So let's take a second to celebrate this record, the second 'official' live release from the jamband legends. Phish followed in the Grateful Dead's tradition of allowing fans to trade tapes of all of their live shows, so there were thousands of hours of live music already circulating from the band. Their most popular official album was A Live One released only three years earlier in 1995.
25 years ago today Bob Dylan released what seems like his 15th comeback album, Time Out Of Mind. The album features strong Dylan and as the rumor goes it was his 'facing death album', but aren't they all, all the time?
The 1990's were a strange decade for Dylan, starting with the odd Under The Red Sky, then a return to folk songs and a fine, if semi dull live set for the MTV Unplugged series. Not much was expected from Dylan who continued to roll along performing solid concerts on his Never Ending Tour, and drifitng along. Then, out of the bleak Minnesota winter, came TOOM and critics/fans/newcomers to Bob were all blown away, from the opening notes of the ominous "Love Sick", Dylan is in haunting form.
While Bob deserves full credit so does Daniel Lanois who worked winningly with him on the excellent Oh Mercy in 1989. The style, recording tone, and overall retro-ish sound found within TOOM would spark Dylan's creative drive for the next decade and beyond. Dylan has mentioned he didn't like working with Lanois, and the truth is Lanois is the last producer Dylan ever worked with, having self produced every record since under pseudonym Jack Frost. That said it is hard to fault the results on this effort.
The song-writing, to go along with the sound, is staggering. Songs like "Standing In The Doorway", "Not Dark Yet", "Tryin' To Get To Heaven" and "Cold Irons Bound" are all majestic, dark, questioning and endless. These are some of the strongest song Dylan ever wrote and the band playing them do a fantastic job setting the music to his strong words, as does Lanois, capturing of it all.
The album is a definite mood piece, one that runs a little long with a few filler tracks ("'Til I Fell in Love with You") and falters a bit at the end with the oddly Broadway-ish hokum of "Make You Feel My Love" and the rambling "Highlands", which is cool musically, but lyrically so scattered it ends the album fairly limply.
That said, TOOM alerted the world to a resurgence from the Bard and signaled his culture imprint was far from over. A few years later he would release an even better album, but that is for a different post...
For now let's celebrate Time Out Of Mind in the best way possible, by listening to the songs.
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...Pantera!
Exactly 25 years ago today Pantera played the Electric Factory in Philly and here is the video to prove it.
Fan shot and live sound, but it is damn good. Put's you right at the show. Full setlist below. Enjoy:
Pantera - (live) Electric Factory Philadelphia,Pa 9.9.97 (Hi8 Master)
0:01 Jack Daniels If You Please- David Allen Coe
1:05 Intro (Good Friends And A Bottle Of Pills)
3:35 Fucking Hostile
6:41 Mouth For war
13:20 Becoming
18:32 Sandblasted Skin
26:26 I Can't Hide
30:08 I'm Broken
37:55 Suicide Note Pt. II
42:39 War Nerve
47:45 This Love
57:40 Some random riffs
59:30 Domination
1:04:16 Hollow
1:06:48 Cowboys From Hell (first part)
1:08:45 Cat Scratch Fever (Ted Nugent)
1:09:38 Cowboys From Hell (last part incl. solo )
1:14:45 Cemetary Gates
1:22:40 Walk
1:29:30 A New Level
One of the late 90's best rock albums turns 25 today as Sleater-Kinney'sDig Me Out was released on April 8th 1997.
RtBE are huge fans of SK and Dig Me Out is a big reason why. It is the first album Janet Weiss played drums on, joining Corinne Tucker and Carrie Brownstein to form one of the best trios in rock history. Their run together, up until 2019's The Center Won't Hold, produced classic album on top of classic album, but few (if any) top this gem.
From the ripping title track opening to the "Jenny" closing, the album was a breakout for the band as Brownstein's and Tucker's wails on guitar and vocals snaked into and around each other with each yell or riff. Weiss laid down the foundation that allowed the guitars to soar while also keeping things grounded and visceral.
While times have changed on some fronts it is still rare for full female bands to grab the ears of rock fans. Actually, back in the 90's it was more prevalent than it is today, which is sad. It is good that SK is still at it though and evolving with the times.
A great rock album from start to finish and the one that really put SK the map. On it's 25th anniversary give Dig Me Out a spin and play it loud. Here are a few tracks to get you started:
The indie rockers Built To Spill's best album, Perfect From Now On turns 25 today.
The looseness and looping guitars drums and bass on this one really hit home. Doug Martsch whine and wail combo is divine and reminds of a more laid back, jam focused Dinosaur Jr.
When RtBE wants our fix of Martsch and company we slap on this gem of a record or their official Live album which stretches out even more, if ever there was a band that should play live without a net it is Built To Spill.
Play this album loud today. Below are a few tracks, but each song on this record is great from top to bottom.
Since it is a holiday here in the USA, also make sure to enjoy your time with loved ones and family. As a famous man once said, "Enjoy Every Sandwich"...especially the leftover turkey, mashed potato, stuffing and gravy ones on potato rolls...
The last few years we have thrown it back to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades of the past and this years no different.
Here is the 1997 Thanksgiving Day Parade, now go get stuffed!
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...David Byrne!
