Sakalli
Freedom to Music
Grateful Dead – Road Trips Full Show Spectrum 1979-11-05 (@256)
16 Apr 2011
(Review from thebestofwebsite.com)
This archival release contains the complete concert that they performed at the Spectrum, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 5, 1979.
Highlights include a 15-minute plus “Terrapin Station”, along with an extended “Playin’ In The Band” with solid contributions from keyboardist Brent Mydland.
Line-up:
- Jerry Garcia / lead guitar, vocals
- Brent Mydland / keyboards, vocals
- Bill Kreutzmann / drums
- Mickey Hart / drums
- Phil Lesh / electric bass
- Bob Weir / rhythm guitar, vocals
Track List:
CD1
01. China Cat Sunflower – 6:05
02. I Know You Rider – 7:19
03. Cassidy – 5:25
04. Friend of the Devil – 8:53
05. El Paso – 4:32
06. Stagger Lee – 8:14
07. Passenger – 5:26
08. Peggy-O – 8:29
09. The Music Never Stopped – 9:10
CD2
01. Space – 2:42
02. Easy to Love You – 4:00
03. Space – 2:15
04. Lost Sailor – 6:40
05. Saint of Circumstance – 5:09
06. Sugar Magnolia – 9:18
07. Casey Jones – 5:56
Link in comments.
Caravan – Live UK Tour 1975 (@256)
16 Apr 2011
(Review from allmusic, progarchives.com)
This live recording was made a few months after the band had released “Cunning Stunts” in 1975. By that time keyboard player David Sinclair had left the band and was replaced by Jan Schelhaas. It is the same line-up that would record “Blind Dog at St. Dustans” a year later.
The show takes place December 5th, 1975, at Nottingham Polytechnic for the expressed purpose of a radio broadcast in support of their new album.
As such, the set fittingly commences with a spot-on reading of the LP’s opener, “The Show of Our Lives”. Matching the attendees audible enthusiasm, Caravan give the mid-tempo rocker a thorough and energetic workout, despite a moment or two of questionable vocal intonations from Pye Hastings. His guitar craft, however, is nothing short of stellar. The well-defined mix accentuates his electric fretwork as he dances behind the solid rhythm section.
Caravan reach slightly further back for a sinuous reading of “The Love in Your Eye” from 1972 and all the way to 1970 for a driving and well jammed out version of the typical Caravan show closer, “For Richard”.
Line-up:
- Pye Hastings / guitars, vocals
- Richard Coughlan / percussion, drums
- Jan Schelhaas / keyboards, vocals
- Mike Wedgwood / bass, vocals
- Geoff Richardson / viola, flute, guitar
Track List:
01. The Show Of Our Lives – 4:41
02. Memory Lain, Hugh-Headloss – 9:52
03. The Dabsong Conshirtoe – 12:29
04. Virgin On The Ridiculous-Be Alright-Chance Of A Lifetime – 14:23
05. Love In Your Eye – 18:22
06. For Richard – 16:50
Link in comments.
Grateful Dead – Road Trips Vol 4 No 2 (Live 1988) (@256)
15 Apr 2011
(Review from dead.net)
This archival release offers up the entire April 1, 1988 concert from the Brendan Byrne Arena in Meadowlands, plus the entire second set and a few first set highlights from the previous night’s show, March 31.
The April Fools show is a real barn-burner, with a first set that includes a “double-opener” of high-octane versions of “Mississippi Half-Step” and “Jack Straw”, a rare and nearly perfect take on “To Lay Me Down”, followed directly by a Grateful Dead-only version of Dylan’s “Ballad of a Thin Man”. The band give the classic tune an impressively emotional workout. That first set also includes nearly manic versions of both “Cumberland” and “Deal”.
There’s no letup in Set Two, either, as the band tears through what looks on paper like a fairly conventional set list, but in execution is far from that. “China Cat” > “Rider”, “Estimated” > “Eyes” and “The Other One” > “Wharf Rat” all sound fresh and alive, and seem to glow with fiery embers thanks to Garcia’s speedy and imaginative runs.
A few nuggets from the 3/31 first set are tucked onto the back side of Disc One—including a superb “Let It Grow”—and then that night’s second set fills the other disc, and it’s another rockin’ affair loaded with favorites: A “Scarlet” > “Fire” nearly the equal of the famous Hampton version just four nights earlier, a fine “Terrapin” and a post-”Drums” that never lets up as it moves from “Goin’ Down the Road” into “Miracle”, “Dear Mr. Fantasy”, the coda of “Hey Jude” and “Watchtower” in the closing slot. The encore is another Dylan tune, “Heaven’s Door” — a perfect grace note for a raucous and exciting show. Also note that the “Rhythm Devils” and “Space” portions of each show are also fantastically varied and interesting.
