Progressive rock from Pori, part 01

Porinian prog'n'roll is famous all around the world. First Finnish bands that have ever performed at John Peel's radio show were from Pori: Deep Turtle and Circle. This musical piece is by a band called Pharaoh Overlord. Very hypnotic and brilliant piece.

http://soundcloud.com/ektrorecords/pharaoh-overlord-rodent

Rolling Stones American Tour 1969

In the autumn of 2009 I had a project to go through all the available recordings of Stones' American tour 1969. It started on 7 November and ended to the infamous Altamont concert on 6 December.

I collected my feelings to the previous blog so I attach a link here to that site rather than transfer all the data to this blog (especially then you wouldn't notice the update stamp):
http://leglessscotsman.blogit.fi/rolling-stones-7th-november-1969-fort-collins/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones_American_Tour_1969

Tales from the turntable, part 3: Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother

To me Pink Floyd's been one of the greatest bands on earth. One thing I definitely regret is that I didn't go to see them performing at Lahti in 1989. And when the 1994 Helsinki gig was cancelled it meant that I missed my chances. Bugger! And I wasn't even near London in 2005 when they performed with Roger Waters. That 20 minutes was one of the wonders in the music business. Thank God it was shown on TV. Incredible. I really got into Floyd's music in 1986 and since then Atom Heart Mother has been one of my favourite albums by them but I also love such albums like Animals, Wish You Were Here, The Final Cut or The Wall. I was glad to see Roger Waters performing that marvelous double album at Helsinki in Spring 2011. Awsome experience.

Everybody knows The Wall or Dark Side Of The Moon so I picked Atom Heart Mother from the shelf instead. Record was released on 10th October 1970 with a code SHVL 781. The gatefolded sleeve has photos of cows on the pasture. Cover was designed by a group called Hipgnosis and they are responsible for most of the Pink Floyd album covers.

The long almost 24 minute title track Atom Heart Mother on the opening side is brilliant. I know that the members of PF (except Richard Wright I think) dislike this album but so what? To me this is a classic album. The track starts with a fade-in low humming and then added with horns and the rest of the band. Then comes cannons and horses and a motorcycle. Fantastic. The track is divided into six parts: a) Father's Shout, b) Breast Milky, c) Mother Fore, d) Funky Dung, e) Mind Your Throats, Please and f) Remergence. Lots of great moments of Wright's organs, Gilmour's guitars, Waters' bass and Mason's drums. Also nice choir bits doing the vocal parts nevertheless there aren't any clear lyrics just some odd language. Very eerie. The only lyrics I think are said in the latter part of the track: "Silence in the studio". This whole tune is like entering some magical fantasy world. The tune ends with a pompous choir singing and at the same time the band is playing the main theme.

B-side is more conventional. Well, you can hardly call all those B-side songs conventional. First comes Roger Waters' acoustic and beautiful song: "If". Then Richard Wright's "Summer '68" and then David Gilmour's "Fat Old Sun". All of them are semi-acoustic, mellow and laidback songs. Fat Old Sun starts with church bells ringing and that reminds me of the best post-Waters Pink Floyd song: "High Hopes". The album ends with Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast which is a 13 minute collection of instrumental songs and making breakfast. Yes, you read it correctly: making breakfast. The man who makes the breakfast is Alan Stiles, who was their roadie back in 1970. The song is divided into three parts: 1. Rise And Shine, 2. Sunny Side Up and 3. Morning Glory. The LP ends with a sound of water dripping from the tap. It lasts until the very final groove of the vinyl so that the last audible sound is that water when the needle jumps up. If your record player don't do that then the sound will be there indefinitely.

