WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?

There's not enough time in the day to get everything I want done and something has to suffer.  One of the things that I didn't have time for this past month is posting to the blog, my spare time spent building the bookcase, repairing the walls, texturing the walls, painting, replacing the floor boards, replacing all electrical fixtures and then putting things back together again. The room is largely done, except for replacing the books and paintings/prints.  This project was hard to complete because I was not motivated to do it from the very beginning.  It was accomplished only because I was a zombie and simply went through the motions to get it done.  This project effectively completes the interior of the house, the last room to be renovated.  Yet other lesser projects remain to be completed in the coming years.  I like to believe they are smaller in size and scope, but that's always an illusion based on my experience, with unplanned tasks always requiring added effort.

But the music kept on playing.

Sex Pistols
Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA, USA
September 3, 2003

At the Warfield on Wednesday, the Sex Pistols crawled from history's crypt and returned to the city where they ended their brief but brilliant career in 1978. Someone should have nailed the crypt door shut. It isn't that the resurrected Pistols -- singer John Lydon (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten), guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook and original bassist Glen Matlock, who preceded the late Sid Vicious in the lineup -- were technically awful. Just embarrassing for anyone who saw them when they were still vibrant, twentysomething malcontents caught between trying to destroy a bloated music industry and milk it dry.

The real Sex Pistols met their Goetterdaemmerung with open arms on a spit- soaked Winterland stage in 1978. The embalmed facsimile that played San Francisco on Wednesday as part of its second blighted reunion tour (the first was in 1996) barely qualified as an homage. With eyes closed, the hourlong set, which included all of 1977's "Never Mind the Bollocks" album and a few singles (including the marathon cover of the Stooges' "No Fun"), seemed like a cool jolt to the memory circuits. Most of the songs still live as powerful and euphoric expressions of a certain time and place; Lydon's voice retained its distinctive sneer, and his band mates churned through their limited repertoire with workmanlike precision.

"Any of you got anything funny to say?" he demanded after a competent rendition of "God Save the Queen."

"F-- you!" replied a few middle-aged voices enthusiastically. "How do you like your meat?" Lydon spat back. "Old and tough?"

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/music/article/Sex-Pistols-Lydon-tries-but-can-t-revive-rage-2590991.php

Download it here:
https://rapidshare.com/#!download|340p7|3549447949|5.%20Warfield%20Theatre_%20San%20Francisco_%20Ca_%20USA_%2003.09.03.rar|49812|0|0

Angry eye of red
Stares down upon corruption
Death is in the air

Their moral conflicts
In a world of black and white
Colored with denial

Words meant to persuade
Spoken with such eloquence
The truth’s not required

Van Halen
Atlantic City, NJ, USA
March 24, 2012

A fan writes:

First, as you can tell, I don't post much but I am a regular on this board (basically a troll...lol). I have seen every VH tour (all except with that Cherone (spelling) joker) since the beginning when they warmed up Black Sabbath at the Spectrum. I saw the Philly show a couple weeks ago and to be honest there was no way I thought they could top that show. Boy, was I wrong. The band was tight and the acoustics in AC were tremendous. I was in the 18th row on Eddie's side and they kicked ass from start to finish. Less "chitter,chatter" from Dave tonight than Philly. This is definitley a new version of VH. I consider this the "mature" version of the band. I paid 170 both shows and it was worth every penny. A whole lot of band hugs and joking with each other. It was a tremendous show and all I can hope is that they do this again some day. KUDOS to this board as you guys all rock. I have followed many tours on here. No comparision to the tour 3 years ago. This one is tops.

Read it all here: http://www.vhlinks.com/vbforums/showthread.php?p=1502382

Download it here:
http://www.depositfiles.com/files/c1virkzhv

Clergy's whitewashed room
Sun shines outside its window
There beyond the bars

Sun rises so red
Omen of some prophecy
Nation in decline

High upon the stage
Preaching their morality
Swept up by the lies

Look to the future
But when eyes close forever
He's stuck in the past

Their optimism
Farther than the eye can see
Suffer from blindness

Joy Division
Live at Nashville Ballroom, London, UK
September 22, 1979

Excellent sound to this classic recording of the band led by Ian Curtis.

Download it here:
http://www.filefactory.com/file/cf9ab4c/n/Joy_Division_1979-09-22_Nashville_Ballroom,_London._U.K._(FLAC).rar

Scatter the ashes
Turns his back and says goodbye
Nothing but silence

A gorgeous sunset
Brilliant light shines from within
Everyone is special

Public Image limited
Belgrade Calling Festival, USCE Park, Serbia
June 29, 2012

Excellent recording from their 2012 tour, playing both old classics and new songs off their recent release.

"This summer the beautiful Ušće Park, set in New Belgrade at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers, will be the setting for one of the largest music festivals that the city have ever seen, with headliners including the legendary Ozzy Osbourne featuring guitarist extraordinaire Slash, the criminally underrated American rock band Faith No More, and the absurdly popular British singer Jesse J (who we had literally never heard of before writing this, but apparently has hundreds of millions of views on on Youtube). For us some of the 'supporting' acts are even more noteworthy, with the likes of Public Enemy, the Cult, Public Image Ltd, Orbital and the Horrors all taking to the stage over the festival's three days. Definitely one event not to be missed!"

