All posts by Hallgeir

Bergenfest, Concert Review

Bergenfest 2013: The Third Day – Another fine day

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Tønes
 I don’t know how many times I’ve seen Tønes in concert, but it’s a lot. He never disappoints. He is a singer/songwriter from the western part of Norway, he has released music 17 years but his final break-through came last year here in Norway.This night in the Magic Mirrors tent was fun. His lyrics are often tinted with a dry sense of humour. He has a keen eye for the small stories in everyday life, and some of the stories are more bitter-sweet than humorous. It suits him very well to sing the more serious songs, and I find that I prefer the serious Tønes these days. A little bit of both is fine.He has a great band and they’ve been with him since 87 I think.The best song this evening: Min Venn

– Hallgeir
 Tønes is always a treat. Great artist, funny, always a bit nervous & always charming. Some people come only for good laugh, but these are really good musicians. If you’d be able to remove the vocal.. it would still be wonderful music.    My highlights: Lyset, Bonde & Sån av Salve.-Egil

 

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Rival Sons
 I should really like Rival Sons, they have a retro-vibe that should fit my taste. But…they seem like a pastiche or a parody, they give me much of the same feelings I get from Lenny Kravitz’ retro tinged soul-rock. It feels like a put-on, a posed “thing”. I saw 30 minutes and people seemed to enjoy the show.- Hallgeir

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Melody’s Echo Chamber
I like Melody’s album but they/she was much better live. I think it started too soft but after a while the “psychedelic droning” kicked in, heaven!I will be following this band and want to see them in concert again if I get the chance. This was a very good show.Highlights: The final jam, Crystalized and Be proud of your kids

– Hallgeir

 

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Simone Felice
 What an intence man he is Simone Felice! He put on a very fine show in Magic Mirrors last night. I saw him at Bergenfest two years ago when he visited with the band The Duke and The King. He was great then and he was very good this time. He is a charismatic performer who seems to really mean what he sings about. Great concert, best of the day for me.      The highlights: A fantastic cover of Springsteen’s Atlantic City, Do’t wake the scarcrow  and a lovely encore, New York Times- Hallgeir
Never seen Simone Felice before…. sound check was neck-to-neck with the real concert & you felt you got to know the man a bit. He seemed like a very “demanding” man to be round.. seeking attention & recognition.   Anyways.. he has a wonderful voice, a solid presence & has written some fine songs. His version of Neil Young’s Helpless was (as expected) a highlight.. beautiful.. He also gave an intense version of Bruce Springsteen’s Atlantic City .. I think “our Man” would have approved.   Best of his own material: New York Times, Don’t Wake The Scarecrow (Felice Brothers), If You Ever Get Famous (The Duke and The King).-Egil

 

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-Hallgeir & Egil

Bergenfest, Nick Cave, Steve Earle

Bergenfest 2013: The Second day – a great festival day

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The rainy weather could not spoil this lovely day @ Bergenfest. We got some fantastic concerts & had a helluva time!

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
 What a concert! My first show with Nick Cave, he stumbled through the first songs like an over-eager kid. Then he tightened his grip, he slammed us into the walls, he held us up to God’s jugdment and we felt like beaten sinners after the mass.I got all the songs that I hoped for, the highlights for me were; a ferocious Mercy Seat and a drawn out Stagger Lee that had the most “Motherfucks/-ing” in a song ever. And by the way, he is still the coolest motherfucker on the scene.The best concert at this years Bergenfest (so far).- Hallgeir
  His presence was immediate.. he was in for the kill. Demanding & getting our full attention even though he was a bit rusty the first couple of songs. From Here To Eternity (#3) was intense, Weeping Song (#4) a bit out of focus, false start on Deanne (#6), but with Red Right Hand things got serious. Tupelo (#9) was majestic, & when he sat down at the keyboard and did my current fav People ain’t no good (#10) we were in some kind of a “Hellish Heaven”. The Mercy Seat (#12), one of the absolute best songs  he’s written, could have been better.. but still lovely. Then came Stagger Lee (#13) – best performance yesterday – a real mother fucker version (yes… he shouted “MOTHER FUCKER” at least 20 times during this one). The last three songs were good, but could not touch Stagger Lee… (than again who/what could?)
-Egil

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Magic Mirrors – 21:15:

