Normally I’m a real stickler for list time constraints here @ Selective Service, but for this live-Stones-centric list, I just couldn’t help myself. I think the Stones have been (at times) the most potent live act on the planet, and their evolution from corner-blues-club band to stadium juggernaut is fascinating. Here now, in chronological order, are some of my favorite live Rolling Stones moments:

1. Interview with Mick Jagger (1965)
   A little time-capsule nugget with Jagger commenting on the time it took to record “Satisfaction.”
2. The Rolling Stones, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
   An excellent live performance captured for the BBC’s “Top Of The Pops” on 9/23/65, just about a month after it was released and soared to #1 on the British charts.
3. The Rolling Stones, “Let’s Spend The Night Together”
   Yessir, this is the infamous sanitized-for-your-protection “Let’s Spend Some Time Together” performance from the Ed Sullivan Show, recorded 1/13/67.
4. The Rolling Stones, “Gimme Shelter”
   Taken from the historic LIVE’r Than You’ll Ever Be boot, this captures the Stones at the beginning of their live prime (11/9/69). This recording comes from the same tour that produced the classic live album Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!, but presents the band sans overdubs. LIVE’r’s source is a pristine audience tape, and it still sounds deliciously raw. “Gimme Shelter” was a highlight of their ‘69 set, and this is one powerful performance.
5. The Rolling Stones, “Happy”
   No Stones live experience would be complete without a solo Keith moment. By 1972, Keith had begun to get his moment on stage, and this performance of Exile on Main St.’s “Happy” is notable to me because Mick’s still on stage with Keith, contributing backing vocals, something he hasn’t done since, well, I’m not 100% sure, but 1972 is probably a good guess.
6. The Rolling Stones, “Sweet Virginia”
   Like “Happy” above, this was lifted from the Unreleased Decca Live Album 1972 boot, recorded 7/19/72 in Philadelphia. According to legend, this live album was in the can & ready to be released, but conflict with Allen Klein over the rights to some of the songs kept it off shelves. The sound quality is markedly improved over the ‘69 boots (shows the difference between soundboard and audience recordings), and the performance is excellent, this song especially showing off the great Bobby Keys on sax.
7. The Rolling Stones, “Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)”
   For my money, the Stones were at their best in ‘72-’73, and the next two tracks are proof. By this time, Mick Taylor had found an amazing groove on stage, extending the Stones’ songs with flair but keeping them clear of meandering, jam-band territory. His blistering solo here at the end of “Heartbreaker” is great stuff. (Recorded 9/9/73 at Wembley Stadium in London)
8. The Rolling Stones, “Midnight Rambler”
   “Midnight Rambler,” from 1969’s Let It Bleed is the one song that the Stones have consistently extended in concert. Each performance feels like a blues-rock marathon, showing off each of the band members’ strengths. This one, recorded 10/17/73 in Brussels, again shows off Mick Taylor’s chops, but my favorite moment is Mick Jagger’s call-and-response howls with the audience in the middle of the bluesy breakdown. What a showman.

   Wrinkle in time — not much to pay attention to given the Stones’ dwindling live prowess over the late 70’s and early-to-mid 80’s.

9. The Rolling Stones, “Continental Drift (Intro)”
10. The Rolling Stones, “Start Me Up”
    This one-two punch opened shows and re-introduced the Stones to the world in 1989/90 on their Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle tours. The band had cleaned up, tightened up, and made up before hitting the road, and that first pair of über stadium tours would set the big-venue standard for everyone else. These two recordings, and the next two, are from 7/7/90 at Wembley Stadium.
11. The Rolling Stones, “2000 Light Years From Home”
    In addition to playing old favorites and flogging new material during the ‘89-90 world tours, the Stones consistently resurrected some really unexpected nuggets, none more oddly interesting than this, “2000 Light Years From Home,” from 1967’s generally forgotten psychedelic curio Their Satanic Majesties Request. The other-worldly arrangement of the introduction and trippy breakdown remains intact, tho it’s been updated with more modern synths.
12. The Rolling Stones, “Sympathy For The Devil”
    Sure, the modern live version of “Sympathy” may lack the blood and teeth of the ‘69 performances, but something about the way the older Jagger performs it makes it feel more authentic: strutting on the stage, bathed in ominous red light, his face elegantly showing the wear and tear of age, it really seems like he could be the Devil.
13. The Rolling Stones, “Angie”
    During their 1994/95 Voodoo Lounge tour, the Stones got behind the en vogue unplugged concept, eventually releasing a whole album in that format, Stripped. They ended up working a small acoustic set into their massive stadium shows, where a tiny stage would wheel the mostly-acoustic band out into the crowd for a few songs. The new setup allowed for more interesting and intimate choices, including “Angie,” nicked from a performance in Rio de Janiero, 2/4/95.
14. The Rolling Stones, “The Worst”
    Couldn’t help myself: more solo Keith. This time performing “The Worst,” one of his best solo tunes, also taken from the 2/4/95 Rio show. Compare the composed Keith from this recording to the haggard one performing “Happy” in 1972 above for bonus fun. Yikes. Thank goodness for rehab, right? Even if it doesn’t stick.
15. The Rolling Stones, “Miss You”
    One more bit of Mick-working-the-audience fun, recorded in St. Louis 12/12/97 on their Bridges to Babylon tour. “Miss You” was always a crowd pleaser, but on recent tours, the Stones have turned it into a real showstopping jam.
16. Interview with Mick Jagger & Brian Jones (1965)
    Isn’t hindsight fun? Mick and Brian Jones chat about their band’s future.