Line-up:
- Jerry Garcia / lead guitar, vocals
- Mickey Hart / drums
- Bill Kreutzmann / drums
- Phil Lesh / electric bass, vocals
- Brent Mydland / keyboards, vocals
- Bob Weir / rhythm guitar, vocals
Track List:
CD1
01. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo > – 10:09
02. Jack Straw > – 5:18
03. To Lay Me Down – 8:29
04. Ballad Of A Thin Man – 6:51
05. When Push Comes To Shove – 4:49
06. New Minglewood Blues – 7:47
07. Cumberland Blues – 5:51
08. Deal – 7:10
09. When I Paint My Masterpiece – 5:03
10. Let It Grow – 12:10
11. Brokedown Palace – 5:21
CD2
01. Scarlet Begonias > – 8:05
02. Fire On The Mountain – 11:34
03. Samson & Delilah – 6:39
04. Terrapin Station > – 11:41
05. Rhythm Devils > – 5:52
06. Space > – 6:22
07. Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad > – 6:17
08. I Need A Miracle > – 3:21
09. Dear Mr. Fantasy > – 4:20
10. Hey Jude > – 1:41
11. All Along The Watchtower – 4:45
12. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door – 8:29
CD3
01. China Cat Sunflower > – 6:19
02. I Know You Rider – 5:36
03. Estimated Prophet > – 12:35
04. Eyes Of The World > – 8:55
05. Rhythm Devils > – 6:59
06. Space > – 8:33
07. The Other One > – 7:18
08. Wharf Rat > – 7:54
09. Throwing Stones > – 9:05
10. Not Fade Away – 5:57
Link in comments.
Filesonic mirroring in progress
15 Apr 2011
Probably as many of you have noticed, I’m giving a shot at Filesonic for the spot of a third file service provider other than Hotfile and Rapidshare since last month.
I’m starting to mirror the archives also, I’ll be posting links at the comments section of each album. In time, I expect most of the blog to be mirrored to Filesonic.
Don’t forget to use a downloader software (like Jdownloader), to automatize the annoying aspects of free downloading like waiting periods, captcha, etc.
If you’re already going to buy a Filesonic or Hotfile premium account see the donations page for a referral link.
Caravan – A Hunting We Shall Go (Live 1974) (@256)
15 Apr 2011
(Review from progarchives.com)
Recorded in November 13th 1974, this is a rather lightweight live album, only thirty four minutes long, with three songs.
The minor classic suite “A Hunting We Shall Go” features some brief bits of curious improvisation with a magnificent riff.
The highlight here, “For Richard” takes up more than half of the album. It is translated brilliantly to the new line-up. Richardson’s viola really changes the flavour of the piece to something a little more pastoral while the bass-heavy mix keeps it powerful and punchy as ever. Pye Hastings’ vocals are fleeting but delightful. In the nearly 20 minutes running time, we see the whole plethora of cool, loose improvisations and tight, light-hearted rock music that defines Caravan taken over wholesale by a fresh line-up with a star soloist.
“Hoedown” is the encore… Caravan bring out the participational elements of that song in a trite, amusing, ironic way. Hastings’ echoey guitar and Richard Coughlan’s drums hold things down and various cutesy improvisations from the band’s major instrumentalists change the song more drastically.
Line-up:
- Pye Hastings / guitar, vocals
- Geoffrey Richardson / viola
- Mike Wedgwood / bass
- Richard Coughlan / drums
- David Sinclair / keyboards
Track List:
01. A Hunting We Shall Go – 8:43
02. For Richard – 19:16
03. Hoedown – 5:51
Link in comments.
Grateful Dead – Road Trips Vol 4 No 1 (Live 1969) (@256)
14 Apr 2011
(Review from dead.net)
Grateful Dead played at a rock festival known as the Big Rock Pow Wow, May 23-25, 1969. They headlined the first two days of the festival and their complete sets are spread across the three discs of this archival release.
The Dead provided their own very psychedelic soundtrack for the weekend with two fiery sets that show the group at their exploratory best. The first show was built around what would become known as the Live Dead sequence: “Dark Star” > “St. Stephen” > “The Eleven” > “Turn On Your Lovelight”, each piece jammed powerfully and with purpose, flowing like electric lava—bubbling and spurting and occasionally exploding as it erupts out of the speakers and into the crowd. There are all sorts of fascinating twists and turns in the jams (including a couple prompted by Garcia breaking strings!) and the “Lovelight” has Pigpen leading the charge for a very funky half-hour rock’n'soul romp. Also notable from the first show is a superb “Morning Dew” (which appears on Disc 3 due to the timing limitations of the CD format).
The next night (beginning Disc 2 here) the Dead open with another excursion through “Lovelight”, this one has its own unique feeling—same song, different vibe. From there it’s a tour through some of the other chestnuts of the era, including the then-new “Doin’ That Rag”, the wonderful ballad “He Was a Friend of Mine,” which eases into “China Cat Sunflower”, followed by another slammin’ “Eleven”, before arriving at a haunting and potent “Death Don’t Have No Mercy”.
