All posts by Hallgeir

Classic Concert, Ry Cooder

Classic Concert: Ry Cooder & The Moula Banda Rhythm Aces in Santa Cruz CA 1987

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“Let’s Have A Ball”

Ry Cooder & The Moula Banda Rhythm Aces
Live At The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA March 25. 1987

“Let’s Have A Ball” is a 90-minute Ry Cooder concert film by Les Blank, better known for Burden of Dreams (1982), his chronicle of the trials of Werner Herzog and company during the making of Fitzcarraldo. He also made the fantastic, The Blues Accordin’ to Lightnin’ Hopkins.

“Let’s Have A Ball” catches Ry Cooder and his band playing during their Get Rhythm tour. The film was screened in Europe and elsewhere but not in the US, and for now remains unavailable officially.

This is too bad, it is a great concert film, the sound quality and performances are tremendous.

Highlights:
The slow and heavy Down in Mississippi, the vocal virtuosos and Cooder’s guitar are out of this world!
The 16-minute version of Down In Hollywood where everyone, singers included, gets to show off their solo prowess.

Track Listing:
1. Let’s Have a Ball
2. Jesus on the Mainline
3. How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?
4. Jesus hits like the atombomb
5. Down In Mississippi
6. Maria Elena
7. Just a Little Bit
8. The Things That Make You Rich Make Me Poor
9. Crazy Bout an Automobile (Every Woman I Know)
10. Chain Gang
11. Down in Hollywood
12. Good Night Irene

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Classic Concert, Tom Waits

Classic Concert: Tom Waits Rockpalast 1977

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Classic Concert: Tom Waits Rockpalast 1977

Excellent quality recording of Tom Waits, live at WDR Studios, in Koln, Germany on April 18th, 1977. Running time is 79 minutes, the quality is 8 out of 10. The performance is great, classic, jazzy Tom Waits. I’ve collected the whole show into one playlist.

Rockpalast (Rock Palace) is a German music television show that broadcasts live on German television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR).Rockpalast started in 1974 and continues to this day. Hundreds of rock and jazz bands have performed on Rockpalast. Some acts were recorded for broadcast and for retail sale. All-night marathon shows called “Rock Night” (Rocknacht) were produced once or twice a year from 1977 through 1986 and simulcast throughout Europe via the Eurovision network of TV broadcasters. This was one of the most important influences on my musical education growing up. I longed and lived for those “Rock nights”. We all did, and we arranged all night parties when they aired. Ah, good times!

This is early jazz-quartet style Tom Waits as opposed to the more ragged and loose Waits he turned into after Swordfish Trombones and Rain Dogs. It is different but I love both eras. This is maybe the best tv-concert from that period.

Enjoy!

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Classic Concert, Concert films, Willy DeVille

Classic concert: Mink DeVille at Winterland SF June 7 1978

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Ace Records press picture
Ace Records press picture

Classic concert: Mink DeVille at Winterland San Francisco June 7 1978

Bob Dylan in a Post-MusiCares Conversation with Bill Flanagan:
ARE THERE ANY OTHER PERFORMERS BESIDES BILLY LEE RILEY THAT YOU CAN RECOMMEND FOR THE HALL OF FAME?

Yeah sure, Willy DeVille for one, he stood out, his voice and presentation ought to have gotten him in there by now.

I AGREE WITH YOU, MAYBE HE’S BEEN OVERLOOKED. HE CARRIED A LOT OF HISTORY. THE DRIFTERS, BEN E. KING, SOLOMON BURKE, STREET CORNER DOO WOP AND JOHN LEE HOOKER WERE ALL THERE IN WHAT HE DID AND HOW HE PERFORMED.

I think so too.

YOU SUGGESTED THAT SOME OF THE ACTS IN THE HALL OF FAME MIGHT NOT BE TRUE ROCK & ROLL. YOU MENTIONED THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS, ABBA, ALICE COOPER. I HAVE TO STICK UP FOR STEELY DAN. NOT EVERYTHING THEY DID WAS ROCK & ROLL BUT “BODHISATTVA,” “SHOW BIZ KIDS,” “MY OLD SCHOOL” – THOSE SONGS ROCKED LIKE A BASTARD.

Yeah they might have rocked like a bastard, and I’m not saying that they didn’t, but put on any one of those records and then put on “In The Heat of the Moment” by Willy or “Steady Driving Man” or even “Cadillac Walk.” I’m not going to belittle Steely Dan but there is a difference.

Amen.

I’ve been a huge Mink Deville/Willy DeVille fan since I saw him at the 9th Rockpalast Night on tv in 1981. He behaved like a superstar from the beginning, he was just so cool.

Today’s Classic Concert was found in the archives of the late promoter, Bill Graham, who booked DeVille into the popular Winterland in the summer of 1978 on the same bill as Nick Lowe with Rockpile and Elvis Costello & the Attractions.

The best material from his first two albums are present here, including “Spanish Stroll,” “Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl,” “Guardian Angel,” “Cadillac Walk,” “Steady Drivin’ Man,” and “Soul Twist.” He gives a great vocal performance on a number of these songs, especially, “Soul Twist.” You should also check out the May 5 Concert at Capitol Theatre the same year, equally good but with lesser video quality (slightly).

Mink DeVille at Winterland 1978 the full set:

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Motown, Music Calendar, Soul

Happy 75th Birthday Smokey Robinson

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Smokey-Robinson
I don’t ever balk at being considered a Motown person, because Motown is the greatest musical event that ever happened in the history of music.
~Smokey Robinson

Berry Gordy founded Motown Records, but one could argue that Smokey Robinson was the man who first pushed America’s most iconic soul music label toward greatness.
~Mark Deming (allmusic.com)

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The Tracks Of My Tears Live (1965)

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Bob Dylan, Bootleg

My favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 2012 – Hallgeir

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Barolo, Italy 16.07 the best Bob Dylan bootleg from 2012 according to Hallgeir

From The Collisioni Festival website:
“For three days a small village on the top of the hills turns into an open air non-stop stage where the audience attend lectures, readings and concerts for three days and live together in the magical mood of a small village in the hills. The concert arena is placed in the natural amphitheatre of the main village square, surrounded by the ancient vineyards of the five “grand crus of wine” Barolo. Collisioni is the biggest literature and music event in Piedmont organized with the grant aid of the Piedmont Region to promote culture and art.”

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Forgetful Heart:

“The statue of an Oscar with two bracelets hanging down particularly inspires Bob or maybe it’s the wine of my country or something like that, but he was in a really great mood. The grand piano has added something to the concert avoiding the monotony of last autumn’s concerts. The band touched the perfection in many moments of the show, and sometimes went beyond. George Recile specially, he looked kissed by the Music’s God. The same disastrous beginning of ever, with Bob forgetting the words of Leopard skin, but then something happened, and Simple twist of fate was the most beautiful live performance I’ve ever seen, and the saddest one as it has to be. Great a Hard rain’s gonna fall, desperate and persuasive until the last rhymes, when Bob gave a breath of hope to humanity and the crowd with such an energetic finale.”
– Roberto Destefanis (Bob Links)

Other entries in this series:
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1962: The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan Outtakes
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 1969: The Dylan / Cash Sessions
My Favourite Bob Dylan bootleg from 2011: Funen Village, Odense, Denmark June 27

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