Friday, July 31, 2009

Chicago Transit Authority @ Fillmore West 08.17.1969 (Late Show)


Chicago begins with "Introduction," the pile-driving Terry Kath composition that opened their debut album. Not surprisingly, this song features powerhouse guitar playing from Kath and this raw, highly energetic blues-oriented number fuses elements of blues, jazz, and rock into a style uniquely their own.

Tight, perfectly executed renditions of Lamm's "Listen" and a new Kath composition, "The Road", follow. By this point, the band is fully fired up and they dive into an incendiary performance of the Spencer Davis Group hit, "I'm A Man." The only cover song featured on their debut album, this features all three lead singers (Lamm, Kath, and Cetera) taking a turn on the vocals and Kath absolutely blazing on guitar. Although Chicago's version of this song features lyrics as they misunderstood them, rather than the actual words Jimmy Miller and Stevie Winwood originally wrote, their version of the song blows away the fine original, particularly from an instrumental standpoint. It's no wonder that their arrangement, minus the percussion interlude within, became yet another hit for the band.

The set continues with "South California Purples", another pile-driving guitar tour de force for Kath that utilizes long in and out fades of the horn section, sailing over a bluesy bottom created by the tight rhythm section of Cetera and Seraphine. "Beginnings," a near perfect blend of pop and jazz, with a gradually emerging Latin beat comes next. This features an infectious lead vocal by Lamm, plenty of seventh chords and outstanding solos from Pankow on trombone and Loughnane on trumpet. It's no wonder that this song became yet another belated hit the following year.

Rapidly reaching the end of time constraints, the band acknowledges the staff at the Fillmore West by thanking them for their hospitality and informs the audience they have time for one more song. They close the run with the highly adventurous Pankow composition, "Liberation." Originally recorded live in the studio with no overdubs during the first album sessions, this magnum opus version is even longer and much more exciting. Taken in context of the times, this is quite experimental and covers a lot of territory. It begins in a style reflective of the Stax/Volt era, with punchy horn charts and a get-up-and-dance feel to it. Within a minute or two, it soars off into a powerful jam with Terry Kath absolutely blazing. The musicians are performing at an incredible level here. For the rest of this 17-minute blowout, Kath doesn't let up for a second and the band propels him into the stratosphere. This seriously heavy jam gradually increases in tempo and eventually gets so intense that it explodes into a wall of feedback-laden dissonance, not unlike the spontaneous feedback compositions that closed many a Grateful Dead show during this era. But even out of this wall of noise, they keep going. Following the breather they took during Kath's guitar pyrotechnics, the horns join back in. They approach the situation harmolodicly (a musical theory developed by the legendary Ornette Coleman) and the band ventures into free-jazz territory. This eventually morphs into a lovely little sequence where Kath sings "God Bless You and Goodnight" before they begin an eloquent transition back into the opening theme. The tape stock literally runs out on the final note, capturing all but the final few seconds of this monumentally exciting performance.

Chicago was certainly a product of the times. Their early music was often message oriented and political, but the experimental nature of their approach and the great diversity among their early material made them different. Although it may seem hard to believe in light of where they ended up going in the decades to follow, they were actually groundbreaking in 1969 and even the word "revolutionary" applied at the time.

Few debut albums of the era contained original music of such a consistently high caliber and the fact that theirs was a double album stands as a testament to their undeniable creativity. These Fillmore West sets make it perfectly clear that their early success was no result of studio enhancements or gimmicks. This was a live band that was more than capable of backing up the promise of that debut album onstage.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Mahavishnu Orchestra ~ Franklin Pierce College (02.24.1973)


"Inner Mountain"
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Franklin Pierce College (Rindge, NH)

02.24.1973
Tracks: 4 / Total Time: 51:55

Billy Cobham - drums
Jerry Goodman - violin
Jan Hammer - keyboards
Rick Laird - bass
John McLaughlin - guitar

The initial classic lineup of the Mahavishnu Orchestra lasted less than three years and only released two studio albums and one live recording during this era, but these recordings had a profound effect, redefining the jazz/rock fusion movement. Combining the improvisational elements of jazz with the volume and energy of rock music, the group created music that was often intricate and complex, performed by musicians whose virtuosity thrilled audiences, musicians, and critics alike.