The reminder of the second show (on Disc 3) includes “Alligator”, a drum duel with Mickey and Bill calling on the native spirits, a version of “St. Stephen” that begins unlike any other version from this era and ends in eerie feedback before a final “We Bid You Goodnight”.
Line-up:
- Tom Constanten / keyboards
- Jerry Garcia / lead guitar, vocals
- Mickey Hart / drums
- Bill Kreutzmann / drums
- Phil Lesh / electric bass, vocals
- Ron “Pigpen” McKernan / vocals, percussion
- Bob Weir / rhythm guitar, vocals
Track List:
CD1
01. Hard To Handle – 5:46
02. Dark Star > – 18:55
03. St. Stephen > – 9:00
04. The Eleven > – 10:38
05. Turn On Your Lovelight – 30:58
CD2
01. Introduction – 4:26
02. Turn On Your Lovelight – 27:25
03. Doin’ That Rag > – 6:43
04. He Was A Friend Of Mine (Just A Hand To Hold) > – 8:49
05. China Cat Sunflower > – 5:24
06. The Eleven > – 8:17
07. Death Don’t Have No Mercy – 6:59
CD3
01. Morning Dew – 9:43
02. Me & My Uncle – 3:17
03. Yellow Dog Story – 3:11
04. Alligator > – 3:59
05. Drums > – 7:33
06. St. Stephen > – 5:58
07. Feedback > – 4:16
08. We Bid You Goodnight – 3:22
Link in comments.
Caravan – Live at the Fairfield Halls (1974) (@256)
14 Apr 2011
(Review from allmusic)
Documented during an era in which U.K. performances by Caravan were few and far between, “Live at the Fairfield Halls 1974″ is a complete presentation of a concert held just prior to their inaugural tour of North America. This warm-up show took place on September 1, 1974, at Fairfield Hall in Croydon. The sound is crisp and the stereo image is direct and very warm.
Although Caravan had been subjected to several key personnel and managerial alterations in the preceding months, once they hit the stage they shed any behind-the-scenes acrimony and were transformed into a stunning synergy of progressive and symphonic rock.
Enthusiasts who prefer the band’s lineup and subsequent edgier tone, circa For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night, will be doubly thrilled with this release as they re-create most of the album. Additionally, they wrap themselves around the crushing “Memory Lain, Hugh”/”Headloss” opener. Perhaps foreshadowing how powerful this rendition will be, the evening’s proceedings fade in to the hovering resonation of Geoffrey Richardson’s electric viola as he fiddles underneath the band’s introduction.
Caravan’s most recent release concurrent to this performance is the equally impressive “Caravan & the New Symphonia”. From that album comes “Virgin on the Ridiculous” — performed here by just the quintet. Although composed for the incorporation of an orchestra, this rendition is leaner and displays the band’s almost conversational way of jamming and improvising.
The transition into the “Be Alright Now” suite is seamless, and, under the thunder sticks of Richard Coughlan (drums), the band is propelled into one of the only live versions of the medley to have been professionally documented.
This is the same concert released in France, in 1980, under the title “The Best of Caravan Live”.
Line-up:
- David Sinclair / keyboards
- Geoffrey Richardson / viola
- Mike Wedgwood / bass
- Pye Hastings / guitar, vocals
- Richard Coughlan / drums
Track List:
01. Memory Lain, Hugh / Headloss – 9:27
02. Virgin on the Ridiculous – 7:14
03. Be Alright / Chance of a Lifetime – 6:37
04. The Love in Your Eye – 15:23
05. L’Auberge du Sanglier / A Hunting We Shall Go / Pengola / Backwards / A Hunting We Shall Go (Reprise) – 9:49
06. The Dog, The Dog, He’s at It Again – 6:23
07. For Richard – 19:01
08. Hoedown – 5:58
Link in comments.
Grateful Dead – Road Trips Vol 3 No 4 (Live 1980) (@256)
11 Apr 2011
(Review from dead.net, amazon.com)
This archival release combines two back-to-back college shows in a triple set. The Dead performed dynamic versions of a number of favorites on May 6, 1980, at Penn State and May 7, 1980, at Cornell University. Every instrument has its place in the wide stereo spread of these two performances.
Disc One is a compilation of the best of the Penn State and Cornell first sets (leaning more on the Penn State show), and it’s good stuff from top to bottom: it contains inspired versions of both “Lazy Lightning > Supplication” and “Lost Sailor > Saint”, dynamic takes on “Althea” and “Cassidy” and a lovely rendition of “Peggy-0″, among other treats.
Disc Two offers up the entire second set from Penn State (save for the encore, which was incomplete on the master tape) and it’s filled with exciting versions of a number of favorites, beginning with a rip-roarin’ “China Cat > Rider”, a spacey and unusual “Stranger”, which rolls into “He’s Gone”. The version of that last tune ends with a beautiful, lilting jam before heading off to the more dangerous terrain of “The Other One” and what a ride that is—fasten your seat belts, because it’s an adventure, even after the final verse; certainly it’s among the best from this period. After the intriguing explorations of “drums” and “space”, the jam heads into a stirring “Wharf Rat”, which then melds organically into a double-Chuck Berry close.
