#85 THE WHITE STRIPES - The Forum, London 2001 (Flac)

The Forum,
London, England

6 December 2001

 In July and August 2001, the White Stripes performed live in the UK for the first time, their front page NME appearance and those live appearances provoked the biggest media storm of hype in years. Headlines shrieked:

"Blunk Music - The greatest band since the Sex Pistols or Hendrix (Daily Mirror)

"The best thing since Hendrix?" (The Times)

"The great White hope of pop? (The Telegraph) 

and more accurately

"Britain's rock fans make stars of US White Stripes" (The Guardian). 

The band said they were "overwhelmed" by the attention of the British media, at the time they did not even have a UK record deal.

From the distance of 15 years later, the hype seems like mid-summer madness, until you dig a little deeper and understand that big names on the music scene at that time were Papa Roach and Limp Bizkit. The Strokes and the White Stripes signalled something new, a back to basics approach to music, providing raw excitement and energy.

James Oldham of the NME described their live set as follows:

"They veer wildly from their own material, seguing into deliberate covers like Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' or Blind Willie McTell's 'Ticket Agent Blues' and occasionally incorporate a few bars of a '60s garage classic like Link Wray's 'Jack The Ripper' into whatever song they happen to be playing. Their own material is just as startling, suddenly jack-knifing from the overdriven blues feedback of 'Dead Leaves and The Dirty Ground' and 'Death Letter' to the melodic folk simplicity of 'Hotel Yorba' or 'We're Going To Be Friends'. In the space of 45 minutes, they plot a course though Nirvana, the blues, Wings, the Pixies, '60s garage, Led Zeppelin and the Kinks. It's a revelation, an amazing spectacle fuelled by defiant simplicity. They finally quit the stage drenched in sweat, looking totally exhausted. There's a brief silence then deafening applause."

And in his most prescient comment he states:

"That no one in Britain really knows who they are yet is besides the point. In a week's time, no-one will be talking about anything else."

The White Stripes would return to tour in November and December 2001, promoting their third album and most successful to date 'White Blood Cells'. Now that the two Peel sessions have been officially released, this pre-fm recording from the Forum in London is the best bootleg document of this time. Part of the set has been released on a limited picture disc vinyl record appropriately titled 'I Think I Smell A Hype.'

1. Fell In Love With A Girl
2. When I Hear My Name
3. I Think I Smell A Rat
4. Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground
6. Expecting
7. Death Letter
8. Little Room
9. The Union Forever
10. Jolene
11. I'm Finding It Harder To Be A Gentleman
12. Hotel Yorba
13. Isis
14. You're Pretty Good Looking (For A Girl)
15. We're Going To Be Friends
16. Apple Blossom
17. I Fought Piranhas
18. Let's Build A Home
19. Astro
20. Jack The Ripper
21. Rated X
22. I'm Bored
23. Screwdriver

Source: SBD>DAT>PRE-FM>CDR>EAC>WAV>mkwACT>SHN
Quality: A+

Original note from the seeder:

I had to remove track 5, "Lovesick," from this torrent because it violates DAD/EZT seeding rules: it appeared as a b-side on the White Stripes' 2002 single "Fell In Love With A Girl" (XL Recordings/Third Man - XLS-142CD2). I wish I could torrent the complete SBD>DAT>Pre-FM>CDR version of this show but rules are rules.  I compared the SHN file from this version of this show to the FILWAG single. They sound identical. The sound quality is *that* good.  Hopefully someday the White Stripes will decide to release the entire show. Until then... CitizenGatsby

#84 THE SMITHS - Amsterdam 1984 (Flac)

De Meervaart
Amsterdam,
Netherlands

21 April, 1984

Coming off the back of the UK Spring tour, a short European tour had been arranged to promote the debut album 'The Smiths' had released in February. This show was the group's first appearance on mainland Europe, a party performance for 'Vinyl' magazine with Nick Cave as support, the next day they appeared at Brecon festival in Belgium and on the 24th in Zurich. They flew back to England for a Top of the Pop's TV appearance. On boarding the plane Morrissey announced they were not coming back.

The remaining dates in Vienna, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne and Bremen were cancelled as Morrissey returned to his mother's home in Manchester. Scot Piering their manager claiming that "it really boiled down to the fact that they couldn't find anything decent to eat." and "It was a serious business if they couldn't get egg and chips 24 hours a day." Unable to appreciate their first tour of Europe, the next single release was appropriately titled 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now'.

Fortunately Dutch radio recorded and broadcast their appearance at De Meervaart in Amsterdam. The Smiths were a much more muscular proposition live than their jangling indie reputation would suggest. Even on early shows like this one, their is a substantial rhythm on songs such as 'Hand In Glove' and 'Barbarism Begins At Home.' The mix on this helps as Andy Rourke's bass is right up front and with Mike Joyce's drumming gives the songs a really powerful driving propulsion in comparison to their studio work.

The set comprises six of the debut album tracks, plus five songs that appeared on singles, 'Barbarism' was released on their second studio long player 'Meat Is Murder' in February 1985 and finally 'These Things Take Time' appeared in November 1984 on the wonderous gatefold double LP compilation, 'Hatful of Hollow'.

If a Japanese bootlegger is seeking to produce a vinyl product from this, then please send me a finished copy as your work on the demos outtakes compilation was worthy of any official release. Finally Mr. Record Company, instead of the usual remastering and repackaging, what about a vinyl box of unreleased Smiths studio and live shows?