Brilliant album. Will always love this, like the other PF albums as well...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom_Heart_Mother

Tales from the turntable, part 2: The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet

The Rolling Stones is one of my favourite bands and that's why I choose them to open this series. Their album Beggars Banquet was released on 5th December 1968 and was their so called come back record after progressive Their Satanic Majesties Request. Many hate Satanic but I like that also. Not perhaps the top ten album but still very interesting. In May they released Jumpin' Jack Flash as a single and that was a signal what was to become later on that year. JJF is one of the best songs the Stones have recorded (thanks, Bill, for the riff). After many months of talks about what picture would be on the cover the LP was released with just creamy coloured layout with only text printed on it. My LP is an original UK print with blue (stereo) unboxed DECCA label, gatefolded covers and the code SKL4955. The opening song is a perfect opener: Sympathy For The Devil. It's very different with great lyrics and a smashing solo. That sealed the fate of The Stones as the bad boys of rock. They've performed this many times on stage and it also works well there. Second song is No Expectations about love that's not so hot anymore. Acoustic and laid back song with a bostin slide guitar. Third song is Dear Doctor which is a humour song of the LP. Hilarious lyrics. It's also perhaps the first song to hear Jagger sing in falsetto. And it's in waltz tempo! The third acoustic song in a row is Parachute Woman. It's raw bluesy song that's not long but very intense. Harmonica at the end is a great piece of work. The last song of the first side is Jig-Saw Puzzle. Nice lyrics with a laid back rhythm. This is not a well-known song and never included on the collection albums but still a great tune. The second side starts with acoustic power chords of Street Fighting Man which was mainly recorded through a Philips cassette recorder. This is also played regularly on stage. Great versions what I've heard but this studio version just has something in it. But think about Sir Mick today singing: "The time is right for palace revolution" and "I'll kill the king". He might lose his title :-) After this comes Prodigal Son. They performed this on stage during 1969-1970 and it was originally written by reverand Robert Wilkins but on this first issue album it was credited as Jagger/Richard song. Later prints corrected this. Nice catchy tune with a biblical tale. Then comes my perhaps favourite song from this LP: Stray Cat Blues. Just awsome heavy distorted guitars and brilliant drums with hi-hat beat, bass and piano by Nicky Hopkins. Lyrics are also very provocative as Mick sings: "I can see that you're fifteen years old". The live version of this song is more bluesy and slow tempo and the age was changed to 13. They can't sing that way anymore, can they? Of course they can. They're The Stones. After this heavy stuff comes a funny short song with a fiddle: Factory Girl. It's a filler but still quite nice. The album ends with a praise to a common man: Salt Of The Earth. Interesting song because it almost crosses the line of being horrible. It's a cliché song with cliché lyrics but still sounds very nice. First sentences are sung by Keith. The choir joins later on which makes it even more pompous. And it all fades away with a fast tempo drum, acoustic guitar and piano beat. This albums is perhaps the one that I'd take to a desert island. Many other great LP's by the Stones but if I have to choose one this would be it. And forget CD's, mp3's and such because LP sounds much much better. What makes this LP also special is that this is the last album where Brian Jones was still quite active (in Let It Bleed (1969) he only plays in couple of songs). In 1969 Brian was replaced by Mick Taylor who is a talented guitarist and they went to make more wonderful albums but that' s another story.

The Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger (vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar, bass), Brian Jones (guitar, sitar, mellotron, harmonica), Bill Wyman (bass, maracas) and Charlie Watts (drums, tabla). Unfortunately the sixth stone Ian Stewart didn't play on this. Additional musicians: Nicky Hopkins (piano), Rocky Dijon (congas), Ric Grech (fiddle), Dave Mason (mellotron, shehnai), Watts Street Gospel Choir, Jimmy Miller (backing vocals). Producer: Jimmy Miller. Engineers: Glyn Johns, Eddie and Gene.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beggars_Banquet