The entire second set of which—save for a few minutes of “drums and space and the encore of the Cornell show makes up Disc Three of this Road Trips release. The sound is clean, crisp and powerful. You’re definitely going to be knocked out by the mix on both of these shows—every instrument has its place in the wide stereo spread and you can really vibe out on the interaction between Garcia and Weir in particular.
If the Penn State show is characterized by a certain ragged but always spirited intensity, Cornell is one of those smooth, nearly seamless shows where everything flows easily and just feels right, while still taking plenty of risks along the way. The rare double-Garcia opener of a very funky “Shakedown Street” into “Bertha” gets things off to a lively start. Then it’s on to “Playing in the Band” and a near-perfect “Terrapin.” The “space” jam builds inevitably into a charging “Saint of Circumstance” (separated for the first time from “Lost Sailor”!), followed by a moving “Black Peter” and a raucous “Good Lovin’” capper.
All in all, two sparkling and underrated shows that will surely earn new respect for the sizzling spring of 1980 tour.
Line-up:
- Jerry Garcia / lead guitar, vocals
- Mickey Hart / drums
- Bill Kreutzmann / drums
- Phil Lesh / electric bass
- Brent Mydland / keyboards, vocals
- Bob Weir / rhythm guitar, vocals
Track List:
CD1
01. Jack Straw – 6:50
02. Peggy-O – 6:49
03. Me and My Uncle-) – 3:02
04. Big River – 5:44
05. Loser – 7:39
06. Cassidy – 5:03
07. Row Jimmy – 11:39
08. Lazy Lightning-) – 3:32
09. Supplication – 4:30
10. Althea – 9:07
11. Lost Sailor-) – 5:59
12. Saint of Circumstance – 6:09
CD2
01. China Cat Sunflower-) – 5:54
02. I Know You Rider – 6:56
03. Feel Like A Stranger-) – 9:35
04. He’s Gone-) – 13:27
05. The Other One-) – 10:01
06. Rhythm Devils-) – 8:51
07. Space-) – 3:37
08. Wharf Rat-) – 10:12
09. Around and Around-) – 4:00
10. Johnny B. Goode – 4:09
CD3
01. Shakedoown Street-) – 13:28
02. Bertha-) – 6:29
03. Playing In The Band-) – 9:04
04. Terrapin Station-) – 12:48
05. Rhythm Devils-) – 4:30
06. Space-) – 3:54
07. Saint of Circumstance-) – 5:51
08. Black Peter-) – 9:20
09. Playing In The Band – 3:22
10. Good Lovin’ – 7:36
Link in comments.
Caravan – Ether Way (BBC Sessions 1975-77) (@256)
07 Apr 2011
(Review from progarchives.com)
Here are some excellent renditions of their more commercially produced sounding albums recorded live at the BBC from 1976-1979 and in great sound quality.
Highlights include “Nightmare” with an impressive guitar crescendo at the end. “All The Way” has some of their most ethereal vocal. The version of “Dabsong Conshirto” is more impressive and “raw” than that of the version on “Cunning Stunts”.
Line-up:
- David Sinclair / keyboards
- Dek Messecar / bass
- Geoffrey Richardson / viola
- Jan Schelhaas / keyboards
- Mike Wedgwood / bass
- Pye Hastings / guitar, vocals
- Richard Coughlan / drums
Track List:
01. The Show Of Our Lives – 4:54
02. Stuck In A Hole – 3:15
03. Dabsong Conshirto – 12:32
04. All The Way – 6:33
05. A Very Smelly Grubby Little Oik-Bobbing Wide-Come On Back-Grubby Oik Reprise – 11:44
06. Behind You – 5:13
07. The Last Unicorn – 5:34
08. Nightmare – 6:17
09. Better By Far – 4:48
Link in comments.
Grateful Dead – Road Trips Vol 3 No 3 (Live 1970) (@256)
06 Apr 2011
(Review from wikipedia, musicbox-online.com)
Road Trips Volume 3 Number 3 was billed as a 40th anniversary celebration of the album Workingman’s Dead. It includes several versions, some acoustic and some electric, of seven of the eight songs that appear on that album, omitting only “High Time”.
The album contains material from two concerts — the early show and the late show — performed on May 15, 1970, at the Fillmore East in New York City. Including the material from the bonus disc, this release includes both May 15, 1970 Fillmore East Shows in their entirety except for the acoustic performance on “Candyman” from the late show.
With a larger stash of songs in its repertoire — which seemed to grow exponentially every time the outfit returned to the road — the Grateful Dead had a broader range of styles at its disposal. While many of its sonic explorations continued to be rooted within the blues idiom, the outfit was starting to learn that it no longer was limited to building its psychedelic sojourns around tried-and-true, R&B-based grooves.