Setlist:
01. Hand In Glove
02. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
03. Girl Afraid
04. This Charming Man
05. Barbarism Begins At Home
06. This Night Has Opened My Eyes
07. Miserable Lie
08. Still Ill
09. I Don't Owe You Anything
10. What Difference Does It Make
11. encore break
12. Handsome Devil
13. You've Got Everything Now
14. encore break
15. These Things Take Time

 FM broadcast, aired on Dutch Radio 2, 27 February 2009

Lineage: FM > Audacity 1.2.6 > CD Wave 1.95.1 > FLAC Frontend 1.7.1
Remaster: FLAC > wav > wavemerge > SF8 > AA 1.0 > CDWav > FLAC

Notes: I've pitch corrected, brought the volume up, and added the intro to Hand In Glove. This is the first time this show has been broadcast complete and in the correct order. Originally recorded and seeded by Laurens van der Weijden. Remastered by terrapinstation 2009-03-01.

#83 PAUL WELLER - Berlin 2006 (Flac)

Huxley's Neue Welt, 
Berlin, Germany

April 23, 2006

Paul Weller is a huge talent, sadly unrecognised in many countries throughout the world. He has produced terrific, diverse and inventive songs throughout a long career incorporating The Jam, The Style Council and under his own name for nearly forty years.

'As is Now' Weller's 8th solo album was heavily toured and accompanied with a live album, recorded at Alexandra Palace in North London at the end of 2005. This set was recorded four months afterwards in the spring of 2006, from a European tour promoting the live album 'Catch Flame'. It was broadcast by European radio and the FM recording has circulated for years. In fact it is still circulated by the uninformed but I can assure you, that you will not find a better upgrade than this pre-FM source. It's interesting to compare both performances. The sound quality is stunning on this bootleg and is equal in quality to the official release, perhaps better. In this smaller venue, the audience is closer, the band perform with a touch more subtlety and finesse, adding more fluidity, shade and feeling to a fine eclectic set of songs.

Accompanied by his tight, seasoned and unerringly professional band, Paul Weller struts between powerful versions of tracks from his solo studio albums and early Jam classics; Running On The Spot, In The Crowd and the UK #1, 'A Town Called Malice' that propel this bootleg into the premier league. The singles from the recent studio album, “From The Floor Boards Up” and “Come On/Let’s Go” help force the pace and energy levels up towards the youthful energy and mania, the Jam inspired in days gone by. Tempering the energy levels is the classic 80's seasonal track, 'Long Hot Summer' by the Style Council, imbued with a particularly fine and evocative performance. Another highlight, is the jazzed up version of the near 11-minute 'Foot of the Mountain' found originally on the 'Wild Wood' album.

I wouldn't normally recommend discovering an artist first through their recorded live work, but this bootleg if you are hearing the artist for the first time, will have you busily exploring a vast back catalogue. A fact that is often forgotten by those who seek to suppress the circulation of unreleased music.

Soundboard, Pre-FM recording (upgrade)

Taper: Radioeins

Lineage: PreFM Soundboard CD > EAC (logs included) > TLH (with align on sector boundaries) > flac

Running Time: approx 110:00

Sound Quality: 10+ 

Setlist:

Disc 1:

01. From The Floorboards Up   

02. Paper Smile 

03. Out Of The Sinking   

04. Science   

05. Above The Clouds  

06. Amongst Butterflies   

07. Running On The Spot   

08. Savages > 
      Fly Little Bird   

09. Up In Suze's Room   

10. Wild Wood   

11. Come On / Let's Go   

12. Porcelain Gods > 
      Walk On Gilded Splinters

Disc 2:

01. The Pebble And The Boy   

02. You Do Something To Me   

03. Long Hot Summer   

04. Here's The Good News   

05. In The Crowd   

06. The Changing Man   

07. Foot Of The Mountain   

encore: 

08. Broken Stones  

09. A Town Called Malice

 

LINK 1 

 

LINK 2 

#82 PINK FLOYD - The Best Of Tour '72 (Flac)

Rainbow Theatre,
London, England
20 February, 1972

"The Best Of Tour '72 - Restored"
Remastered From Original 1st LP Pressing

This excellent audience recording captures 'Dark Side Of The Moon' in its earliest stage. No other available from the January-February 1972 tour (in which DSotM was first performed) sounds as good as this. It still has some flaws, mainly the annoying cuts in "Time", Us And Them" & "Eclipse" but the music and sound quality is just too good to overlook.An upgrade that is by far the best sounding version of this recording. You need this whether you are an average or diehard Floyd fan. 

01. Speak to me (cuts in, only last 8s left) 
02. Breathe   
03. Travel Sequence
04. Time (cut within) 
05. Home again
06. Religious Theme  
07. Money  
08. Us & Them (cut within, misses most)   
09. Dave's Scat Section   
10. The Lunatic Song
11. Eclipse (cuts off)

Time: 40:52
Lineage: High Quality Condensator Stereo Mics -> Reel-to-Reel Master -> Mastering -> Mastered source (likely recorded on Hi-Speed Reel-to-Reel) -> 1st Pressing Vinyl Bootleg (16-421/422) -> Technics 1210mk2 with -881mk2s stylus -> Tascam DA20mk2 (A-D conversion 16 bit, 48kHz) -> PC -> Cubase SX 2.0 -> Wave (downsampled to 44.1k) -> FLAC -> Torrent

See below for clarification.
Re-Mastered @ the Soundhouse by Prof. Stoned, February 2006.