Enjoy!

Download: Interview with Mick Jagger (1965) (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Rolling Stones, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Rolling Stones, “Let’s Spend The Night Together” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Rolling Stones, “Gimme Shelter” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Rolling Stones, “Happy” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Rolling Stones, “Sweet Virginia” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Rolling Stones, “Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)” (AAC)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Rolling Stones, “Midnight Rambler” (AAC)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Rolling Stones, “Continental Drift (Intro)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Rolling Stones, “Start Me Up” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Rolling Stones, “2000 Light Years From Home” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Rolling Stones, “Sympathy For The Devil” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Rolling Stones, “Angie” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Rolling Stones, “The Worst” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Rolling Stones, “Miss You” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Interview with Mick Jagger & Brian Jones (1965) (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Last Friday I took in Ben Folds’ show at Boston’s Orpheum. It was the first time I’d seen an entire* show of his since he & the Five, touring behind Whatever and Ever Amen, absolutely killed at the Paradise waaay back in the day. His live act, sadly, did not age well. His new material, however, sounded great. I left the show excited to finally get my copy of his new album Way To Normal (due tomorrow, 9/30) and sadly determined to never bother to see him play live again.

The Normal stuff was generally excellent: poppy without the prog pretension that marred the Five album Reinhold Messner, and peppy without the heavy-handed, sappy pathos that made his last release Songs for Silverman such a dud. His decision to play the new material and nothing but the new material to an audience completely unfamiliar (and, subsequently, uninterested) with it was not so good. People stayed seated throughout the entire pre-encore show, and the constant stream of people walking about to go buy more beer was thoroughly distracting. I partially blame the audience for those shenanigans, but I extend equal blame to Ben and his impressively boring band. They’re the anti-Five, completely lacking skill, energy, and personality. Folds himself was much quieter than I remember, too. What a snore.

He kicked the encore off with Rockin’ The Suburbs’ “Zak and Sarah” and “Philosophy” from their debut, but the energy and fun quickly disappeared with the “Tiny Dancer” wannabe “Landed” from Silverman and the artificially “fun” “Army” from Messner. The final song played was the a take on the “Frowne Song” that Folds seems determined to turn into a big, rousing show-closing anthem, but it just didn’t work. Just like you can’t give yourself a nickname (I tried in college — ’twas lame & didn’t stick), you can’t goad a crowd into embracing a song as a showstopping anthem.

Despite the bad, bad, bad show-going experience I’m psyched for the album. The songs sounded great and should sound even better on disc than with his disappointing live band. Give Way To Normal a shot when it hits stores this week — I’ll give you download links in this week’s (long overdue) Draft Board post.

* So the last time I had tickets to see Ben Folds, the show became a casualty of Sam and his “New York City Transplant understanding of concert timing” in Boston. I had just moved to Boston, and Folds was making a local stop in support of his solo debut, Rockin’ The Suburbs. I secured tickets for me, Alexis, and her good friend Janice to see him play at the Avalon, a club near Fenway in Boston. The tickets said 8:00 on them, and given my long experience of concert going in NYC, this is how my brain translated the start time: doors open at 8, opening act goes on at 9:00, finishes 9:30-ish, Ben goes on around 10 & plays until around 11:30-midnight. That’s how they roll at places like the Bowery Ballroom, so that’s what I thought it would be like here, too. Turns out I was waaaaayyyy off. The Avalon turns into a lame disco at 10PM every night, so when we got to the club at 9:45, Ben was 2 songs from finishing his encore. My bad. And that, kids, is why I get to concerts really early.