Split between acoustic and electric sets, the band’s stylistic forays remained heavily compartmentalized. Nevertheless, the collection features the best of both worlds that the Grateful Dead had established. In some ways, the outfit was returning to its jug-band days, picking up pieces to the overall puzzle of its career, ones that hadn’t necessarily disappeared completely from its work but had, at least, been subdued by its late 1960s diversions.
Armed with traditional instrumentation, Bob Weir dabbled in country textures via “Silver Threads & Golden Needles” and “Long Black Limousine” — the former was a hit for rockabilly queen “Wanda Jackson”, while the latter had been a recent addition to Elvis Presley’s repertoire. Meanwhile, Garcia was unearthing songs that were staples of the folk and bluegrass scenes: “Ballad of Casey Jones”, “Deep Elm Blues”, “Cold Jordan” and “A Voice from on High”, among them. Pigpen still routinely delved into the blues, but his renditions of a trio of Lightnin’ Hopkins-penned tunes — “Ain’t It Crazy (The Rub)”, “Katie Mae” and “She’s Mine” — conveyed the rural ambience of the collective’s revolutionized persona.
Given that many of these songs were infrequent visitors to the Grateful Dead’s set lists — some of the tunes are making their recorded debuts here — it is not surprising that they sometimes were delivered with considerably less confidence than the band brought to its original material. “A Voice from on High” and “Cold Jordan”, in particular, were as intriguing as they were unrefined. Meanwhile, the steady, pensive plodding of “Black Peter” conjured foreboding darkness, while “Friend of the Devil”‘s light gallop as well as the easy-going strum of “Uncle John’s Band” embodied the intimacy of a campfire gathering.
Fully amplified affairs, the latter half of the Grateful Dead’s performances at the Fillmore East exuded the rambunctious energy that epitomized the outfit’s mind-warping sojourns from the late 1960s. All of the heavy-hitting songs from the group’s repertoire were present — an epic rendition of “That’s It for the Other One”, a pair of explosive romps through “St. Stephen”, the hazily spiritual overtones of “Dark Star” and ferocious covers of “Good Lovin’” and “Turn on Your Lovelight”. Showcasing the Grateful Dead’s mastery of musical dynamics, moments of full-throttled fury pressed against passages of tender fragility. As usual, the material was twisted into a variety of shapes that allowed the band and its fans to view them from fresh perspectives.
In spite of the many familiar touchstones that lined the Grateful Dead’s performances at the Fillmore East, it is clear that the band’s sound was beginning to mutate. The two versions of “I Know You Rider” that surfaced during the concerts — both of which are included here — highlight how dramatically and quickly its approach was shifting. Performed with acoustic instruments at the onset of the early show, the song assumed a weary, heavyhearted moodiness that stood in stark contrast to the more familiar interpretations that the Grateful Dead delivered throughout its career. Even in 1970, the tune — almost to a fault — had become inseparable from “China Cat Sunflower”. Sure enough, it was presented in this fashion during the late-night electric set. Right from the start, these tracks fit together naturally. Still in an embryonic form, the pairing typified the joy of discovery that permeated this era of the Grateful Dead’s rich history.
Line-up:
- Jerry Garcia / Electric and Acoustic Lead Guitar, Vocals
- Mickey Hart / Drums
- Bill Kreutzmann / Drums
- Phil Lesh / Electric Bass, Vocals
- Ron “Pigpen” McKernan / Vocals, Organ, Percussion, Harmonica, Acoustic Guitar
- Bob Weir / Electric and Acoustic Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
with
- John Dawson / harmony vocals (CD2/9, CD3/6, CD4/4)
- David Nelson / mandolin (CD2/9, CD3/6, CD4/4)
Track List:
CD1
01. Don’t Ease Me In – 4:23
02. I know You Rider – 8:29
03. Ain’t It Crazy (The Rub) – 3:56
04. Long Black Limousine – 4:54
05. New Speedway Boogie – 6:25
06. Casey Jones – 5:01
07. St. Stephen – 5:46
08. That’s It For The Other One – 24:29
09. Cosmic Charlie – 7:59
10. New Minglewood Blues – 3:35
CD2
01. Deep Elem Blues – 5:41
02. The Ballad Of Casey Jones – 4:46
03. Silver Threads And Golden Needles – 3:49
04. Black Peter – 7:23
05. Friend Of The Devil – 4:05
06. Uncle John’s Band – 7:00
07. She’s Mine – 2:53
08. Katie Mae – 4:37
09. A Voice From On High – 2:54
10. China Cat Sunflower – 4:55
11. I Know You Rider – 4:41
12. Cumberland Blues – 5:13
13. Hard To Handle – 5:50
14. Morning Dew – 10:53
15. Dire Wolf – 3:53
CD3
01. Good Lovin’ – 13:45
02. Dark Star – 19:40
03. St. Stephen – 6:04
04. Not Fade Away – 6:52
05. Turn On Your Lovelight – 27:44
06. Cold Jordan – 2:32
CD4 (Bonus)
01. Friend of the Devil – 4:02
02. Candyman – 6:11
03. Cumberland Blues – 4:51
04. Cold Jordan – 2:33
05. Easy Wind – 8:17
06. Attics of My Life – 5:45
07. Beat It on Down the Line – 3:08
08. Next Time You See Me – 3:36
09. New Speedway Boogie – 9:24
10. St. Stephen – 6:30
11. Not Fade Away – 6:36
12. Turn On Your Lovelight – 17:38
Link in comments.