Download it here, thanks to Pilhead:
http://www.mediafire.com/?wxd0gcok778r4cb

Leaves his childhood's town
Their down turned heads are weeping
Lay them in the ground

Iggy Pop
Roadkill Rising

I listened to discs two (1980's) and three (1990's) from the Shout! Factory’s 2011 release, Roadkill Rising, a collection of live, unreleased tracks from the 1970s through the 2000s, culled from numerous gigs around the world.

"Discs two and three mix in some of Iggy’s almost-hits, like “Nightclubbing”, “Real Wild Child” from Blah Blah Blah, and “China Girl”, which David Bowie rode as a huge hit in the summer of 1983. Other surprises include the “Batman Theme” and a filthy version of “Louie Louie” that segues into “Hang on Sloopy”, while older tunes like “Loose” and “TV Eye” are still in the setlist. A particularly delicious highlight is a ten-minute-plus version of the bluesy “One for My Baby” from the much-reviled Party album. It’s unexpectedly hilarious to hear Iggy trying to quiet down the audience so he can hear himself sing; this version is so long because he keeps stopping to harangue the crowd. The sound on these discs is clearer than disc one, with heavier bass, although the buzz-saw guitars are still there and the crowd noise remains prominent throughout."

Read it here:
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/141611-iggy-pop-roadkill-rising/

What's most interesting on the second disc is the recording of "One for My Baby (Quarter to Three)." It's more than ten minutes, if only for several false starts due to a rowdy audience. Iggy even starts to get pissed off as he's unable to sing his song. The thing is, he sounds like he means it when he says he wants to sing the song. So despite critics panning the bulk of his 80s output, apparently Iggy did believe in what he was doing. The song's low key croon isn't at all bad, and Iggy pulls it off convincingly. It's refreshing (and perhaps revitalizing) to hear his pleading with the audience though, as it does add levity to his patchy studio work through that strange decade.

Read it here:
http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=2573752

Go out and buy it!

Van Halen
Right Here, Right Now

Van Halen with Eddie and Sammy at their finest!  I was in a mood for 90's Van Halen from the Hagar era.

Go out and buy it!

Echo and the Bunnymen
O2 Brixton, London, UK
December 9, 2010

My recording from that night. 

When I listened to it on Saturday night I was somewhat disappointed at the fact that there was something lacking in me, unable to connect, as though a part of me had turned the page on this band, particularly in light of their recent failings.  It's as though the magic has gone.

Read about the trip here:
http://whatatemper.blogspot.com/2010/12/london-calling.html

Iggy Pop
Live At Channel, Boston, MA, USA
July 19, 1988

Great CD reissue of the Iggy live at the Channel Boston 1988 "when he was touring to promote Instinct, one of his less impressive solo albums, when he performed the concert taped by the King Biscuit Flower Hour and presented here, on July 19, 1988. Since Instinct was a return to simple hard rock, the seven songs from the album fit well stylistically, if not qualitatively, with the Iggy and the Stooges evergreens -- "1969," "No Fun," "I Wanna Be Your Dog," "Penetration," "Search and Destroy" -- that fill out the set list. The revved-up, near-metal arrangements are reminiscent of Lou Reed's revamping of his catalog on Rock and Roll Animal, if not as imaginative. But Pop is an enthusiastic, appreciative frontman, even if his lyrics and spoken remarks contain so many four-letter words that the original broadcast must have been heavily edited."

Download it from the Concert Vault:
http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/iggy-pop/concerts/agora-ballroom-march-21-1977.html?utm_source=CVNL&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=120917#channel-july-19-1988.html

Van Halen
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC, Canada
May 7, 2012

A fan wrote about the show:

At its fullest, I'd say it hit about 85% full. Not a sell out, but pretty well attended. Very fun crowd both inside and outside the arena; there were large groups of vans strolling through the street before the show drunkenly singing VH tunes. That they butchered the music was irrelevant - it was the thought that counted.

The show was fantastic, IMO. Dave had some struggles lyrically/vocally at points, but he made up for that with his typical Diamond Dave showmanship. He worked the crowd to his advantage and moved the evening along as a Maestro would. Ed, Al and Wolf didn't miss a beat all night - just extremely tight, and the background harmonies provided by Ed and Wolf were one of the best parts of the evening.

Vocally and musically, Wolf more than capably fills Mikey's void. He definitely doesn't possess the stage presence/fan interactivity that Mikey had, but he was still noticeably better than 2007. As the kid gets older, he's going to be fierce.

The whole show flew past, it was just like a shot of adrenaline full in the face. They ripped through everything and the energy level was fantastic. I'd rate it easily above the 2007 show that I saw. Again, just a great, fun evening.