Hi everyone! Sorry this is deathly late, but I found this month’s playlist to be problematic. I actually don’t own a lot of live recordings, and most of what I do own is either on vinyl or cassette. So every time I sat down to work this out, I’d get frustrated end up too busy with something else. To paraphrase Bart Simpson, “I’ll be honest with you guys - I wasn’t good at it right away so I just kinda lost interest”. Anyway, I finally cobbled together some fun live tracks that are hopefully off the beaten path enough where you don’t already own them. Hope you enjoy! (And rest assured, my October playlist is all ready to go - I found I can relate much better to that particular subject…)

1. Roger Waters (featuring Cyndi Lauper), “The Happiest Days Of Our Lives / Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2″
This is from the “The Wall 1990: Live In Berlin” album, where Waters gathers music legends past and present (and, um, The Scorpions) to help him perform his opus live at the Potsdamer Platz. I already used my favorite track from this (”Mother” featuring Sinead O’Connor & The Band) on another playlist, so here goes with this one. Keep your ear out for Thomas Dolby popping in right at the end with one of the best keytar solos ever. …Okay, the only good keytar solo ever…

2. Nick Lowe’s Last Chicken In The Shop, “I Knew The Bride”
This is off the legendary “5tiffs Live” vinyl, graciously provided by Bob Shortell.

3. Sheryl Crow & The Dixie Chicks, “Strong Enough”
Not sure of the origins on this one, I found it somewhere online a while ago. I’ve always liked the song and especially this performance.

4. Jane’s Addiction, “Sympathy”
Perry Farrell at his whirling-dervish best, covering what is itself a tasmanian devil of a song.

5. The Fab Faux, “I Am The Walrus (live on Howard Stern)”
These guys are pretty amazing. Their idea is to perform live those songs which The Beatles never attempted because it would have taken fifty guys onstage, an orchestra, tape loops, etc. Well, The Fab Faux pull it off, reproducing those studio creations live with uncanny precision.

Download: Roger Waters (featuring Cyndi Lauper), “The Happiest Days Of Our Lives / Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2″ (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Nick Lowe’s Last Chicken In The Shop, “I Knew The Bride” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Sheryl Crow & The Dixie Chicks, “Strong Enough” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Jane’s Addiction, “Sympathy” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Fab Faux, “I Am The Walrus (live on Howard Stern)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

The Beatles are one of my all-time faves, and it’s well-known that they cut their teeth on the club circuit. In the UK and in Germany, the Fab Four were known as a potent (and often volatile) live act before they were signed to Parlophone Records. However, this energy carried on and evolved over the years, as the Fabs got older and their creative visions changed.

So roll up, roll up for the Fab-ulous Live Evolution of Mssrs. Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starkey.

1. “Can’t Buy Me Love” - The Beatles (live at the Hollywood Bowl, 30 August 1965)
   Beatlemania in the U.S. started with concerts in New York and Washington, DC, but it came to a head with concerts at Shea Stadium and Hollywood Bowl. And this performance from 1965 captures some of that energy: the loud crowds, the Beatles in hyper mode, and the powerful punch of their early hits. The crowd noise on the recording would prove exceedingly difficult for George Martin to work with in assembling a live Beatles album - so much so that it took until 1977 for this recording to officially surface. And given that the raw, three-track recordings have surfaced on unofficial channels, it’s easy to see why no live recording of the Beatles was issued during their prime years. It’s a pity, because they knew how to rock, as well as how to work a crowd. While the songs popped on the studio recordings, they exploded on the stage.
2. “Get Back” - The Beatles (live on the roof of Apple Studios, 30 January 1969)
   This is the opening salvo of the infamous “Rooftop Show,” where The Beatles, along with Billy Preston on keyboards, decided to crawl out of the studio and “audition” some of their new material in front of a live audience - one that stood 40 feet below on the street, or in neighboring office buildings or cars on the roads. While this isn’t their strongest live performance (those days having been left behind over three years prior, if not longer), it shows that, as a band, they still had their potency, even if internal strife was tearing the band apart at the time.
3. “Imagine” - John Lennon (live at the Apollo Theater, New York City, 17 December 1971)
   John Lennon’s live performances were few and far between. His “Live Peace In Toronto” shows in 1969 occurred during the recording sessions for Abbey Road and Let It Be, and were thrown-together affairs. After the breakup of the Fabs, Lennon only performed in charity concerts. The concert where this acoustic guitar version of “Imagine” was performed was to raise awareness of the plight of John Sinclair, an anti-war activist who was serving a 10-year jail term for possession of marijuana. I love this version of “Imagine” because you can hear the audience’s response to the then-current hit song, as well as Lennon’s emotion behind the lyrics.
4. “Maybe I’m Amazed” - Paul McCartney & Wings (live as The Apollo, Glasgow, Scotland, 17 December 1979)
   This song first appeared on McCartney’s first solo album, the aptly-named McCartney. The studio version featured Paul on all of the instruments, and came across as a sincere, if workmanlike performance. When he played it on the Wings tours, however, the song became a majestic ballad, full of pomp, energy and life. This is from the same concert as “Coming Up,” which Mandel highlighted in his “One Night Only… Times Seven” posting earlier this month, and features the final lineup of Wings in one of its final live shows (they would play one more time on December 31st, as part of the “Rock For Kampuchea” shows in London).
5. “Photograph” - Ringo Starr & The All-Starr Band (live at the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 3 September 1989)
   It’s hard to pick a Ringo Starr track that’s better live than it was in the studio. Not to slight Ringo, but he’s more of a showman in the “compère” sense: he knows how to work the crowd and give credit to the others in the band, but isn’t known for knockout live performances of his own work. But on his 1989 tour, he had something to prove. He was fresh out of rehab, having finally kicked a decades-long alcohol addiction, and had a band with a lot of talent (Billy Preston, Garth Hudson, Levon Helm, and Joe Walsh, to name a few). So this performance of “Photograph,” which was co-written with George Harrison, is a step above Ringo’s usual live offerings.
6. “All Those Years Ago” - George Harrison with Eric Clapton & Band (live in Japan, December 1991)
   As is the case with Ringo, it’s tough to find a great live cut from George Harrison. Like Lennon, his live shows are few and far between: other than a tour in 1974 (”Hari’s On Tour”) that blew out his voice by the fourth show, he mostly played one-off and charity gigs. One of these - the Concert for Bangla Desh - stands as a landmark of charity concerts: the first of its kind, and one of the most successful. But he mostly stuck to his gardening, until a lost bet with Eric Clapton had him on a short tour of Japan. And George did his best to keep his fans satisfied, as this live version of “All Those Years Ago” shows: while not the most peppy performance, George, Eric and band put a lot of work into the song, and it benefits from this effort.
7. “Get Back” - The Beatles (live on the roof of Apple Studios, 30 January 1969)
   To close things up, I include this, the third run-through of “Get Back” from the Apple Studios rooftop concert. This take is interrupted by the London Police, who are responding to a noise complaint by the studio’s neighbours (many think that this police action was actually brought on by The Beatles’ PR people as a way to “add a little edge” to what was turning into a very sad recording and filming process). So you hear the band get startled by the constables, your hear instruments drop out as the officers unplug the amps, and you hear Paul improvise new lyrics during the run-out (”You’ve been singing on the roofs again/And that’s no good/’Cos you know your mommy doesn’t like that/She gets angry/She gonna have you arrested!/Get back…”). And when all was said and done, John Lennon lets loose one of the classic lines of the Fab canon.