-------------------------------------

A note from the Prof.:

Today, 34 years and a couple of days after this was first recorded, I present to you all a significant digital upgrade -maybe even the definitive version- of the legendary "The Best of Tour 72" boot. It KILLS both the "Swinging Pig" and the "Original Masters Series" bootleg CD's of this album that most of you all know.
These two boots were both taken from the same inferior source which is ruined by a heavy NoNoise treatment. This is a trueful reproduction of the original vinyl bootleg and will make you hear details in the recording that you never heard before.

***About the Original Bootleg***

The content of this CDR has been carefully mastered from a rare vintage (1972) vinyl copy (strictly rated: EX), the very 1st pressing of this classic floyd bootleg, and therefore the closest source to the (unfindable) original tape. The recorded content of the original LP was handled professionally from start to finish (not counting the cuts in the recording). The sound is beautiful. A very wide stereo image with clear separation of instruments & voices. There is little hiss or distortion. The unmastered source that the bootleggers used must have been 0th or maybe 1st generation tape. The original pre-vinyl tape has had a mastering treatment with a compressor, Dolby(A) and likely some EQ-ing.

The vinyl itself is nice and thick, made to last. This could very well have been pressed at a pressing plant which was used by major record company's as well.As you can read in Clinton Heylin's excellent book "Bootleg! The Rise and Fall of the Secret recording industry" this used to happen a lot in the early 70"s, and it would explain why the bootleggers were so keen to hide the name Pink Floyd, even on the record label itself.

Although the pre-vinyl part in the source info chain is speculated, it's 100% certain that this is NOT a soundboard and/or FM. Ever since this came out, the SQ has led people to believe it is. Even the above mentioned book, erroneously stated this was taken from a BBC radio broadcast. And even to this day, this recording is way more often labelled as "radio" or "soundboard" than as what it is: "EX audience".

Enjoy, Prof. Stoned 

LINK 

Asterix2112 kindly provided the following comprehensive information below :

The original LP version of The Best of Tour 72, primarily for those older collectors who have had it for many years. A sort of emotional commemoration of another famous and time honored bootleg LP. The first edition was released on black vinyl in 1972 in Europe by the Tour 72 label.

Pink Floyd were excited to be able to develop new material on the road but were horrified to learn of a bootleg album that was released containing a complete performance of the piece recorded in February of 1972 at the Rainbow Theatre. The bootleg was issued a mere six weeks after the concert, about a full year prior to an official release. Professionally packaged, the unit reportedly sold in excess of 100,000 copies, many thinking it was the real thing. Trivia note: around this same time the Omayyad LP was released in USA.

The Best of Tour 72 had large success and was reissued and re-bootlegged many, many times due to the stunning sound quality and the full presence of unissued songs. Four songs were cut: Heart Beat Intro, Time, Us and Them and Eclipsed. We don't know why. Maybe the reason was the tape length or some problems on it or the capability of the LP to support the whole suite.  

 
The Rainbow Theatre was booked for three shows for press introduction to Dark Side of the Moon but soon a fourth show was set due to the big response. This extra show was to be played on Sunday 20th February 1972 at 8:00 p.m, for the first time the title Dark Side of the Moon was used. In "The Free Program of Rainbow Theatre, n.13"  we can read: "The Dark Side of the Moon - A Piece for Assorted Lunatics"

A month before they were in this theatre to rehearse for three days, to try the new suite together with the new mixer, the new quadrophonic system and the new light show. The suite was performed ten times around England before the Rainbow' nights. It already changed a little from first couple of nights in Brighton and Portsmouth. Eclipsed was added and more changes would occur before the end of the year.

A generation and more of fans thought this album was recorded on the 17th of February, but many years later we all learned that it was the 20th, the fourth Rainbow show.

- Titles and Songs -
The title of the boot refers to the whole small British tour of January and February 1972.

#81 TELEVISION - Double Exposure (Flac)

Double Exposure
(1974-75 Studio demos)

 

Regarded as the “Crown Jewels” of Television bootlegs. It’s unfortunate that a band so influential and culturally important has few quality sounding bootlegs available. This is one of the exceptions and gathers the late 1974 demos, recorded at Good Vibrations Studios in NYC. with Richard Hell on bass. (see first five tracks) and the August 1975 demos (see tracks 6-11) recorded with Fred Smith on bass - part of the session for Terry Ork of Ork Records. Ork released Television's debut single Little Johnny Jewel in 1975. That single was included on the expanded re-issue of 'Marquee Moon' and a more recent singles compilation.

An Italian bootleg label released this in 1992 on catalogue number DE-92SC. ‘Double Exposure’ has some low quality live tracks inserted between the two studio sessions, these have been omitted from this silver disc lossless rip. They can be found on the CBGB's and Piccadilly Inn, Cleveland, 1975 live bootlegs, in better quality, especially the latter show.