Funny moment: When China Town started, I am 99% certain that Dave began singing the lyrics to "Bullethead" instead. He stopped, frozen on stage as the others kept chugging a long, and then deadpanned into the mic: "I fucked up the lyrics." Everyone laughed, he waited for the next verse and leapt back in.

Best moment: Eddie's solo, IMO. Didn't drag it out, didn't make it too short, it was just right - and man oh man, the man is fucking amazing.

Read more here:
http://www.vhlinks.com/vbforums/showthread.php?p=1517463

Download it here:
http://www.filefactory.com/file/78qcya8qjfal/n/VaHa.2012-05-07.Vancouver.FLAC.by.T.U.B.E.zip

HAIL TO THE CHIEF

Part of this past week was spent on the western slope of Colorado for business reasons.  A bonus prize was getting close to Air Force One, the President of the United States visiting Grand Junction the day we were there.  Peach season is at its peak, the truck being loaded up with orders, a box of 40 ripe peaches going for $10.  What a steal!

First up was The English Beat, September 3, 1982, a live performance at the US Festival. This appears to have come from their recent release of their "Live at the US Festival 82 and 83, a CD/DVD combo which covers the band’s performances at the 1982 and 1983 US Festivals. An excellent recording. 

Dave starts the show with "Bit cold here, so to warm up you're going to have to dance, right?"

Download it here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?vuud45rmvzq

Friday night's show came to a close with the Sex Pistols, performing live at Selina's Nitespot in Sydney, Australia on October 12, 1996. The Filthy Lucre Tour was the 1996 reunion tour of the pioneering British Punk rock band Sex Pistols. The 78-date world tour lasted for almost six months.
A very good audience recording.

John tells the crowd, "Word of advice.  Keep your fucking show to yourself.  Because the silly bastard who threw this is going home without it!"

Download it here:
https://rapidshare.com/files/859955489/Selina_s Nitespot_ Sydney_ Australia_ 12.10.96.rar

Saturday night opened up with The Doors, a live show at Marty Balin’s club, The Matrix, on March 7, 1967. This was about 5-6 months before “Light My Fire” gave The Doors worldwide fame and notoriety.

It was written:

Only a handful of people showed up, so Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, and Ray Manzarek played for each other, exploring song arrangements and jamming on a few blues favourites. Ironically, only a few weeks after the Matrix shows, the band's second single, "Light My Fire," would make them famous, selling a million copies on its way to topping the chart during The Summer of Love.

"It was early 1967 and The Doors were about to enter the consciousness of the nation. And this is the way it sounded," Manzarek writes in the album's liner notes.

In spite of the empty room, the band is fully engaged, using the time to give "The End" and "Back Door Man" extra lyrics and extended sections. "This is probably the closest we've come to a true document of The Doors without constraints," says Bruce Botnick, the album's producer and the band's long-time co-producer and engineer.

The band performs much of its self-titled debut on the first disc, including "Soul Kitchen," "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)," and the first single, "Break On Through (To The Other Side)."
Along with those early originals, the band indulges its love of the blues with Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love," Muddy Waters' "I'm A King Bee," and Allen Toussaint's "Get Out Of My Life, Woman," which has never appeared on any previous Doors albums.

Read it all here:
http://bandweblogs.com/blog/2008/11/07/the-doors-live-at-the-matrix-1967-san-francisco-shows-watch-video/

One of the holy grails for Doors collectors the The Matrix Tapes are also one of the most controversial. Originally recorded by the Matrix Clubs co owner Peter Abrams, a review cassette copy of the master reel to reel tapes of the complete 3 set shows from March 7 and 10 were allegedly sent to, then Elektra founder, Jac Holzman in the late 60′s early 70′s in hopes enticing him to purchase them to use for a possible live album. It is reported that Abrams intentionally made the cassette dubs “lo fi” so Elektra couldn’t release them commercially without purchasing his high quality masters. It has been claimed that Holzman didn’t want a live album so early in the Doors career and relegated the cassettes to the vaults where they were forgotten for nearly 40 years.

The resultant recording is very clear almost early soundboard quality with the vocals very dominant in the mix. The rest of the instruments are well back in the mix and have a very slight dullness and hollowness to them that you can get with an audience recording, which is an interesting contrast to the crystal clear vocals. The tape is a little light in the bass frequencies and the high frequencies are muted very slightly but there is a mid range warmth to the recording which makes it a very enjoyable listen. There is also a slight background hiss which is only evident during the between song quiet passages.

Read it all here:
http://www.collectorsmusicreviews.com/godfather-label/the-doors-the-original-matrix-tapes-godfather-records-gr-366367/

Download it here:
http://www.filefactory.com/file/ccf072e/n/DoorsCompleteMCT.zip

Saturday closed with the February 6th, 2002 show by Echo and the Bunnymen in Glasgow, Scotland.  A very good audience recording that sounds very similar to the shows that have been performed the following decade with the exception of the set list that includes a number of songs that are no longer played.  Thoroughly enjoyable.

Download it here:
https://rapidshare.com/files/1072023194/The Garage_ Glasgow_ Scotland February 6_ 2002.rar