this up this weekend, I found a fantastic review today of the same show from the wonderful website Dead Listening, you can give that a read as well...I should have saved myself some time and just posted that one, even more thoughts on a historic night.)
What is up y'all? No real fan fare today, let's jump into it...This monday's Grateful Dead excursion leaps way back in time to 1967, specifically 10-22-1967 You can listen to it via that link or stream it c'here:
This gem of a show was the Grateful Dead's set on an outstanding bill put together by Bill Graham at Winterland to raise money for the marijuana defense fund back in 1967...politics and drugs aside, just peep the poster and check out the amazing lineup:
That is some lineup....ahh to have been in San Fran in the late 60's....anyway I won't get all Hunter S high water mark on you,
but this must have been a killer night and the Dead's set is a major reason why. A quick and powerful "Morning Dew" opens up their set and it finds Jerry blasting away on riffs into the night. From the jump off the energy is sky fricking high. The boys motor and fire on all cylinders and you can tell it is going to be a hot set. "The New Potato Caboose" is mega, with the group branching out and exploring their jamming jones that would make them world famous in only a few years.
I mentioned I am not the biggest PigPen fan, but on this night his organs are ramped up and roll all over the tunes, adding a bit of a church feel to the proceedings. He was "on" this night back in '67 and takes center stage on the burning "It Hurts Me, Too". The next 3:20 seconds are some of the coolest I have heard in a while...the band simply BLAZE'S through the classic "Cold Rain & Snow". I have always loved this tune when the group does it, but this version is simply jump-up-and-down-goodness. They are amped and run through the classic with more energy then they sometimes put fourth in full shows during some of the later years. Don't skip this one.
I mentioned in another brief post on 1967 that Mickey Hart started jamming with the boys in September of that year and this is one of his first official shows with the group and you can hear the interplay with Billy that would make the Rhythm Devils a percussion institution. Unfortunately things just seem to get cooking for the group during "Turn On Your Lovelight" when this recording cuts out, this is a bummer, but really the only one present during this set. A super fast "Beat It On Down The Line" is ran through next and shows off Bobby's chops as a lead singer and pop music poster boy...
I keed...I just wanted to use this pic of him from 67...he nails "Beat It..." The group then falls into bombarding the ears with a "Cryptical Envelopment>That's It For The Other> Cryptical Envelopment" jaunt that rips through the speakers with vibrant energy...as it should because as far as I can tell, this is the first version ever played, and has some funky different lyrics that would never show up again:
1st verse:
When I woke up this morning my head was not attached
I asked my friends about it, try to find out where its at
[inaudible]...came up inside of me, blew the dust clouds all away
The heat came 'round & busted me for smiling on a cloudy day
2nd verse:
Well the heat down in jail they weren't very smart
They taught me how to read & write,they taught me the precious arts
When I was breaking out of jail I learned that right away
That they didn't need me telling them about smiling first and running _?_
This is an epic song in the Dead cannon, but like a lot of things about the group "exact facts" and "specifics" are hard to come by, in fact Dead.net doesn't even have this show listed on their site...However this version is an adventure, once the unique lyrics are out of the way the group simply explodes over the last 8+ minutes, scales are climbed and slid back down, bass lines bubble over, organ fills flow and drum marches push things along. What a movement of music, if anything it feels like it ends too soon. For more on the tune, check out the always great annotated dead page.
This is a hell of a show and hearkens back to a wild time in the country's history and the bands insane crazy days...I mentioned the vibrant energy...this is a show you can feel. Enjoy.
Edit...SIDE NOTE>
One more time I need to congratulate The Boys in Blue...Chelsea won the double for the first time in their history!!!!
Since I had an excellent long weekend, getting to see a bunch of old friends, check out a ton of sports and music, and had Monday off, this Tuesday morning is incredibly easy going in my world and the old Grateful Dead 3 hour show isn't really needed to open the eyelids.
(hence the ears ringing, taken from Brooklyn Vegan link below)
This simple 2 song mini selection represents an interesting show for the Dead, as one of the reviewers mentions this show was talked about in Phil Lesh's book Searching for the Sound (which I reviewed for Glide years ago, rightc'Here!) He mentions that on this night Mickey Hart played with the fellas and was instantly accepted by Jerry, forming the rhythm foundation that would sustain the band (off and on) for decades to come.
It also is a brief glimpse into the feedback manipulation that they use to do and which I love when bands such as Sonic Youth, Crazy Horse and yes Dino Jr. pull off so rip-roaringly. Enjoy.
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