01. Prove It (4:43) 
02. Friction (4:28) 
03. Venus (3:28) 
04. Double Exposure (3:07) 
05. Marquee Moon (7:07) 
06. Hard On Love (4:28) 
07. Friction (4:33) 
08. Careful (3:07) 
09. Prove It (4:54) 
10. Fire Engine (3:12)
11. Little Johnny Jewel (7:03)

Lineage: Silver CD rip
Running Time: 50:14

#80 RADIOHEAD - Bonnaroo Festival 2006 (Flac)

Bonnaroo Music Festival,
Manchester, TN.
June 17, 2006

Radiohead’s North American tour in June 2006 comprised of nineteen shows, fifteen throughout six US states; Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, Tennessee, Illinois and California. Four Canadian dates were shared between Toronto and Montreal. The tour was sandwiched between two European legs that had begun in May and would recommence in August. Bonnaroo situated on a 700-acre farm took place over three days in mid-June. The group headlined the What Stage on Saturday night, their only US festival appearance.

An epic headlining performance by Radiohead. The band debuted half of the songs that would appear on their next album ‘In Rainbows’ released in 2007. Since the inception of the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in 2002, it has steadily grown in stature and is now amongst the upper echelon of festivals in the USA. Other bands on the 2006 bill included: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello & the Imposters feat. Allen Toussaint, Beck, Buddy Guy, Damian 'Jr. Gong' Marley, Dr. John and Sonic Youth.

In an interview by the BBC’s Radio 6Music digital station, Thom Yorke described the show as “My favourite gig for years and years and years.” and for 'Rolling Stone' magazine  "When we played Bonnaroo we got such a nice vibe, a genuine good feeling from the first beat. Things like Bonnaroo give you hope... I met Phish, most of their people are involved in Bonnaroo. And it's great. I dream to take some of that vibe and take it around the country."

A show that is considered by many, to be Radiohead’s best live performance, this two and a half hour set was generally agreed upon as the highlight of Bonnaroo 2006.
 

The mixing of the recording was done by Paul Phipps, who said, via RadioheadBonnaroo.com:

“It's hard to believe this was over 5 years ago, but a friend of mine was running sound that night. He snagged the 2-track master from the board and handed the raw WAV over to me. I felt like I scored the mix of a lifetime. I've spent twenty years behind mixing consoles and mastering is one of my fortes, so I couldn't wait to pull the best out of this one.

After two months of wrangling, I finally came up with a mix that I loved. Everything is crystal clear. I have heard every "official" Radiohead live release and none of them sound this clear. After 5 years of keeping this to myself, I had a talk with my friend and he gave me to the OK to go ahead and release this to the public on the 5th anniversary of this awesome show.

I really tried to focus the attention on the individuals, breaking it apart so you can hear everyone. The show improves as it goes, with the first couple songs being a bit rough, they settle in and the last ten songs are completely spot on and wonderful.

The arrangement to Bodysnatchers is a bit different from the album version. You can tell they were still working on it. This is the best Radiohead live recording you will ever hear. Quality. Performance. It's all here.My personal favorite from this show is Videotape. I like this version over the album version so much more. So passionate. Just amazing.” 

Mastered by Paul Phipps. Paul also develops music apps for Android under the company name Semzo Multimedia.

Setlist:
01. There There 
02. 2+2=5 
03. 15 Step 
04. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi 
05. Exit Music (For A Film) 
06. Kid A 
07. Dollars & Cents 
08. Videotape 
09. No Surprises 
10. Paranoid Android 
11. The Gloaming 
12. The National Anthem 
13. Climbing Up The Walls 
14. Nude 
15. Street Spirit (Fade Out) 
16. The Bends 
17. Myxomatosis 
18. How To Disappear Completely

Encore:
19. You And Whose Army? 
20. Pyramid Song 
21. Like Spinning Plates 
22. Fake Plastic Trees 
23. Bodysnatchers 
24. Lucky 
25. Idioteque 
26. Karma Police

Encore 2:
27. House Of Cards 
28. Everything In Its Right Place

Musicians:
Thom Yorke – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, piano
Jonny Greenwood – guitar, keyboards, synthesizer
Ed O'Brien – guitar, percussion
Colin Greenwood – bass guitar, keyboards
Philip Selway – drums, percussion

The 2-track soundboard recording was given to Paul Phipps, who using twenty years of experience behind mixing consoles, spent two months mixing and mastering the raw recording to his satisfaction. It was originally circulated in mp3 format but this is the lossless version. 

Lineage: SBD > two track master WAV > Paul Phipps mastering > FLAC 
Sound Quality: 10+

 LINK

Password for this is:

 reddit.com/r/radiohead

#79 THE WHO - Fillmore East 1968 (Flac)

Fillmore East
New York

6th April 1968

This recording is from the second night of the Who's debut* at The Fillmore East in New York city. Located in the old Village Theatre in the East Village, the Fillmore had only been open for business less than a month, when Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwhistle and Keith Moon took to the stage for this explosive performance.