By early 1973, the Mahavishnu Orchestra had firmly established their reputation and with little over a year of live performances behind them, they had become one of the most exciting bands on the planet. This partial February 1973 performance captures the group following the release of Birds of Fire and several months before they recorded the live album, Between Nothingness and Eternity. Recorded at Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire, this is yet another stellar example of the band's blazing energy and fluid virtuosity. Now an established headliner, the Mahavishnu Orchestra had more time onstage and they seized that opportunity to explore in greater depth. This set captures the group as they were diversifying the onstage repertoire and extending their improvisational approach.

The performance begins with the pairing of the Inner Mounting Flame's leadoff track, "Meeting Of The Spirits," with "Open Country Joy" from Birds Of Fire. While both remain aligned with the album arrangements, here they feature extended solos, often explosive and pummeling in their ferocity. Open Country Joy," a strutting, gradually intensifying urban blues is perhaps the least complex composition the classic lineup ever played, vacillating between a laidback county feel and frenzied rocking power.

Although brief, "Hope" unfolds in an elegant, magisterial way, before Cobham suddenly blasts off into "Awakening." This too has moments of frightening intensity and the telepathy between these musicians is functioning at an astounding level. Hammer takes an impressive solo here, simultaneously playing bluesy Fender Rhodes with gurgling mini-moog embellishments. It eventually becomes a duel between McLaughlin and Cobham, and this is unison playing at its most astonishing. McLaughlin doesn't let up for a second, interjecting an endless barrage of ideas, while Cobham often does more with a hi-hat and snare drum than most drummers are capable of with an entire kit.

The recording concludes with McLaughlin's tribute to Miles Davis, "Miles Beyond," with the group again displaying breathtaking improvisational abilities within a funkier context. Dominated by Hammer, who offers a barrage of demented sounds from his keyboards, this also features Jerry Goodman propelling the basic groove with McLaughlin, Laird, and Cobham providing rhythmic punctuations and accents.

Every concert from this era of Mahavishnu Orchestra is astonishing to some degree and this is no exception, featuring the original lineup at the pinnacle of their powers.


* 1. Meeting of the Spirits 12:02 + <>
* 2. Open Country Joy 8:57 + <>
* 3. Hope / Awakening 19:42 + <>
* 4. Miles Beyond 11:14 + <>

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Tower of Power Fillmore West San Francisco, CA (7/4/71)



If you are a fan of "East Bay Grease" & "Bump City" TOP, you will love this. Loose,live & blusey versions in good sound.

Monday, July 20, 2009

TOWER OF POWER ~ ULTRASONIC STUDIOS '74


For over 40 years, Tower of Power has been creating their own kind of soul music. Since 1968, Tower of Power has delivered their unique brand of music to their fans, appearing before sold out crowds as they tour the world each year. Tower’s sound can be hard to categorize, but the band's leader and founding member, Emilio Castillo, has labeled their sound as "Urban Soul Music."

Tower's rhythm section lays down a groove like no other band. The band's horn driven sound is unique, and the way they approach everything, from writing and arranging to mixing and performing, is totally their own. Combine all of that with an outstanding lead vocalist and you have one of the most dynamic groups of musicians to ever hit the stage.

Friday, July 17, 2009

The Live Experience



Pandemonium - Live at Plumpton Festival, August 9th, 1969
21st Century Schizoid Man
Get Thy Bearings
Devil's Triangle
Crimson Blues
In The Court Of The Crimson King

Robert Fripp - Guitar, Keyboards
Michael Giles - Percussion, Drums, Vocals
Greg Lake - Bass, Vocals
Ian McDonald - Flute, Reeds, Keyboards, Vocals, Mellotron


Lament - Concertbouw, Amsterdam, Holland, November 23rd, 1973
Easy Money
Lament
Book Of Saturday
Exciles
Medley: Mincer / The Talking Drum / Lark's Tongues In Aspic Extract

Robert Fripp - Guitar
David Cross - Violin, Flute, Mellotron
Jamie Muir - Percussion
Bill Bruford - Drums
John Wetton - Bass, Vocals

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Cafe Campus, Ste. Foix, Canada 8/15/79 (Frippertronics)


Robert Fripp - Frippetronics - 1979-08-15 Cafe Campus, Ste Foix, Canada. ...