Caravan – Songs For Oblivion Fishermen (BBC Sessions 1970-74) (@256)
22 Mar 2011
(Review from progarchives.com, allmusic)
These BBC tapes published in a uncharacteristicly medium sound quality. Apparently some of the original tapes were stolen or lost and they had to use transcripts. The sessions features examples of both styles of Caravan, witty pop songs as well as complex but melodic extended workouts.
Half the disc features the band’s original lineup with highly rated bassist Richard Sinclair. For the seasoned Caravan enthusiast, the repertoire is somewhat predictable, including standards “If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You”, “Hello Hello”, “In the Land of Grey and Pink” and “Memory Lane Hugh”. To the band’s credit, it does not attempt to recreate its studio recordings note for note, adding interest for longtime fans. Also included are two songs that were never released on Caravan’s studio albums, “Mirror for a Day” and “Virgin on the Ridiculous”.
Line-up:
- Pye Hastings / guitar, vocals
- Dave Sinclair / keyboards, vocals
- Richard Sinclair / bass, vocals (1-6)
- John Perry / bass (7-12)
- Richard Coughlan / drums
- Geoffrey Richardson / viola (7-12)
Track List:
01. Hello Hello – 2:51
02. If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You – 2:48
03. As I Feel I Die – 4:31
04. Love Song Without Flute – 3:20
05. Love To Love You – 2:25
06. In The Land Of Grey And Pink – 3:39
07. Memory Lain Hugh – 4:54
08. A Hunting We Shall Go-Backwards – 8:25
09. Love In Your Eye – 13:52
10. Mirror For The Day – 4:15
11. For Richard – 15:03
12. Virgin On The Ridiculous – 7:00
Link in comments.
Grateful Dead – Road Trips Vol 3 No 2 (Live 1971) (@256)
21 Mar 2011
(Review from musicbox-online.com)
Throughout its existence, the Grateful Dead was almost always in a continuous state of evolution. The shows the band performed in 1971 were its most transitional affairs. In fact, where its concerts in 1977 projected a unified perspective, the Grateful Dead’s sojourns six years earlier stood in sharp contrast, exhibiting a persona that was as variegated and unsettled as its musical roots. The show featured here, November 15th 1971 @ Austin, is a prime example of how deliriously scattered the Grateful Dead’s performances were during this era.
In November 1971, there were a lot of internal and external pressures weighing upon the Grateful Dead. Most notably, the relatively young outfit was faced with the prospect of having to find a replacement for founding keyboard player Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, whose health had begun to fade. Considering how much of the Grateful Dead’s sets had been devoted to his uproariously blues-y antics, this surely was not an easy task. No matter who was hired — in the end, it was Keith Godchaux — a seismic shift in the ensemble’s approach was bound to take place.
Grateful Dead had successfully extended the Americana-imbued essence that it had put forth with remarkable perfection on Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty. Over the course of the preceding nine months, an astounding collection of new compositions — “Bertha”, “Loser”, “Playing in the Band”, “Wharf Rat”, “Sugaree”, “Jack Straw”, “Mexicali Blues” and “Ramble on Rose”, among them — had become indoctrinated into the outfit’s repertoire. These songs would be further developed in the coming weeks, months, and years, but already it was apparent that this material had been fully digested by the band.
At the same time, the exhilarating and edgy jams that had filled the Grateful Dead’s sets during the late 1960s hadn’t yet faded from its arsenal. “Truckin’”, for example, wasn’t simply a heated blast of rock ‘n‘ roll fury. Consequently, it served its purposes equally well as a rousing opening number and as a launch pad for the previous night’s atom-smashing, brain-frying, acid-test revival of “Other One”. Elsewhere, the Grateful Dead didn’t just dip its toe into the cosmic tidal pool of “Dark Star”. Instead, it enveloped “El Paso” within the cataclysmic forces of creation and destruction before plunging into the ominous, electric chug of “Casey Jones”.
Walking a line between its youthful exuberance and its rapid maturation, this archival release pushes this facet of the Grateful Dead’s approach into plain view.