It was recorded for a possible official live album: The Who Live At The Fillmore East, but like many intended live albums (Traffic for example) never saw the light of day. You can sample part of the live performance on this high quality bootleg.  (* The Who played at the venue four months earlier when it was known as the Vilage Theatre)

1. Summertime Blues
2. Fortune Teller
3. Tattoo
4. Little Billy
5. I Can't Explain
6. Happy Jack
7. Relax
8. A Quick One While He's Away
9. My Way
10. Shakin' All Over
11. Boris The Spider
12. My Generation 
Live at the Fillmore East, New York, 6th April 1968

bonus tracks
13. Short Medley: Heat Wave/So Sad About Us (with French DJ's voice over) I'm A Boy
14. Substitute
15. My Generation
Live At The Pier Pavillion, Felixstowe, UK, 9th September 1966
(Taken from French TV "Seize Millions Des Jeunes" avec DJ Emperor Rosco, broadcast 18th October 1966)

Lineage: Silver CD -> WAVE (Exact Rip with xACT) -> FLAC (Level 8, xACT)
Silver: Sunrise SB-0012

Notes: Artwork, FLAC Fingerprints, MD5 Verifcation File, Rip Log are all included.
Some boots from Fillmore East, April 1968 carry the wrong date.  This particular boot is from the 6th April.  According to the Concert File book (by Joe McMichael and Irish Jack Lyons) My Way was played on 6th April but not on 5th April.  There are also other references in the Concert File book that make the date for this show accurate.

Liberated by: scirius
Brought to you by: Long Live Rock

#78 DAVID SYLVIAN - Hammersmith Odeon, London 1988 (Flac)

Hammersmith Odeon,
London, England.
30th May 1988
Soundboard recording

 

The best available recording from the 'In Praise of the Shamans - an 80 day tour of the World' and one that is well known by fans. It is a show that deserves wider recognition, if you appreciate Roxy Music, David Bowie, Talk Talk or the Blue Nile, then this is a bootleg you will enjoy. An extremely high quality and classic performance, the brass instrumentation is inspired and fans of jazz will surely find something to savour in Mark Isham's haunting delivery.

In the late 1980's David Sylvian stopped making solo records and became more interested in collaborative work than in his own music, most notably with Holger Czukay (Can) and Robert Fripp (King Crimson). He underwent a personal crisis that had gathered momentum during this tour. He found himself unable to work alone and sought help through working with others. After professional help and meeting Ingrid Chavez, star of Prince's Graffiti Bridge, who would become his wife, he began working on his next solo album. The follow up to 1987's 'Secrets of the Beehive', it would finally be released in 1999, titled 'Dead Bees On A Cake'. 

This live set encompasses four tracks apiece from David’s four solo albums to date, including the complete 1985 single ‘Words With The Shaman’ beginning with the first two parts and closing the show appropriately with the final part ‘Awakening’. Mark Isham contributes a track ‘The Grand Parade’ from his new album ‘Castalia’.  This bootleg is a perfect snapshot of Sylvian's first solo live tour. I listened to it regularly for months, at the same time exploring David's solo catalogue. I owned two Japan LP's bought on release in the early 80's and like many never listened to his solo work, big, big mistake. If you enjoy this may I recommend your next audio experience to be the previously mentioned official releases. After these there is much more to explore backwards or forwards, from one of the most individual and under-rated back catalogues in popular music.

Disc One:
01. Ancient Evening (8:09)
02. Incantation (5:14)
03. Orpheus (5:04)
04. Before The Bullfight (9:24)
05. Taking The Veil (5:02)
06. Weathered Wall (5:51)
07. The Boy With The Gun (5:57)
08. Riverman (11:36)
09. The Grand Parade (Mark Isham) (4:32)
10. band introduction (1:29)
11. The Ink In The Well (5:05)
12. Nostalgia (6:52)

Disc Two:
01. Forbidden Colours/Backwaters (5:41)
02. Brilliant Trees (12:08)
03. Steel Cathedrals (8:15)
04. Let The Happiness In (7:37)
05. Gone To Earth (9:22)
06. Awakening (5:44)

Musicians:
David Sylvian - keyboards, guitar and vocals
Steve Jansen - drums and percussion
Richard Barbieri - keyboards
David Torn - lead guitar
Ian Maidman - bass and percussion
Robby Aceto - guitars and keyboards
Mark Isham - flügelhorn, trumpet, soprano sax and keyboards

The source files were affected by a lot of saturation clicks/crackles due to a non perfect analog to digital transfer process. These issues and some minor problems were repaired. This is the rdwm 2015 revision and the best source of this sublime show.

#77 VAN MORRISON - The Point Theatre, Dublin. 1995 (Flac)

From Dublin Up To Sandy Row (bootleg CD)
The Point Theatre, Dublin, Ireland
17 December 1995  

Given that the 17 December '95 show from The Point Depot in Dublin was captured four years back on 'The Night Was Full Of Space' boot, it was noteworthy how much "press" the soon-to-be-circulated 'From Dublin Up To Sandy Row' received in the Van-List circles.

Well, the hype was worth it. While the sound on 'The Night Was Full Of Space' is solid, the sound on 'From Dublin Up To Sandy Row' is flawless; in my opinion, it is better than on the live commercial release, 'A Night In San Francisco'. (Chew on that.... luso.com)

This is the third Van show of which I am aware that the Tonight Only label has released, and they seem to know they had something special here. A couple of comments from the very sharp artwork: "Tonight Only is proud to present the definitive recording of one of the definitive Van Morrison concerts of the 1990's . . . .
The pristine recording you hold in your hands is released with a very limited pressing of just 250 copies, each one numbered to enhance its value as a rare record of a spectacular concert at Dublin's Point Depot."