And I also offer this BONUS track:

• “Live And Let Die” - Paul McCartney & Wings (live in Seattle, WA, June 1976)
  I couldn’t leave this song out of a live Fabs retrospective, as it’s often one of the highlights of a live McCartney show. He tends to pull out all the stops on this: energetic performance from Paul and the band, lots of lights and lasers, and firworks that heat up whatever venue he plays. When I saw him perform this song at the Sam Boyd Silver Bowl in Las Vegas back in 1993, it was one of those “woah - wow!” moments. I decided on this performance from Wings Over America because it includes a live brass section, something that Macca should use again (not to dis on Wix, but synthesizers can’t beat real brass).

Download: “Can’t Buy Me Love” - The Beatles (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Get Back” - The Beatles (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Imagine” - John Lennon (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Maybe I’m Amazed” - Paul McCartney & Wings (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Photograph” - Ringo Starr & The All-Starr Band (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “All Those Years Ago” - George Harrison with Eric Clapton & Band (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Get Back” - The Beatles (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Live And Let Die” - Paul McCartney (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Yesterday brought the sad news of the passing of Rick Wright, founding member and keyboardist for Pink Floyd.

Wright was the consummate “quiet Floyd” member. He was seldom in the spotlight (seldom were any of his cohorts there, either), content to provide the atmosphere and “soul” to the Floyd’s sonic tapestry. His weapons of choice - Farfisa and Hammond organs, Moog, Fairlight, Yamaha and Kurzweil synthesizers, and grand piano - were not the flashy ones in the group. David Gilmour’s guitar, Roger Waters’ bass and Nick Mason’s drums were always more overtly brash in their presence. But Rick used his intuitive sense of music and tone (he was ear trained in classical music but preferred to play jazz, and was self-taught on keyboards) to provide the perfect atmosphere for the often weighty (and, as Waters took over the libretto, dark and depressing) lyrics that are a hallmark of the Pink Floyd sound.

Wright was often under-appreciated by both music fans and his fellow Floyd members. As Gilmour said on his website noting Wright’s passing, “In the welter of arguments about who or what was Pink Floyd, Rick’s enormous input was frequently forgotten.” Not being an alpha dog, he was often content to simply fill his role in the band - a move that cost him his place in the group during the recording of The Wall. He did embark on solo projects - two solo albums, in 1978 and 1996, and a group called Zee in 1984 - but was mostly content to just play his keyboards, sing a vocal here and there, and otherwise enjoy a quiet life.