This week we focus on David Byrne. The Talking Heads front man is pretty solid solo and this is a good set of tunes including both Heads and newer tunes, recorded back in 1997.
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 Bruce Springsteen playing "The Times They Are a' Changin'"
Thoughts on Original:
Short and sweet from the first time we tackled a cover of this tune:
Well it is his most famous song for a reason, it is one of the greatest ever produced in any genre, ever. Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
We will be focusing on Bruce Springsteen all month in our on Masters series. RtBE dig's the Jersey Devil and his bombastic style. Thoughts on Cover:
Well we wrap up our focus on Springsteen's Dylan covers this week with his take on perhaps the Bard's most iconic song. For someone called the "next Dylan" too often it is fun to revisit Bruce covering Dylan a few times this month. This one is great, as they all are.
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!
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:
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...Dave Matthews Band!
August always makes RtBE think of upstate New York, specifically the town of Saratoga. Going to high school just a few miles from the town, we would spend many August days at the beautiful horse track and hot nights in the state park watching bands from all over. A few years back we presented shows from the venue itselfThis month we will highlight some bands who always seemed to roll through and we (mostly) got to see live.
Last time we did this series focused on SPAC we started with DMB and as much as it pains us, we need to end with him this month. Perhaps no one seems to typify SPAC summer shows more than Dave Matthews Band over the last 25+ years.
That said, I could care less about the band....So I will leave it up to RtBE's editor to write a bit about DMB at SPAC (and other places) in 1997 (and 1994). You can to read it below while listening to a more recent set from the band. Just click that Read more buton to get started.
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...No Redeeming Social Value!
For December RtBE is having a special focus with our Full Show Friday's. This month we will showcase live shows, that we were at and also were huge influences on our musical tastes. We will also be trying to get some outside perspectives when we can. This will be a fun and personal month for us, hope you enjoy.
Here we go with NYHC. After moving to NYC we became great friends with a few people in the hardcore scene, namely Mr. Glen Lorieo. Glen took us to many amazing shows, and a band we rarely missed play live was NRSV, No Redeeming Social Value, who quickly became one of our favorite groups in any genre or era.
These punks from Queens had a great sense of humor, kick ass riffs and heavy as hell low end which combined for the perfect melange of sonic happiness to these ears. The energy let off was a joy and the live experience was always a blast. One show in particular took place out in deepest darkest Castle Heights. The band was opening for Shutdown and did one of the coolest things we have ever seen an opening band do...they covered Shutdown's best song before they themselves could play it on stage.
Mike Dean Kent Scott and Pete ran through an energetic set of their songs as well and drunkenly the crowd ate it up. This skinny bald head included. This is one of the videos in this series where yours truly is directly visible throughout. Ahh twenty pounds lighter and no hair..those were the days. Glen was there as well, unfortunately not on camera, but he one upped us by actually becoming the drummer for NRSV, keeping this band rocking to the present day.
The set below is awesome, here comes the madness straight from 1997, Enjoy:
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...Michael Jackson!!!
Well we end Pop Week here at RtBE the only way we know how, with the King of Pop. MJ, live in 1997. Pro Shot, Pro Sound, Enjoy:
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 Jon Bon Jovi playing "Knockin' On Heavens Door"
Thoughts on Original: From the first time we tackled a cover of this tune:
The song that seems to have been covered by anyone, but when originally recorded it it was on one of Dylan's oddest releases
yet. A straight ahead mournful number that just seems to work, it has
invaded culture (possibly because of all the covers) and I would wager
is one of Dylan's most widely known tunes... Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist: Jon Bon Jovi, has never really been a fan favorite of RtBE, although we are noticing a disturbing lookalike trend with Chris Jericho, who is an RtBE fav. When he is with his main gig in Bon Jovi, is 80's pop rock personified, not a bad thing but not something we have ever once reached for. We will still take Poison any day of the week.... Thoughts on Cover:
That said this is a fine cover, with a little history lesson to start things and some cool high string strumming towards the end. Jon Bon himself sings it excellently and the accentuated background vocals help as well. A fine cover.
Hey all, we got our latest post up over @NYPL. You can read it right c'here! It is our newest installment in the Great Albums You May Have Missed series with a focus on Miles Davis live diskDark Magus.
This disk has been with us for a long time, and it is great to be able to write about it for the day job and have it finish up our Jazzy January series. We still remember grabbing a copy from the second floor of the old Tower Records on Broadway back when it was first released. It enchanted from the get go and was a perfect mix of rock/funk/jazz/punk/whatever in our brains. It was a pleasure to write about it for NYPL and again you can read the full long post here.
Also you should check out Robert Christgau's review of the disk. We will probably write more about the Dean at some point, but it is shocking how many times we will go back to see what he said about an album, after our opinion is already formed, and see him feel the same.
In this case the phrase that stuck with us that Christgau wrote was, "single palpitating organism" that sums it up. This music is as alive now as it was in '97 when the CD came as it was in '77 when they released it in Japan, as it was in '74 when the players played it in Carnegie Hall, just a short walk from the library itself. I can't imagine it won't sound fresh and amazing in 2077 and yet one more reason it was dumb of Ken Burns to not talk about fuison, electric jazz, etc in his documentary.
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