The setlist speaks for itself, and Van's performance is simply "on"; even "Moondance" works! But the value of this recording is the sound, which has a richness and complexity, as well as subtlety, that 'The Night Was Full Of Space' lacks. Guy Barker's sax solo on "That's Life" absolutely shimmers, and one can literally feel Alec Dankworth's fingers on the up-right bass during "Why Must I Always Explain". I can say without influence that this is a classic boot. 
(reviewed by Niall Connors)
 

 And then from outside the frosty window raps
She jumps up and says, Lord, have mercy I think it's the cops
And immediately drops everything she gots
Down into the street below
And you know you gotta go
On that train from Dublin up to Sandy Row
Throwing pennies at the bridges down below
And the rain, hail, sleet, and snow

Disc One: 

01 No Religion (4:41)
02 Days Like This (3:03)
03 Raincheck (4:56)
04 Wonderful Remark (4:10)
05 Saint Dominic's Preview (5:41)
06 Listen To The Lion (5:05)
07 Slim Slow Slider (5:15)
08 Vanlose Stairway / TransEuro Train (4:11)
09 Irish Heartbeat (4:06)
10 Ballerina (6:52)

Disc Two:

01 Tupelo Honey / Why Must I Always Explain? (7:24)
02 Whenever God Shines His Light (3:34)
03 In The Garden / You Send Me (7:03)
04 Star Of The County Down (2:33)
05 Melancholia (6:08)
06 I'm Not Feeling It Anymore (7:03)
07 Madame George (5:51)
08 Brown Eyed Girl (3:29)
09 Have I Told You Lately (6:05)

officially released tracks omitted
* Ain't that loving you baby,
* That's Life,
* Moondance,
* Satisfied.

FM broadcast from The Point Theatre, Dublin on December 17th, 1995 
Released on 'From Dublin Up To Sandy Row' silver disc bootleg CD (June 1999)

#76 THE BLUE NILE - The Bottom Line, NYC. 1990 (Flac)

The Bottom Line
New York City
July 23, 1990

The Blue Nile have variously been described as adult alternative pop, dream pop, alternative rock, ambient folk and synth pop, all of these terms vainly try and box the group’s music into a particular genre. What can be said without any doubt is that in the 1980’s they released two absolute classic albums: A Walk Across The Rooftops (1984) and Hats (1989)

This show can be considered as part one of an unofficial trilogy of live recordings from 1990 (Manchester and Glasgow are the others) and is taken from either a soundboard or an FM broadcast. (lineage details included with the notes are vague)

The group began their first ever tour with dates in the USA before returning home for their debut UK tour in September, ending with two shows at the Royal Concert Hall in their native city of Glasgow.
The performance and sound quality of this recording is superb and while no live recording can ever compete with the recorded perfection of the two previously mentioned albums, this show comes pretty damn close. Of the fourteen tracks spread over the first two releases, eleven are included here, six from Hats and five from the debut album, A Walk Across The Rooftops, closing in fast on it’s 30th anniversary release date.

01. A Walk Across the Rooftops
02. Tinseltown In The Rain
03. Heatwave
04. Over The Hillside
05. Stay
06. Easter Parade
07. band intro
08. Downtown Lights
09. Saturday Night
10. Headlights On The Parade
11. Seven A.M.
12. Let's Go Out Tonight

Glasgow's unique but extremely slow-moving (four albums in 20 years!) Blue Nile has a wealth of creative depth, building atmosphere with lots of empty space and carefully controlled conflicting musical maneuvers. The title track of the trio's first album mixes strings, horns, drum and bass with a meandering, disjunct vocal for something like a blend of Robert Wyatt, Joni Mitchell and John Cale. Although A Walk Across the Rooftops isn't easy to love, at its most accessible point ("Stay," which actually has a chorus and more of a verse melody than the others), it's quite appealing.

Hats was five years in the making, but the band's relentless perfectionism paid off: the seven songs are as dense and moving as a midnight sky. With sweeping synths and the pristine click of electronic percussion, "The Downtown Lights" and "Over the Hillside" are moody like film music, while "From a Late Night Train" and "Saturday Night" are impressionistic vignettes that creep along in slow motion. There's hardly a guitar or live drum to be heard, but seldom has studio technology been used to such warm and personal results.

A vast seven-year gap yawned between the Blue Nile's second and third albums. During that time (part of which was devoted to the lengthy process of securing a new record deal), the perfectionists' only visible activities were one tour and three collaborations. They recorded a cover of Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" on Clannad vocalist Màire Brennan's Misty Eyed Adventures, a live British B-side with Rickie Lee Jones, and "The Gift," a song the threesome co-wrote with Annie Lennox for her Diva album; Lennox certified her satisfaction by including the Blue Nile's "Downtown Lights" on her Medusa collection.

Recorded (somewhat tellingly) in Los Angeles, Peace at Last is by far the atmospheric group's most diverse, accessible and fully realized work. Generally more upbeat and conventional than the first two, the album uses vastly different instrumentation — acoustic guitars, strings, even a gospel choir on "Happiness" — yet retains the group's distinctive melancholy, panoramic feel. The pop ideas explored rather clumsily on Hats are infinitely more assured here; while the horn-speckled "Sentimental Man" summons fearsome visions of Phil Collins, "Body and Soul" slithers brilliantly on- and off-beat, showing how thoroughly the group has managed to integrate groove into its sound. Although the unmistakable whiff of centrist tendencies imbues the proceedings — there's even a lump-in-the-throat Christmas ballad called "Family Life" — Peace at Last is a natural and dramatic progression.