Tales from the turntable, part 1: Introduction

Remember the late eighties and early nineties when people were mad about CD’s? Everybody (well almost everybody) were taking their LP collection to local second hand music store or a flea market and sold them for whatever price they could get and then bought the same stuff as CD’s. I didn’t do that. I didn’t buy CD’s because I thought (and still think) that LP’s are much better when it comes to sound and packaging. I bought LP’s in the nineties whenever they were available. I thought that this way I would be one of the last freaks to keep that precious record alive. And what happened? It didn’t die. I’m proud to be one of those who could prevent vinyl to vanish into oblivion. You can find nowadays bands and artists releasing music on vinyl and even big department stores have taken vinyl back into their catalogue. Yeah, okay, it still is quite minor thing but the main thing is: it is still alive. On the contrary everybody’s now talking about how CD is dying. I remember I wasn’t impressed by the CD when it was introduced. Especially the BS about how they sounded better and you couldn’t break them whatever you do. Infact I found out that even one dirty fingerprint could do the trick with certain players, I guess the cheap ones (I admit that), and one minor scratch could ruin the whole CD. People nowadays are buying mp3’s instead so the decline is rolling on. If you settle for a downloaded music then why not try lossless files like flac or wav which are better quality? I admit that mp3’s or CD’s are okay when you’re in a car or you have a portable player but at home LP is the only choice. Nothing can beat the LP. It’s the whole package that counts: just look at the LP cover and compare that to CD? And when you download music you don’t even get the covers anymore. How sad for the artists who design them. How can you put covers like Sticky Fingers or Some Girls by The Rolling Stones to a CD and still look good? Mission impossible. Or if you have an insert, say a poster. How can you put that same poster inside a CD box if you want to keep the same size? Not a chance. And very rarely you see a CD box that’s the same size as LP. It’s nice to rummage through an LP collection, looking the cover, feeling the cover, smelling the cover. It’s like old wine’s bouquet – the layers of different smells from the past. And the soft and full-bodied sound of vinyl then. Great whisky/wine/beer and marvelous music on vinyl are the same. Nothing really can’t beat the vinyl.

Roger Waters The Wall (28 April 2011)

It was last night when we attended The Wall. Just awsome show. Thank You, Roger. Marvelous audiovisual experience from the first note to the last. And it is very hard to say what was the highlight of the show because the whole show was one big highlight.

Here are some clips from the Helsinki shows. Incomplete songs are not included (except from 28th). Updated 3rd May:

Wednesday 27th April:

Building the set http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNZj2U3Op2Y

Intro + In The Flesh? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoM09pdbMso

In The Flesh? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPFWe95V2F8

The Thin Ice/Another Brick In The Wall, Part 1/The Happiest Days Of Our Lives/Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UXMsE3odI8

Another Brick In The Wall, Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bgHLUJvLm8

The Happiest Days Of Our Lives/Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2 (+ excerpts from Spaces/The Boys/Worms/Trial/Outside The Wall) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNKwkYJXeCE

The Happiest Days Of Our Lives/Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL0XKhLcWyo

The Happiest Days Of Our Lives/Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq5Zu8WqV5c

The Happiest Days Of Our Lives/Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MNl7qzkCp8

The Happiest Days Of Our Lives/Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJok-kfL8xA

Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25SzD015YMQ

Mother http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjDmkSqbpuY

Mother http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXJnuvscRn8

Mother http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJkJaP1PUSk

Mother http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ-D7qpCgbs

Goodbye Blue Sky http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYO_ypcOyi4

Empty Spaces/What Shall We Do Now? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksQxvB981v8

Empty Spaces/What Shall We Do Now? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PegakMb7uoE

Empty Spaces/What Shall We Do Now? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX-5d4GkRkQ

Young Lust http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCLbgNFO6WQ

One Of My Turns http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i74tgPFAbM4

Another Brick In The Wall, Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zgBXj8Jl4g

Another Brick In The Wall, Part 3/Last Few Bricks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kchEIA9zC_U

Last Few Bricks/Goodbye Cruel World http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12d-yrMpowM

Goodbye Cruel World http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHGa0QSIsQs