That’s not to say he didn’t love his time in Pink Floyd. After rejoining the group in 1987 (becoming afull partner in the band by 1992), he seemed reborn in his role as “the keyboard guy who sits on stage right.” And at the 2005 reunion of the four primary Floyd members at Live 8, Rick seemed giddy to be playing with that group of men at that particular time.

In 2006, Rick recorded with David Gilmour on the latter’s latest solo project, On An Island, and toured behind the album. Gilmour let Rick flourish on the tour, giving him lead vocal duty on some old Floyd nuggets. Most available footage from that tour shows a beaming Wright.

So I offer up this small tribute to the incomparable Rick Wright.

First, some video:

“Echoes (Part 1)” from Live at Pompeii (1971)

Now for some audio:

1. “Paint Box” - Pink Floyd (single, 1968)
   One of the first post-Syd singles from Pink Floyd, and somewhat atypical of a Wright composition, but trying for a late-60s pop sound. Playful and simple, this song shows that not all Wright songs are dirges.
2. “Us And Them” - Pink Floyd (live on the BBC, 16 November 1974)
   A live performance of one of Wright’s musical gems from Dark Side Of The Moon, married to lyrics by Roger Waters.
3. “The Great Gig In The Sky” - Pink Floyd (from Dark Side Of The Moon, 1973)
   The classic instrumental from Wright, with vocals by Clare Torrey, a song that’s ostensibly about death, yet is amazingly life-affirming (and life-creating, as it’s standard make-out/sex fare for many teenage boys)
4. “Summer Elegy” - Rick Wright (from Wet Dream, 1978)
   From Wright’s 1978 solo project (also recorded at the time were solo albums from Gilmour and Mason, as well as demos of The Wall and The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking by Waters), an ode to the passing of summer. Much of this album carried a summer relaxation/maritime theme, as Wright lived in Rhodes at the time.
5. “Astronomy Domine” - Pink Floyd (live in Miami, 30 March 1994, from the “Take It Back” CD5)
   As the opening salvo of its 1994 tour, Pink Floyd dusted off this old nugget by Syd Barrett. In doing so, they performed as a 5-piece band: Gilmour and Tim Renwick on guitars, Mason on drums, Guy Pratt on bass, and Wright on keyboards, with Gilmour and Wright singing vocals. The swarming keyboard parts are one of Wright’s best performances with Pink Floyd, to my ears.
6. “Night Of A Thousand Furry Toys” - Rick Wright (from Broken China, 1996)
   Wright’s second solo album (third if you count the Zee album from 1984) was an ambitious affair, with a lot of keyboard sequencing, modern beats, and dark lyrics. Mostly overlooked by critics, it’s a solid affair.
7. “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part IX)” - Pink Floyd (from Wish You Were Here, 1975)
   This is the closing part of the epic “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”: a funeral march, written entirely by Wright, that sends the album into a solid closing. I hope they play this at Wright’s funeral, as it’s my favorite piece of his music: solid, melodic, moving, and very much “Rick.”

Rest in peace, Rick.

Download: “Paint Box” - Pink Floyd (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Us And Them” - Pink Floyd (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “The Great Gig In The Sky” - Pink Floyd (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Summer Elegy” - Rick Wright (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Astronomy Domine” - Pink Floyd (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Night Of A Thousand Furry Toys” - Rick Wright (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part IX)” - Pink Floyd (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Oh, we want it alright. There’s something special about a great live performance, and that’s what we’ve decided to explore after tossing around ideas for this month’s list:

Give us your favorite spectacular live moments, or live recordings that surpass the original studio cuts — whatever it is, as long as it’s not canned.

Rudi seconded my motion:

My pick would be “Got Live…” if only because September is the last month (for most of the northern hemisphere, anyway) for the big outdoor concerts and live music in all kinds of venues

So give our picks a listen, then check the schedules at your local ampitheaters & clubs and go see a show! I know my next few weeks are packed (The Swell Season, Ben Folds, Amy MacDonald, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, oh my!) — how about you?

• The Man(del) from UNCLE’s “One Night Only… Times Seven”
• Uncle Sam’s “Is it live or is it Memorex? Oh wait — yeah, it’s live.”
• Onkel Rudi’s “All I need is a microphone, a stage, and an audience”
• UNKLE Matt’s “Live And Direct”

Stay tuned later in the month for a second set of lists, one from each of us, focusing on a single band or performer. Hope you dig!