Between Blue Nile releases, frontman Paul Buchanan lent his distinctive vocals to several outside projects, including Peter Gabriel's OVO, smooth jazz trumpeter Chris Botti's Midnight Without You and composer Craig Armstrong's The Space Between Us.

After another eight-year pause, the Blue Nile finally returned with High, abandoning the more organic trappings of Peace at Last in favor of the lush, synthesized feel of Hats. High is the first Blue Nile album that makes no significant stylistic advance over its predecessors but the best moments are true to the band’s essential qualities. (The lesser moments suggest its signature sound could ossify into formula.) Buchanan’s characteristically bittersweet lyrics return to familiar themes: the drudgery of the workaday world and relationships both good and bad. "Because of Toledo" stands out in part due to an arrangement that is little more than acoustic guitar and Buchanan's voice. "Broken Loves" deftly delineates a difficult father/son relationship while expending a fair amount of musical energy running in place. "She Saw the World" and "Everybody Else" make more focused use of that energy. "I Would Never" and "Days of Our Lives" recapture the languid grace of earlier songs like “Over the Hillside.” But the title track's lyrical search for transcendence is undercut by a prosaic chorus."I Would Never" was released as a CD single, with cover art depicting three straw hats. The single adds two tracks that predate A Walk Across the Rooftops. "I Love This Life" brims with youthful enthusiasm in strong contrast to the often complicated grown-up concerns of their later work. "The Second Act," an early B-side previously unreleased on CD, shows a developing band that hasn't quite arrived at its signature sound.

Since the release of High, Buchanan has continued to collaborate with other musicians: he sang on Aqualung's Memory Man album and co-wrote a song on the 2010 Magnetic North release. His vocals are also featured on "Sleep" from Texas' 2006 Red Book album.

Buchanan returned in 2012 with Mid Air, a solo album of elegiac ballads. While many of these short songs (most clock in under three minutes) are individually excellent, they are too much alike to make it a strong album. Buchanan is a master at creating a mood of ephemeral beauty, but the arrangements vary little: he croons gently over simple piano accompaniment that often traces the melody line, while synthesized sweetening fleshes out the sound. The Blue Nile used this approach fruitfully on tracks like “Easter Parade,” “Because of Toledo,” and “From a Late Night Train,” surrounding them with contrasting fare. Mid Air cries out for similar variety, but only the lovely orchestral instrumental “Fin de Siecle” breaks form. This particular whole is not greater than the sum of its parts, beautifully wrought though the parts are. “Cars in the Garden” and “I Remember You” are among the high points. The 24-track edition contains several alternate versions, including a pair of remixes credited to Blue Nile’s Robert Bell. (Trouser Press)

#75 U2 - Salome (Flac)

 'Salome'
Hansa Ton Studios,
Berlin, Germany
1990-91

In December 1990, U2 entered Hansa Ton recording studios in Berlin, Germany to create as well as record but unlike most bands they entered the studio with very few lyric or song ideas. These sessions would lead to the release of "Achtung Baby" their seventh studio album in November 1991. By playing together they would form ideas while improvising around a rhythm, lyric or a riff. This 'jamming' was recorded and the highlights of these tapes were edited down and compiled into 'working tapes' Digital Audio Tape cassettes. These possible song ideas were saved and also used by the producer Brian Eno (and others) to hear the band's progress and offer modifications and their thoughts on how the sessions were progressing.

Beginning in May 1991, bootleggers released these tapes on a vinyl pressing, further issues appeared in June and November 1991. ‘Salome: The Axtung Beibi outtakes’ (sic) were released in February 1992 on a triple CD set. Three and half hours worth of material mastered from the original DAT recordings, with no quality loss between the original working tapes and these CD's. The sound quality was far superior than the previous vinyl issues. Salome, the title is thought to be from a working title for the Achtung Baby sessions.

U2 were “the first major band to have studio sessions released before the finished product was either released, abandoned or the group broke up.” Their manager Paul McGuiness reacted angrily, releasing a press statement accusing the bootleggers of cheating the fans by passing off inferior material. He also stated that the finished product had evolved by leaps and bounds from what was being illegally circulated. While his comments were valid, the tapes offered a compelling insight into the song writing process and included songs omitted from the final release.

For this post the unnamed tracks have been accorded the fan working titles as used by Sira Vista, the author of the individual track notes that appeared on the internet in 1992. I have edited his original track notes and reworked them with a few additional observations. As a whole entity the 3 disc set can get tedious to listen too. It was not made or intended for this use as mentioned above and as a consequence I've had the set for a number of years and barely listened to it. When the best tracks are extracted and compiled together, as on this single disc, the set seems like a new discovery and is virtually an alternate, unreleased U2 album.

If you are interested in this period of U2, the official release documentary "From The Sky Down" tells the story of their path towards 'Achtung Baby'. The 20th anniversary of the album was marked by the release of five different formats on 31 October 2011, the super deluxe set comprising of 6 CDs and 4 DVDs. Not long now 'til the 25th anniversary.