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Allan Holdsworth - 1982-04-29 - Hollywood

Allan Holdsworth
1982-04-29
The Roxy
West Hollywod



01 Where Is One
02 Water On The Brain
03 The Things You See
04 White Line
05 Prayer
06 Letters Of Marque
07 Out From Under
08 Drifting Into The Attack
09 Checking Out
10 Was There ?
11 Hells Bells (featuring Eddie Van Halen and Jeff Berlin)

Allan Holdsworth - guitar
Paul Williams - vocals
Paul Carmichael - bass
Gary Husband - drums and piano

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Jeff Beck Nagoya 1975


JEFF BECK

Aichi-Taikukan,
Nagoya,Japan
5th August,1975

My Silver > EAC > WAV > FLACfrontend > FLAC(8)

Title: Definition Of Blow(World Rock Festival) Wardour-038
Quality: Vg Aud

Jeff Beck(g)
Wilber Bascomb(b)
Bernard Purdie(dr)
Max Middleton(key)

1.Opening
2.Constipated Duck
3.She's A Woman
4.Freeway Jam
5.Definitely Maybe
6.Superstition
7.Aie Blower
8.Keyboard Solo
9.'Cause We've Ended As Lovers
10.Power
11.Got The Feeling
12.Thelonius
13.You Know What I Mean

Friday, July 10, 2009

Frank Zappa - Bridges Auditorium 75


Musicians: Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Denny Walley, George Duke, Tom Fowler, Terry Bozzio and Napoleon Murphy Brock

1. A Token of My Extreme
2. Stinkfoot
3. Sleeping in a Jar
4. Poofter's Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead

5. Debra Kadabra [listed as "Abra Kadabra"]
6. Florentine Pogen [listed as "Chester's Gorilla"]
7. Why Doesn't Someone Get Him a Pepsi? ["The Torture Never Stops", original version]

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

The Yardbirds ~ Fillmore '68

Venue FILLMORE WEST
City SAN FRANCISCO
State CA.
Set 1 TRACK 01 TRAIN KEPT A ROLLIN 2:52
TRACK 02 MR.YOU'RE A BETTER MAN THEN I 6:40
TRACK 03 HEARTFULL OF SOUL 1:48
TRACK 04 DAZED AND CONFUSED 9:12
TRACK 05 SHAPES OF THINGS 3:20
TRACK 06 WHITE SUMMER 6:40
TRACK 07 I'M A MAN 12:01
TRACK 08 SMOKESTACK LIGHTING/I'M WAITING FOR MY MAN 12:19
TRACK 09 DRINKING MUDDY WATER 2:51

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Genesis - As though Emerald City




Side one:
1 Watcher of the Skies [7:57]
2 Lilywhite Lilith - The Wating Room - Anyway - It! [17:12]

Side two:
1 The Musical Box [11:38]
2 Happy the Man [2:54]
3 Twilight Ale House [7:50]


Format LP
Catalog TAKRL1945
Date 1975.1.24 *1972
Venue LOS ANGELS SHRINE AUDITORIUM and *1972

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Crash Landing (unreleased version)


n 1974 Alan Douglas was brought in by Warner Brothers to try to salvage some sort of product from the hundreds of remaining hours of studio material. Douglas' controversial approach to the task, wiping the original backing tracks and reformatting the songs using session musicians with Jimi's original guitar and vocals continues to provoke outcry from the diehard fans and critics alike. It has been admitted though, the album "Crash Landing" was a commercial success but the final result was not what the fans want. Now you can hear the original tracks and mix from the material that was used for the project Crash Landing