Tag Archives: live

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: John Prine Sessions at West 54th (full concert)

John-Prine

John Prine  Sessions at West 54th (full concert)

This is a great concert and a rare treat as there are very few Prine concerts on the web. The only problem is that it is too short! John Prine is the type of singer that makes you listen to his lyrics. He infuses humour in his, sad but entertaining lyrics. Each time you hear him, you hear something different. Bob Dylan had this mix of humour and seriousness on his first album and Townes Van Zandt and Warren Zevon made a real art out of it. John Prine fits fine in their company.

The crowning moments for me are the duets with singer Iris Dement, who with great pride joins him in some “questionable lyrics” as he puts it. And the wonderful song , Lake Marie, I never get tired of that song. Prine tells the story wonderfully on this concert.

 

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“Sessions at West 54th gave Prine a chance to work his charm on a television audience (and in 2002, a VHS and DVD audience). The appearance coincided with the successful release of In Spite of Ourselves, and a number of that album’s songs appear on this set. Prine begins his performance by reaching back to the very beginning of his career for “Blow Up Your T.V.” and “Six O’Clock News.” He’s accompanied by guitarist Jason Wilber and bassist David Jacques, players who provide a simple and warm setting for these songs. Iris Dement joins Prine in the middle of the session for a number of duets, including fine versions of “In Spite of Ourselves” and “Let’s Invite Them Over Again.” Other classics, including “Sam Stone” and “Hello in There,” fill out the disc. Watching Live from Sessions at West 54th is a lot like getting a good seat to a Prine show in a small venue.”
– Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. (allmusic)

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The Beatles 40 best songs: at 16 She Loves You

Beatles_-_She_Loves_You

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

“John and I wrote She Loves You together. There was a Bobby Rydell song (Forget Him) out at the time and, as often happens, you think of one song when you write another.

We were in a van up in Newcastle. I’d planned an ‘answering song’ where a couple of us would sing ‘She loves you…’ and the other one answers, ‘Yeah, yeah.’ We decided that that was a crummy idea as it was, but at least we then had the idea for a song called She Loves You. So we sat in the hotel bedroom for a few hours and wrote it.”
– Paul McCartney (Anthology)

“She Loves You” is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and recorded by English rock group the Beatles for release as a single in 1963. The single set and surpassed several records in the United Kingdom charts, and set a record in the United States as one of the five Beatles songs that held the top five positions in the American charts simultaneously on 4 April 1964. It is their best-selling single in the United Kingdom, and was the best selling single there in 1963.In November 2004, Rolling Stone ranked “She Loves You” number 64 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In August 2009, at the end of its “Beatles Weekend”, BBC Radio 2 announced that “She Loves You” was the Beatles’ all-time best-selling single in the UK based on information compiled by The Official Charts Company.

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Classic concert: Jeff Beck Performing This Week… Live at Ronnie Scott’s


jeff beck live rs

In November of 2007, legendary guitarist Jeff Beck took to the stage of London’s Ronnie Scott’s, a notorious jazz club with a rich history. Unfortunately, given the size of the club, only a few were lucky enough to see him and his band – Vinnie Colaiuta (drums), Jason Rebello (keyboards) and Tal Wilkenfeld (bass) – perform. Lucky for us it was recorded, and  released on film. This is a  compilation of these concerts of sorts, and I would love to see all seven shows released.

Beck’s series of concerts at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London’s Soho became the must have ticket of 2007 in London.

With a setlist that features classic tracks from across his career, a stunning backing band and special guest appearances by Joss Stone, Imogen Heap and Eric Clapton, this concert film captures for the first time the unique experience of Jeff Beck live in concert.

Highlights: Stratus (shorter than Cobham’s versions but oh so good!),  Tal Wilkenfeld’s bass solo on Wonder’s Cause we’ve ended as lovers and Jeff Beck who shines all through this film, what an incredible musician!

The band:
– Jeff Beck / guitar
– Vinnie Colaiut / drums
– Jason Rebello / keyboards
– Tal Wilkenfeld / bass guitar

Guest artists:
Joss Stone
Imogen Heap
Eric Clapton

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