Hey You/Is There Anybody Out There? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGhqMzrI9Bk

Is There Anybody Out There? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P_tvn44nVw

Bring The Boys Back Home http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w49b2HqNvgs

Comfortably Numb http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKwV3uVjLDY

Comfortably Numb http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSykPJuMEmE

Comfortably Numb http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwqwzKn1HTU

In The Flesh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLnxhnl0P0g

In The Flesh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wET_E5Ye48

Run Like Hell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFfSqWr6wJA

Run Like Hell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk8yegRgqCw

Run Like Hell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNcB-RWHANc

Run Like Hell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGedpmxtgRs

Run Like Hell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f73QPOUZec

Run Like Hell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA4v4_vR5D4

Waiting For The Worms/The Trial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m-YH-VvuSA

The Trial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGaSp0ujP7A

The Trial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX4_djAPIUw

Outside The Wall http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lduJLEahZKU

Outside The Wall http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_My1Xquyrsk

Bootleg (audio): http://www.guitars101.com/forums/f145/roger-waters-2011-04-27-helsinki-finland-aud-flac-116436.html

Thursday 28^th April:

Intro + In The Flesh? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYv3tL0V2hc

In The Flesh? (incomplete) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8CjFtjPnes

In The Flesh? (incomplete) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fMmBGrIByc

Another Brick In The Wall, Part 1/The Happiest Days Of Our Lives/Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijXD2n1gdxg

The Happiest Days Of Our Lives/Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6YboSyqgFc

Hey You (incomplete) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a96xQ7odK0A

Comfortably Numb http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL353HwQ7RI

In The Flesh (incomplete) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyJ3AaL6wPI

Excerpts from Mother/Don’t Leave Me Now/In The Flesh/Run Like Hell  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCgILIUgMiA

                     

* = possibly from 28^th April show

Grateful Dead

Brilliant! That's the first word I can dig from my dictionary. I fell in love with GD in 1986 when I borrowed Terrapin Station cassette from my local library in Pori. That song (Terrapin Station) was fabulous. I listened to that many many times. The first side wasn't bad either, especially Estimated Prophet. Okay, most of the GD studio albums are quite crappy but, man, they rock live. Jerry Garcia's guitar is perfect, Bob Weir is a brilliant rhythm guitarist, Phil Lesh play some astonishing bass lines, drummers Kreutzmann and Hart are just great and every dead keyboardist have their role in the line. And I like Donna Godchaux's part in the line-up. GD has allowed their live bootlegs to be seeded, so download as many concerts as possible and enjoy. My favourite GD song? Don't know. There are many: Terrapin Station, New Minglewood Blues, Bertha, Cold Rain And Snow, China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider, Playing With A Band, etc. etc. I wish I could be as good guitarist as Jerry was. That's just wishful thinking, but even 10% near him? Hopefully. But here's something you might like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzOyHuRzzq0

I just wish I had seen them performing live.

R.I.P. Pig Pen, Keith, Brent, Vince and... Jerry Garcia.

Beatles - Live at Star-Club, Hamburg 1962

First thing is that I can't understand why The Beatles were so reluctant to see this recording to be released. They said it was crap. Well, I don't share their views. This is one helluva live recording. Not from the peak of their Hamburg period but from the last days of their fifth Hamburg visit. According to the notes this was compiled from Ted "Kingsize" Taylor's recordings from 25th to 31st December 1962. Just before the beatlemania hit the world. Very raw and powerful performance. Much better than the later Beatles live recordings. Oh, how I wish there would be more of those pre 1963 live recordings available.