Line-up:
- Jerry Garcia / lead guitar, vocals
- Keith Godchaux / piano
- Bill Kreutzmann / drums
- Phil Lesh / electric bass, vocals
- Bob Weir / rhythm guitar, vocals
Track List:
CD1
01. Truckin’ – 9:20
02. Bertha – 6:02
03. Playing In The Band – 6:33
04. Deal – 5:12
05. Jack Straw – 5:32
06. Loser – 6:41
07. Beat It On Down The Line – 3:40
08. Dark Star-> – 12:48
09. El Paso-> – 4:55
10. Dark Star – 7:45
11. Casey Jones – 5:51
12. One More Saturday Night – 5:01
CD2
01. Me And My Uncle – 3:34
02. Ramble On Rose – 6:41
03. Mexicali Blues – 3:41
04. Brokedown Palace – 5:51
05. Me And Bobby McGee – 6:26
06. Cumberland Blues – 6:34
07. Sugar Magnolia – 7:37
08. You Win Again – 2:42
09. Not Fade Away-> – 5:56
10. Jam-> – 6:33
11. Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad-> – 8:27
12. Not Fade Away – 3:38
13. Johnny B. Goode – 4:25
CD3 (Bonus)
01. China Cat Sunflower-> – 5:06
02. I Know You Rider – 6:33
03. Sugaree – 7:10
04. Truckin’-> – 10:34
05. Drums-> – 4:23
06. The Other One-> – 8:49
07. Me And My Uncle-> – 3:17
08. The Other One-> – 12:14
09. Wharf Rat-> – 9:43
10. Sugar Magnolia – 6:46
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Caravan – Show Of Our Lives (Live at the BBC 1968-75) (@256)
20 Mar 2011
(Review from progarchives.com)
The amazing thing about Caravan is just how much they recorded for the BBC, whether in radio sessions or live concerts. This is is yet another one of those releases, a double disc affair for that matter, and still no overlapping from sessions.
It’s quite pleasant to hear three from their debut album, including a rare Wilde Flowers/Soft Machine stunning tidbits “Feelin’, Reelin’, Squelin’” from a 1971 session. Other rarities are the rarely heard “Love To Love You”, a vastly different “Love Song With A Flute” (Sinclair on electric piano) and an unfortunately abridged “9 Ft Underground”.
The second disc offers us a bunch of Richardson-era sessions, but not past the Stunts album. Of interest is the “Love In Your Eyes” with violin and the two new for the New Symphonia gig tracks as well as a “For Richard”. We even hear Pye answering Geoffrey’s great violin runs in “For Richard”. One of the best versions of “Dabsong Conshirtoe” is also present here.
Line-up:
- David Sinclair / keyboards
- Pye Hastings / guitar, vocals
- Richard Coughlan / drums
- Richard Sinclair / bass
- Steve Miller / keyboards
- Geoffrey Richardson / viola
- Jan Schelhaas / keyboards
- Mike Wedgwood / bass
Track List:
CD1
01. Place Of My Own – 4:13
02. Ride – 4:18
03. If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You – 2:47
04. Hello Hello – 3:13
05. As I Feel I Die – 6:25
06. Love To Love You – 3:13
07. Love Song Without Flute – 3:34
08. In The Land Of Grey And Pink – 3:46
09. Nine Feet Underground – 14:28
10. Feelin’, Reelin’, Squealin’ – 9:31
11. A Hunting We Shall Go – 9:16
12. Waffle Part One- Be Alright & Chance Of A Lifetime – 6:46
CD2
01. Memory Lain Hugh – 5:04
02. Headloss – 4:29
03. The Love In Your Eye – 13:55
04. Mirror For The Day – 4:17
05. Virgin On The Ridiculous – 7:02
06. For Richard – 15:06
07. The Dabsong Conshirtoe – 15:13
08. Stuck In A Hole – 3:16
09. The Show Of Our Lives – 4:54
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Grateful Dead – Road Trips Vol 3 No 1 (Live 1979) (@256)
19 Mar 2011
(Review from musicbox-online.com, allaboutjazz.com)
Road Trips begins its third year with another excerpt from the time of keyboardist Brent Mydland’s membership of the band. It reaffirms the high level of inspiration Mydland brought to the group, more validation of which appears in any one of the Hammond B3 organ surges that sprinkle these three discs.
This one represents an entire show, from the group’s year-end run on December 28, 1979 at Oakland’s Arena. The second set of the same year’s December 26 show is presented in “Dick’s Picks 5″.
Like many of its concerts from late 1979, there’s a rough-and-tumble ambience of the show, as brawny rhythms commingled with ringing guitar chords and gruff vocals. A pairing of Merle Haggard’s Mama Tried with Weir’s Mexicali Blues is handled aggressively by the Grateful Dead. Likewise, the union of “Alabama Getaway” and “Greatest Story Ever Told” strikes with rapid force. Even the customarily laid-back groove of Sugaree breaks from tradition in order lead the tumultuous charge that surfaced repeatedly throughout the outfit’s performance.