One look at the list, and folks who know me must be wondering, “where the Stones at?” Don’t worry, you’ll get lots of that in a couple of weeks. For now, tho, here are the live tracks that jumped in my noggin when we settled on this theme — enjoy:

1. Bob Dylan, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” (from Live at the Gaslight, 1962)
   The Bootleg Series has been a boon for fans of his Bobness, and nearly every release has been loaded with live recordings of historical importance (Dylan plugs in back in 1966, the early home recordings on the No Direction Home soundtrack) or impressive power (his amazing duets with Joan Baez from 1964, the pre-release runthrough of Desire with his Rolling Thunder Revue), but my favorite of his live recordings came from Starbucks. Live at the Gaslight 1962 was released by the coffee chain’s Hear Music label, and it collects a handful of performances recorded at the historic Gaslight cafe in Greenwich Village. It presents a very different Dylan than most people know and recognize: young Bob is sharp, his singing is clear and (for him) tuneful, and the setting (and resulting recording) is intimate. There’s no crowd noise, a feature of the location and time (most folk recordings from that era I’ve heard feature — or, more accurately, don’t feature — a rapt, silent audience), just Bob & his guitar. This version of “Don’t Think Twice…” blows away any other version I’ve heard, and it really makes me wish I could have experienced him back then.
2. The Band, “The Weight” (from The Last Waltz, 1976)
   The godfathers of American roots rock were this bunch of mostly-Canadians, who started life as The Hawks, backing up the legendary Ronnie Hawkins, and eventually became The Band, who were propelled to fame by backing Bob Dylan when he first plugged in in 1966. Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, Levon Helm, and Rick Danko became legends in their own right thanks to classic albums like Music From Big Pink and their self-titled sophomore set, and memorable singles like “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “Up On Cripple Creek,” “The Shape I’m In,” and this song, which is arguably their calling card. When the group decided to break up in 1976, they decided to go out in style by staging a mammoth live show at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom (the night was filmed by Martin Scorsese), and invited all their famous musical friends to join them. The show featured a veritable who’s who of my Mom’s record collection — Ronnie Hawkins, Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Neil Young, Muddy Waters, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan — and the group ran through all of their hits and some of their guests’. The resulting live album and concert film had a lengthy tracklisting, but it only presented about 3/5 of the whole show. A boxed set released in 2002 presented the whole show, including this performance of “The Weight” which didn’t make the cut for the original double-album. No guests, just The Band doing their thing, relishing every minute of it — amazing stuff.
3. David Bowie & Nine Inch Nails, “Scary Monsters” (from Live. Inside, October 1995)
   Like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of musical awesomeness, Bowie & Reznor joined forces for an arena tour in 1995, with Bowie supporting his Eno collaboration Outside and Reznor still behind The Downward Spiral. NIN opened each show, and there was crossover each night as Bowie’s band came onstage, with both outfits merging to play some Bowie & NIN songs together. “Scary Monsters” always seemed like one of the more fierce numbers in Bowie’s canon, but the addition of Reznor’s raw vocals and NIN’s industrial sheen, the song practically roars.
4. Sam Cooke, “Chain Gang” (from One Night Stand: Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963)
   I’d never heard a live Cooke recording until about a year ago when I discovered One Night Stand, and it was a revelation. The power of his voice was never in question, but his studio recordings always struck me as immaculately controlled. That’s why hearing him live is so impressive — he’s got amazing stage presence, and the show practically oozes raw energy, enthusiasm, and excitement. This rendition of “Chain Gang” completely transforms the song from pleasant golden oldie into something unexpectedly sweaty and vibrant.
5. Aimee Mann, “The Scientist” (from the Lost In Space deluxe edition)
   Lord knows I’m no fan of the Coldplay, but thank goodness for Aimee Mann, whose gorgeous voice and canny arrangement transform Chris Martin’s somewhat cloying song into something really special in this live setting. A gigantic improvement on the original.
6. Pearl Jam, “Yellow Ledbetter” (from Seattle, Washington - November 6, 2000)
   I think Pearl Jam are one of the best live bands still working today. I’ve only seen them once, but I can confidently they know how to work a crowd, and can blow the doors off a big venue like nobody’s business. I also really appreciate their attitude towards live recordings — they’ve released excellent, official “bootlegs” of nearly every live show they’ve done since 2000 at bargain prices (they retailed around $12 a pop). This rendition of perennial show-closer “Yellow Ledbetter” is a special one: it was recorded in their home town at the last stop of their 2000 US tour, and guitarist Mike McCready deftly weaves in some licks from Hendrix’s classic “Little Wing” near the end. And now that I think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever heard the studio version of “Ledbetter,” but that’s okay — it certainly couldn’t top this.

Download: Bob Dylan, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” (from Live at the Gaslight, 1962 — mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Band, “The Weight” (from The Last Waltz, 1976 — mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: David Bowie & Nine Inch Nails, “Scary Monsters” (from Live. Inside, October 1995 — mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Sam Cooke, “Chain Gang” (from One Night Stand: Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 — mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Aimee Mann, “The Scientist” (from the Lost In Space deluxe edition — mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Pearl Jam, “Yellow Ledbetter” (from Seattle, Washington - November 6, 2000 — mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Summertime: the time of outdoor frolicking, BBQ, sun lotion and live concerts.