No one knows the right setlists and what song was played on what day but that doesn't matter. Here's one list that claims to be close to real sets recorded:

25th December 1962:
1) Be-Bop A-Lula (vocals by Fred Fascher), 2) I Saw Her Standing There, 3) Hallelujah I Love Her So (vocals by Horst Fascher), 4) My Girl Is Red Hot (incomplete), 5) Sheila, 6) Kansas City, 7) Shimmy Shimmy, 8 ) Reminiscing, 9) Red Sails In The Sunset, 10) Sweet Little Sixteen, 11) Roll Over Beethoven, 12) A Taste Of Honey (incomplete), 13) Ask Me Why, 14) Long Tall Sally, 15) Besame Mucho, 16) I'm Gonna Sit Down And Cry (incomplete), 17) Twist And Shout (incomplete), 18) Mr. Moonlight, 19) Falling In Love Again, 20) Talkin' 'Bout You, 21) I Remember You

28th December 1962: 1) Ain't Nothin' Shakin' (incomplete), 2) I Saw Her Standing There, 3) To Know Her Is To Love Her, 4) Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby, 5) Till There Was You, 6) Where Have You Been All My Life, 7) Lend Me Your Comb, 8 ) Your Feet's Too Big, 9) Talkin' 'Bout You, 10) A Taste Of Honey, 11) Matchbox, 12) Little Queenie, 13) Roll Over Beethoven, 14) Roadrunner

31st December 1962: 1) Roadrunner, 2) Hippy Hippy Shake, 3) A Taste Of Honey, 4) Money (vocals by Tony Sheridan)

Lots of recordings available with different amount of songs. But here's one with perhaps the most perfect amount of songs + between songs banter:
http://musictravellerstwo.blogspot.com/2008/09/beatles-1962-star-club-purple-chick.html

PS. This is one of the most adored live shows I know. We bought vol 2 of the Pickwick series in 1979 and I've loved it since. I remember listening to this when I was a kid. Bloody hell. The best Beatles live show ever recorded. Thank you Adrian Barber & Ted "Kingsize" Taylor. These concerts show what the real Beatles was. Not the polished all-dressed up every mother-in-laws favourite son-in-laws. I want to hear more of this Beatles...

Rolling Stones: Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out - NOW!

This is my ongoing project that probably will linger on and on eternally. It will be finished when all the songs can be found as soundboards and without overdubs.

1. Jumpin' Jack Flash (from Gimme Shelter movie, NYC 28/11 first show)
2. Carol (from VHS version of Gimme shelter movie extras, NYC 28/11 first show)
3. Sympathy For The Devil (from GYYYO + 4th verse edited from Acetate version of GYYYO, NYC 28/11 first show)
4. Stray Cat Blues ( from GYYYO with vocal overdubs, NYC 28/11 first show)
5. Love In Vain (from GYYYO, Baltimore 26/11)
6. Prodigal Son (from Super/Deluxe GYYYO, NYC 28/11 second show)
7. You Gotta Move (from Super/Deluxe GYYYO, NYC 28/11 second show)
8. Under My Thumb / I'm Free (from Super/Deluxe GYYYO, sadly few bars are missing from the intro, NYC 27/11)
9. Midnight Rambler (from GYYYO, NYC 28/11 second show)
10. Live With Me (from GYYYO with vocal overdubs, NYC 28/11 second show)
11. Little Queenie (from Gimme Shelter movie extras, NYC 28/11 first show)
12. Satisfaction (from Super/Deluxe GYYYO, NYC 28/11 first show)
13. Honky Tonk Women (from GYYYO with possible vocal overdubs, NYC 28/11 first show)
14. Street Fighting Man (from bootleg Shot of Salvation. NYC 28/11 first show)
+ Bonus 1: Gimme Shelter (from bootleg Shot of Salvation, Altamont 6/12)
+ Bonus 2: Satisfaction (from Gimme Shelter movie, extra edits by me, NYC 27-28/11)

The other CD includes supporting acts (Ike and Tina Turner, BB King, Terry Reid, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, The Fabulous Burrito Brothers and CSN&Y). Sadly there are no tapes surfaced of Chuck Berry's gigs.

This is definitely the best tour by The Stones.