The brevity of tracks like “One More Saturday Night”, “I Need a Miracle”, “Bertha”, and “Good Lovin’” — as well as their placement sufficiently highlight this facet of the Grateful Dead’s evolutionary process. Grateful Dead played with the crowd, like puppets on a string, by raising and lowering the intensity of its performance while inching the show toward its inevitable climactic conclusion.
Following the tenderly melodic “Row Jimmy” with the raucousness of “It’s All Over Now”, Grateful Dead proved that it hasn’t lost its finesse. “Music Never Stopped” brought all of these facets together by juxtaposing brawny confidence with the openness that marked the show’s latter half.
With this in mind, “Terrapin Station” lived up to its reputation as an epic progressive-rock piece. Filled with gentle twists and turns, it also served as the perfect introduction to “Playing in the Band”. A well-established vehicle for improvisational mayhem, the latter tune surfed across the cosmos, much as it always did, transforming music into light. Through his guitar, Jerry Garcia allowed a prismatic spray of notes to splash across a kaleidoscopic backdrop. Passing through jazzy realms, the music unexpectedly plunged into a chord sequence that had been plucked directly from Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” before it was torn apart by the spiraling vortex created by a combination of deep-space rumbles and rhythmic heat. There was a sense of tribal urgency to the percussion interlude that ensued. Like twinkling stars, however, the instruments reappeared, and the band sprang back, as if it were following a cue, to settle into the silvery slipstream of “Uncle John’s Band”.
Amidst the extras featured here, the sunny-day strut of “Scarlet Begonias” merged with the restless beauty of “Fire on the Mountain”s hypnotic dance of flames, sparks, and smoke. Without a doubt, despite the mounting internal and external pressures it was facing, the Grateful Dead still had plenty of creative fuel left in its tank.
Line-up:
- Jerry Garcia / lead guitar, vocals
- Mickey Hart / drums
- Bill Kreutzmann / drums
- Phil Lesh / electric bass, vocals
- Brent Mydland / keyboards, vocals
- Bob Weir / rhythm guitar, vocals
Track List:
CD1
01. Sugaree – 16:04
02. Mama Tried > – 2:26
03. Mexicali Blues – 4:54
04. Row Jimmy – 13:14
05. It’s All Over Now – 8:19
06. High Time – 7:01
07. Music Never Stopped – 8:50
08. Alabama Getaway – 7:06
09. Greatest Story Ever Told – 5:06
CD2
01. Terrapin Station > – 14:02
02. Playing in the Band > – 17:29
03. Rhythm Devils > – 7:36
04. Space > – 2:28
05. Uncle John’s Band > – 9:33
06. I Need A Miracle > – 4:04
07. Bertha > – 6:30
08. Good Lovin’ – 7:27
09. Casey Jones – 5:14
10. One More Saturday Night – 4:56
CD3 (Bonus)
01. New Minglewood Blues – 8:20
02. Candyman – 6:56
03. Ramble On Rose – 7:43
04. Lazy Lightning > – 3:27
05. Supplication – 5:54
06. Scarlet Begonias – 10:24
07. Fire on the Mountain – 9:23
08. Let It Grow – 10:09
09. Truckin’ > – 7:21
10. Wharf Rat – 9:11
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Caravan – Unauthorised Breakfast Item (2003) (@256)
18 Mar 2011
(Review from progarchives.com)
Eight years after “Battle Of Hastings”, Caravan comes back for a strong effort.
Pye is of course Caravan almost by himself and his songwriting is still the same (very pop with delightful melodies and witty lyrics) and he has his signature on most of the songs on this album. Caravan makes more diverse albums as others make their influences better felt other than by their impeccable playing but to enlighten these tunes.
Most of the tunes on here are typical Caravan numbers but the more interesting times in them are the spaces where the instruments are doing the talking and then one can see those slots alloted were “glued on” at the end of a song or “stuck/fitted” in the middle of one.
The brilliance of the early days might not be on the rendez-vous, but this is a good and unexpected come back.
Line-up:
- Pye Hastings / vocals, guitars
- Richard Coughlan / drums
- Jan Schelhaas / keyboards, backing vocals
- Doug Boyle / lead guitar
- Geoffrey Richardson / viola, banjo, ukelele, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
- Jim Leverton / bass, vocals, backing vocals
with
- Dave Sinclair / keyboards (9)
- Jimmy Hastings / tenor and soprano saxophone, flute
- Simon Bentall / percussion
- Ralph Cross / additional percussion (3)
Track List:
01. Smoking Gun (Right for me) – 5:36
02. Revenge – 5:15
03. The Unauthorised Breakfast Item – 4:44
04. Tell Me Why – 6:16
05. It’s Getting a Whole Lot Better – 8:56
06. Head Above the Clouds – 7:21
07. Straight Through the Heart – 4:40
08. Wild West Street – 4:47
09. Nowhere to Hide – 8:54
10. Linders Field – 3:38
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