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John Grant
 I saw a John Grant solo concert two years ago (well, he had one guy on stage with him on some songs) and it really changed my view on Mr. Grant. I was mesmerised. I thought I was prepared for this years show, but when the man starts to sing everything else disappears. He is one of the finest singer/songwriters today. It was fantastic once again.GMF (the Greatest Motherfucker) is maybe the single best musical moment of this years festival. Marz was another highlight.I hope I get to see him and his very good band in a non-festival setting soon.- Hallgeir
 My first John Grant concert… and WHAOO!     Had done my job and listened to his albums, but this was WAY better than I ever imagined (even though Hallgeir had “warned” me).    The first two songs (Vietnam & Marz) was unbelievably good.. I was blown away.Then came 3 songs that, though still very good, contained too much synths/electronics for my taste.   Sitting down @ the keyboard he gave a quiet and lovely Where Dreams Go To Die (#6) – what a song! It Doesn’t Matter To Him (#7) was also brilliant.The last songs were solid, but not in the same league as the mentioned top 4.   A wonderful concert with exceptionally good sound. And listening to his albums today (after the concert) .. feels different in very positive way.-Egil

 

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Plenen – 17:15:

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Steve Earle & The Mastersons
Steve Earle is a hero for us at JV, in many ways he embodies all the musical styles that we write about. I have seen him before, but this was my first concert with him when he has a band with him. I had a big expectations and they were fullfilled, he told short stories and entertaining anectdotes between the tunes. It was a good concert.Highlights: Copperhead Road and The Low Highway- Hallgeir
 A real hero indeed. This was my 5th Steve Earle concert (2 solo & 3 with band), and my expectations were sky high… a bad thing.    First – 17:15, the largest stage, and poring rain.. bad, bad, bad. BUT as soon as Steve Earle’s somewhat reduced voice hit us.. things felt alright…  and one of my fav Steve Earle songs is.. I Feel Alright (Steve Earle’s top 20 according to Egil).     The band were very good & surely inspired Steve to push his performance (even though struggling with his voice).     Best songs were a beautiful This City, a hard rocking & rock solid The Revolution Starts.. (last song), a good Hard-core Troubadour & The Galway Girl.
You’re Still Standing There also needs a nod.    -Egil

 

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Plenen – 20:00:

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Band Of Horses
This was my fourth Band of Horses concert and as a band this is the best I’ve heard them since 2008, but even if they were good last night, it seemed like another day on the job. They’re a tight band and it’s too bad that it felt a bit uninspired. “Just another day on the job”. Not bad, but not great either.Highlights: Is there a ghost and The Great Salt lake- Hallgeir
 Seen them twice before.. the band is tighter, but it has been a while since Bridwell has written a real good song. I’m still listening to the first 2 albums.. if I want some Band Of Horses. The “hard-core” rain didn’t hep either… solid stuff, but no cigar.
-Egil

 

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-Egil & Hallgeir

Bergenfest, Concert Review

Bergenfest 2013: The first day – a nice warm-up

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It was good to be back in Bergen for another Bergenfest. The Festival area is upgraded and it looks nice and the enhanced  Magic Mirrors  is especially welcome. This Wednesday was just a warm-up with only two acts on the bill. The headliner was former Dire Straits man, Mark Knopfler. He is a solid performer, but maybe not so inspired these days… The be brutally honest [Egil] found the gig a bit boring… solid but boring nevertheless.

Our award for best concert on the first day goes to the Oregon band, Larry and his Flask. Its not an easy task to start a festival as the early act, and almost as a “support act” to Mark Knopfler. We have to be honest, almost everyone out this night came to see the famous guitar picker & thus Magic Mirrors was not packed.

Larry and his Flask gave it all and they won the audience over (after a bit of a uncertainty in the beginning). They would have benefittet with a more varied set and the two highlights for us was a good (and interesting) cover version of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Goin’ On and the one that came right after it, Slow it Down (…at least we believe that was the title). Lot’s of energy – Ian Cook (lead vocal & guitar) was literally on his toes the whole set..

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Mark Knopfler, Bergen 2013:

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-Hallgeir & Egil

Music Calendar, Van Morrison

Today: Them released their debut album The Angry Young Them in 1965

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Them- The Angry Young- Frontal

“These five young rebels are outrageously true to themselves. Defiant! Angry! Sad! They are honest to the point of insult!” (original liner notes)

The Angry Young Them is Them’s  first album. The album was released in the UK on 11th of  June 1965. The band’s lead singer and songwriter was of course Van “The Man”  Morrison. He was with Them on only two albums before deciding to go solo.

