THE SOUND OF MUSIC IN THE TETONS

The long awaited week had arrived, the "mancation" to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Four of us flew in from Denver, one from Berkley, CA and another from Portland, OR.  One day skiing the steep, leg burning runs at Jackson Hole mountain, three days skiing into and around the Baldy Knoll yurt on the backside of the Teton Range, half a day skiing Grand Targhee and another half day at Jackson Hole.  What a blast!  Our timing was perfect because about six feet of new snow had fallen in the week before our arrival, ensuring we'd have excellent snow wherever we went.  The back country skiing near Baldy Knoll yurt was pure untracked powder, carving smooth turns down slopes and in and out of the trees.  The consensus was we'd do something similar next year.

The three photos above were taken by professional photographer Jerry Patterson.   Find others at :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wrtrekker/4032974227/in/photostream/

Millionaire Romney
Not concerned about the poor
Or the middle class

Lower your eyelids
Peace awaits in the darkness
To die with the sun

Many thanks Mark and Rick for the use of your photos!

Naturally, being in such a beautiful place is an invitation for some tequila, a cigar and good music while dancing in the evenings darkness under the stars!  The first night in the yurt was celebrated with Morphine opening up the show, Bootleg Detroit, their only live authorized release from St. Andrew's Hall In Detroit, MI on March 7, 1994.

"Recorded live by an audience member during Morphine's 1994 tour, Bootleg Detroit is a fitting live album for a band that personified lo-fi indie rock. What's more lo-fi than two-string slide bass, baritone sax, and drums, and what more fitting method to make a live album than have someone in the crowd taping it?"

"At about forty minutes in length, the performance is much too short, but that's partly why Bootleg Detroit succeeds. Morphine's performance is taut, intense, and laid-back smooth all at once, and it's so enjoyable you can't believe it when it's over. Billy Conway's drumming propels the band at a better, quicker pace than the studio versions of the songs, Dana Colley's sax playing is brilliant as usual, but the real star, of course, is the late Mark Sandman. His delivery of his Beat-inspired poetic lyrics and especially his dry, cool between-song banter sets the mood, from the opening strains of 'Come Along', through the band's intense reworkings of 'Thursday' and 'Buena'. As an added treat, there are two high-quality cd-rom video tracks from 1995 that are great as well, 'Cure For Pain', and 'The Saddest Song'."

Download it here:
http://www.sakalli.info/morphine-bootleg-detroit-1994-192/

Morphine was followed by a little heroin, or at least Nirvana's live performance at Selina's in the Coogee Bay Hotel in Sydney on February 6, 1992.

The Nirvana Bootography Review says:

This is a great disc. The sound appears to have come from an open digital microphone. It's a very clear stereo recording.... It's a little overdriven and the crowd can be heard, but it doesn't interfere. Bass feedback interferes with Smells Like Teen Spirit, most likely because of sensitive microphones.

Kurt isn't very talkative, but the band still plays a great set with plenty of energy. An early "All Apologies" and Lounge Act are the highlights. Overall this CD contains a solid recording of a good performance. Like many Japanese bootlegs, this one is lacking in the artwork department and doesn't have a picture on the back of the cover. This disc will make most collectors happy.

After this show ended I had to quietly sneak back inside the yurt and climb up over someone else to get to my bunk.  I'm surprised I did not create a ruckus considering my state of mind.

Download it here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?wmjwatznmym

The second night began with another flaming sunset, an excellent dinner and then when everyone was thinking of going to sleep I snuck outside to listen to over two hours of music, dancing in the snow.  The show was opened by the Pretenders, a live performance at the Universal Amphitheater on Los Angeles on March 7, 1984, shortly after their third album Learning To Crawl was released.  An excellent sound board recording full of energy.  Chrissie Hynde sounded just as good in 2009 as this 1984 recording, when I last saw them play here in Denver.

Download it here:
http://www.fileserve.com/file/PnUYUtp

Monday night at the yurt came to an end with Echo and the Bunnymen doing their show at the Rockpalast in Bochum, Germany on March 5, 1983.  An excellent recording from the height of their musical career, performing many of the classic songs that make it onto their setlist even today.

Download it here:
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