Sure, a lot of live shows take place indoors, even in the summertime, but most outdoor shows - the big kahunas of the concert world - are outdoor gigs. Whether in football stadiums, baseball parks, farms or Central Park, the big outdoor show is the epitome of big-time musical performances.

So are all of my live selections from big-ass outdoor gigs?

Hardly.

But the sentiment is the same: there are some songs that simply thrive in a live setting. And there are some artists that relish the opportunity to perform their songs in front of appreciative (and sometimes non-appreciative) fans, where they can get immediate feedback, feel the sense of community from their fan bases, and allow the songs to grow into something perhaps a bit larger than the carefully-crafted studio production.

For me, live shows are a treat. I’ve seen many of my favorite artists in live performance: McCartney, Simon & Garfunkel, The Who, U2, Brian Wilson, KT Tunstall, Indigo Girls, R.E.M., The Police, Elvis Costello, James Taylor, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, Richard Shindell, Moxy Früvous, Emmylou Harris, The Rolling Stones, among countless others. And almost every time, the live performance brings new life to old songs - sometimes making some more mundane tunes a lot more potent.

Enjoy!

1. “Comfortably Numb” - Pink Floyd (at Live 8, Hyde Park, London, 2 July 2005)
   I know that many people don’t really equate Floyd with extraordinary live performances. After all, the hallmark of their live gigs was often to recreate, as closely as possible, their studio mixes - albeit with films, lights, lasers, props and other theatrical elements. But most folks don’t realize that they often perfected their works (especially from Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here and Animals) on the concert stage. They’d tinker with instrumentation, arrangements, lyrics, timing and other elements on the stage, then take the well-oiled machine into the studio to create some incredible albums. I include this version of “Comfortably Numb” because it’s such a rare achievement: a band reuniting its trademark lineup for the first time in 23 years in a one-off performance, simply nailing it. The performance is tight and fun - at least as fun as a depressing song can get. But it’s simply awesome to hear Waters, Gilmour, Wright and Mason (along with a handful of veteran Floyd and Waters sidemen and women) knock this one out of the (Hyde) park.
2. “My Generation” - The Who (at the Young Vic Theatre, London, 26 April 1971)
   Unlike Pink Floyd, The Who is known for delivering explosive live performances. Their early gigs were known for their destructive power (broken guitars, exploding drum kits), but lost in the mayhem was the craft these boys left out on the stage. And as they embarked upon more complex albums, they’d still rock out on their early material. So while this performance fell squarely in the era of Who’s Next, the boys rock out on their 1967 hit, adding extra wattage compared to the already-potent studio recording.
3. “The Boxer” - Simon & Garfunkel (at Long Beach Arena, California, 15 November 1969)
   During their heyday, Simon and Garfunkel usually toured as an acoustic duo: just a guitar and two voices, alone on a stage. But in 1969 and 1970, they decided to take their studio band with them on the road, as their new albums at the time (Bookends and Bridge Over Troubled Water) were high-production affairs. And on the 1969 tour, they also introduced many of the songs from Bridge to their fans. So imagine being a fan of S&G, having never heard “The Boxer” before this evening’s concert - it’s a revelatory experience. And to this day, I greatly prefer live versions of this song to the studio mix: more direct, more emotional, and much cooler.
4. “Closer To Fine” - Indigo Girls (live at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, November 1994)
   If ever the Indigo Girls penned a song that goes up about ten notches in a live setting, this is it. Their first hit song, almost all IG fans - casual and die-hard - know this song in-and-out. The simple chord pattern and voice-friendly key lay down a foundation upon which lyrics that most folks can draw a lot of common ground dance and play. Amy and Emily fully realize this, and in a live setting this is the sing-along to end all sing-alongs.
5. “Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Down On Broadway)” - Billy Joel (live at Madison Square Garden, June 1980)
   This song deals with less-than-uplifting material: namely, the destruction of New York City in a nuclear attack. But when Billy Joel performs this song in front of a New York crowd, there’s a joy in camaraderie that lifts it to a new level. The song name-checks many NYC landmarks and institutions, and the New York crowd laps up the references with glee. The best part? That Joel and band feed off this energy and drive the performance home with gusto.
6. “Like A Rolling Stone” - Bob Dylan (live at Manchester Free Trade Hall, Manchester, England, 17 May 1966)
   This one was a toss-up for me: do I go with the “scandalous” performance from the Newport Folk Festival (where Pete Seeger demanded that they “shut off that noise!”), or this one, the famous “Judas” performance from Manchester? Believe me, I thought long and hard, and listened to both performances many times to decide. But the latter one had more energy, as Bob and The Hawks seemed to raise their game many levels due to the crowd’s less-than-appreciative reaction to the newly “electrified” Dylan.