Them

The opening track Mystic Eyes was from an 8 or 9 minute jam originally, a long intense  jam session in the studio with Van making the words up on the spur of the moment. Oh why didn’t they use the long take? Anyway, a good opener.

If You And I Could Be As Two is the next song and it opens with Van’s spoken voice talking (rather angrily) before this wonderful soul ballad continues. Then it is Little Girl which is about watching a 14-year-old (!) school girl on her way to school,  not very acceptable these days but we need to remember that Van Morrison was only a teenager himself when he sang these words (still no excuse, I know).

Just A Little Bit by Roscoe Gordon is the next one out, Morrison sings great and it is my favorite song of the non Van Morrison penned tracks. Fantastic song!

Then we are in for the weakest track on the album, I Gave My Love a Diamond. That is not a put-down, because it’s a good sixties ballad, it just pales compared to the other songs on the album.

We then get Gloria. What can I say about this song that isn’t already said thousands of times? It is one of the best rock songs ever written, sung by one of the best vocalists in rock history. Ok? ok.

Gloria:

allmusic:

“And then there’s “Gloria,” rock’s ultimate ’60s sex anthem, and one of the handful of white-authored songs that can just about hold its own against any blues standard you’d care to name.”

Continue reading Today: Them released their debut album The Angry Young Them in 1965 →

Classic Concert, Concert films, Live

30 Best live albums countdown: 19 – Live at Carnegie Hall by Bill Withers

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bill withers-live carnegie hall

Bill Withers is not underrated by people who know about him and who recognizes his music, but he is unknown and criminally overlooked by the general public. He is in fact one of the greatest singer/songwriters in music history. He is soulful, but his music is not constrained to the soul genre. He writes good songs and he is a marvelous performer.

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Bill Withers became a part of the L.A. music scene in the late 60s after a period in the Navy. While he was assembling airplane toilets for Boeing he was signed to the Sussex music label (in 1970) and had instant success with his first album, Just As I Am, and the acoustic ballad, Ain’t No Sunshine. Bill Withers had more in common with the singer/songwriters than with the rising disco/soul, even though there’s a strong groove in his songs, sometimes even a funky rhythm. His second release, 1972’s Still Bill, became a career high point, it contained songs like Use Me and Lean On Me, big hits both of them. The album cemented his position in music history.

In 1972 he also recorded the fantastic live album, Live at Carnegie Hall (released 1973). Nowhere is his narrative prowess and powerful vocal style more clear. This is number 19 on my list of the best live albums of all time.

The opener is a slow version of Use Me that Bill Withers turns into a seductive almost nine minute jam.

Use Me (Soul Train, 197?), not nearly as good as the Carnegie Hall version, but very good anyway:

The album also has the definitive version of Ain’t no Sunshine, a faster more jazzy interpretation than usual.

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There are many great songs on the album, but the real masterpiece is Grandma’s Hands and especially Bill Wither’s long intro, he is reminiscing about his grandmother playing tambourine in the church. We hear him describe the dancing and preaching at the church, his grandmother banging on the tambourine in joy, it’s an incredible story. He then launches into a heartfelt version of the song which, again, bests the original by miles. After hearing this version and his strong introduction, you will experience the song in new and deeper way.

Grandma’s Hands (audio with slide show):

“Grandma them had one a them churches where they sung “If you wanna help me Jesus, it’s alright. If you wanna help me Jesus, it’s alright”. And at the funeral they used to have to tie the caskets down! Yeah. Yeah.” – Bill Withers from the introduction

Allmusic (Steven McDonald):
A wonderful live album that capitalizes on Withers’ trademark melancholy soul sound while expanding the music to fit the room granted by a live show. Lovely versions of “Grandma’s Hands” and “Lean on Me” are balanced by heartfelt downbeat numbers like “Better Off Dead” and “I Can’t Write Left-Handed,” the latter being an anti-war song with a chilling message. The set finishes off with the lengthy “Harlem/Cold Baloney,” with lots of audience-pleased call-and-response going on. One of the best live releases from the ’70s.
Continue reading 30 Best live albums countdown: 19 – Live at Carnegie Hall by Bill Withers →