Download: “Comfortably Numb” - Pink Floyd (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “My Generation” - The Who (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “The Boxer” - Simon & Garfunkel (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Closer To Fine” - Indigo Girls (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Down On Broadway)” - Billy Joel (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Like A Rolling Stone” - Bob Dylan (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

As a fan of studio recordings and techniques, it was a little difficult for me to find live recordings that surpassed their studio counterparts. But… I was able to find some. So behold… the (almost) string-less live faves by yours truly…

1. Paul McCartney and Wings, “Coming Up” (Live at Glasgow 1980)
   THE definitive example of a live recording outshining its studio counterpart. The original version of “Coming Up” on the “McCartney II” album was a thin-sounding, undercooked disco-rock melange of guitars, muted drums, and wheezy synths. Granted, “McCartney II” was intended to have the homespun feel that “McCartney,” but those synths just did NOT help out. This live version which helped bolster the song to one of McCartney’s last #1 appearances blows away the original version. Having a real backing band with a real horn section give the song the bounce and energy that it deserves. This recording is also notable for being one of the few recordings around of the final lineup of Wings.
2. Billy Joel, “She’s Got A Way” (Live at Carnegie Hall 1977)
   This is from the recent release of Billy’s 1977 Carnegie Hall concert that came as a bonus disc on “The Stranger - Deluxe Edition.” It was a tossup between this and “I’ve Loved These Days” from that same concert. This one edges out for its simple arrangement. Now…why this and not the live version from 1981’s “Songs in the Attic” compilation? Billy’s voice seems stronger here and there some nuances in his piano playing that give it the one-up on the “SitA” version. Also, if you listen closely, you can hear a subtle, but effect cello backing that’s not really present on any other version of the song.
3. Queen, “Radio Ga Ga” (Live Aid 1985)
   As a Queen fan, this was one of the milestone live performances that Queen did. It stands as one of the best performances during Live Aid. I mean, c’mon…getting a whole stadium to clap in unison at the right time during your chorus? Brilliance. Also, the energy kicks this one up a notch from the original 1984 version.
4. Ben Folds Five, “She Don’t Use Jelly” (Sessions at West 54th 1997)
   This Ben Folds cover of the Flaming Lips classic is from the very-missed PBS series “Sessions at West 54th.” A recorded version was done for the “Lounge-a-Palooza” CD, but this one wins out as a testament to how tight a band Ben Folds Five were. Ben, Robert Sledge, and Darren Jessee all complimented each other so well. This live version also achieves the lounge-y cocktail vibe that recorded version misses a bit of.
5. Ben Folds, “Not The Same” (Calvin Theater 2002)
   While not necessarily a replacement for the studio version, this live version of the “Rockin’ the Suburbs” track has a great almost hymnal-like to it. As any Ben Folds fan knows, during Ben’s solo tour, he’d often leave the backing vocals to the audience and often, the crowds would nail it as evidenced here. The “ah’s” are chill-inducing…hail to the church of Folds!
6. Scissor Sisters, “Might Tell You Tonight” (Live at the O2)
   While I loved the Scissor Sisters’ “Ta-Dah,” it had a bit too much polish and lacked the oomph and edge that had made me love the band in the first place. This performance of “Might Tell You Tonight” shows how some of the “Ta-Dah” tracks had that extra gust of energy when done live.
7. The Wonders, “That Thing You Do!” (Live at The Hollywood Television Showcase)
   What a wonder this was…The fact that they did this song after losing their bassist to…what? They’re not real? Oh…it’s still a kickass song!

Download: Paul McCartney and Wings, “Coming Up” (Live at Glasgow 1980 - mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Billy Joel, “She’s Got A Way” (Live at Carnegie Hall 1977 - mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Queen, “Radio Ga Ga” (Live Aid 1985 - mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Ben Folds Five, “She Don’t Use Jelly” (Sessions at West 54th 1997 - mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Ben Folds, “Not The Same” (Calvin Theater 2002 - mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Scissor Sisters, “Might Tell You Tonight” (Live at the O2 - mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Wonders, “That Thing You Do!” (Live at The Hollywood Television Showcase - mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Here’s what’s new in stores & worth your time this week, kids. Frankly, there’s not a whole lot of new compelling stuff — I almost decided against posting this week — but iTunes saves the day:

iTunes Live: London Festival ‘08
This bunch of live EPs, recorded earlier this summer at London’s KOKO, has been available in the UK store for a while now, but they’ve finally been loosed on American ears. It’s not a complete set — the intro text mentions 4 big acts not featured at all (N.E.R.D, Paul Weller, the Zutons, Death Cab for Cutie) — but what is there is mostly new for us Yanks: our first tastes of the heretofore UK-only Glasvegas and Gabriella Cilmi; sets from buzzed-about imports like Lykke Li, Does It Offend You, Yeah?; and some more established acts like Suzanne Vega and James Blunt. Recordings are good — I only wish all the acts who played the festival could be found. Definitely worth checking out, tho.