Tracklisting:

01.  Salome (5:59)               
02.  Where Did It All Go Wrong? (3:44)        
03.  Heaven And Hell (6:48)           
04.  I Feel Free (4:31)              
05.  Sweet Baby Jane (2:02)          
06.  Morning Child (4:00)          
07.  She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around (7:38)  
08.  Back Mask U2 (3:11)          
09.  Acrobat (4:19)              
10.  Take You Down (5:16)          
11.  Salome (5:37)               

Running time: 54:05

01.  Salome (5:59)               
You can virtually sing the words to Salome' (from the CD single of Even Better Than The Real Thing) to this take. Perhaps it's title here still should be ‘Got To Get Together Now’, but it's Salome' for identity purposes. The bassline leads one to believe this is an early form of ZOO STATION. Later takes also support this theory. With nine versions spread over the original 3-disc set, this song has had the most difficult creative process. The final five tracks on the third disc are particularly monotonous and an uninspiring listening experience.

02.  Where Did It All Go Wrong? (3:44)        
A catchier version of this fast and repetitive hard driving song, that sounds great despite the out of place, bridge.

03.  Heaven And Hell (6:48)           
Bringing the tempo down, this slow song has a nice "fat" organ sound. Bono directs the band through the latter half, asking Larry to drop out, as the organ and the others come in beautifully. 

04.  I Feel Free (4:31)              
Beginning with a shriek from Bono. The guitar riff, immediately familiar is the basis for the whole song. Vocals are mostly Bono, but The Edge provides backup. This is a free-form take and an early form of UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD.

05.  Sweet Baby Jane (2:02)          
Bono sings the first verse acapella (and stammers) followed by The Edge adding guitar, both sing harmony vocals before Adam’s bass comes in. There are no drums on this track.

06.  Morning Child (4:00)              
This song is an early form of WHO'S GONNA RIDE YOUR WILD HORSES. In this take you can really hear the acoustic guitar. The bridge here is similar to how it turns out on the album (Bono barely sings at all during this bridge).

07.  She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around (7:38)  
There is now much less echo, more song structure, and a normal volume level. The chorus, "she's gonna blow your house down” etc. is now consistent now. This take kicks!

08.  Back Mask U2 (3:11)              
This is an early form of SO CRUEL, evident not only in the percussion, but also in the general emotion of the song (specifically, the last two lines of the take). One can really understand what Bono is singing.

09.  Acrobat (4:19)              
This is ACROBAT but with a slightly different lyric. It’s the only song that survived these sessions virtually unchanged. Bono sings "Don't let (?) take you down", where ? seems to be assorted different things, people, etc. It's hard to actually pick any but a few out. Includes a great solo from The Edge.

10.  Take You Down (5:16)          
This song is an early form of LADY WITH THE SPINNING HEAD, which later evolved into ULTRA VIOLET (Light My Way). The guitar solo was used again in THE FLY, and the bridge moved on to be used as the intro to ULTRA VIOLET (Light My Way). Bono sings back up. The left and right channels are different takes of him singing to the same backing music. Each channel sounds quite different from the other, and the two only come together in one or two places. The vocals are not completely isolated to the left or right channels. In each channel you can faintly hear the other. During the guitar solo and bridge you can only hear one vocal track (in both channels). A Hendrix like solo, and a frantic ending. This song rips! Much better than the LADY WITH THE SPINNING HEAD.

11.  Salome (5:37)               
The beginning sounds almost like a "remixed" version of the song. U2 seem to be taken by the idea of radically changing the songs in an effort to spur creativity. There's a great deal of production on this take; plenty of assorted effects and sound loops. The vocals can be heard, but are difficult to understand. The later evolution into ZOO STATION is most evident in this take, especially toward the end (ie, the fuzzy booming sound at 3:14). The familiar ZOO STATION loop of clanking bells can also be heard throughout the song.

#74 THE CURE - Plainsongs (Flac)

The Prayer Tour Soundboard (s)
Recorded in Germany & France 1989

 

The best bootleg from this tour. The supreme quality and selection of songs, endeavour to make this one of the most enjoyable Cure bootlegs. Recorded during the European tour, the actual venues are not given just three cities visited between 7 May and 7 June 1989.

01. Plainsong
02. Pictures of You
03. Closedown
04. The Kyoto Song
05. A Night Like This
06. Last Dance
Frankfurt: 14 May 1989

07. Cold
08. The Same Deep Water As You
09. The Figurehead
Bremen: 7 May 1989

10. Three Imaginary Boys
11. Fire In Cairo
12. Boys Don´t Cry
Arles: 7 June 1989

13. Faith
Bremen: 7 May 1989

Lineage. Soundboard > DAT Master > Cass > DAT > CDR > FLAC (level 8)

LINK

#73 LUCINDA WILLIAMS - Bowery Ballroom, New York (Flac)

This tour was the first chance I got to see Lucinda, as previously it had been more than ten years since she had played in the UK. There had been no live appearances for the Car Wheel s On A Gravel Road album on this side of the Atlantic. It had been a long wait but the World Without Tears tour was well worth it, Lucinda's guitarist Doug Pettibone was spectacular on guitar. He left to pursue a solo career some years ago but is now back playing with Lucinda and her band, so if you get the chance near you to attend a live show take it and don't miss out. (editor's note, Lucinda now has a different band)

There are many quality Lu shows but this one with perfect sound quality and her superb band make it my favourite.The same line up would play later in the year and be recorded and released on the official two disc set Live At Fillmore, it's a live cd well worth the purchase.

Lucinda Williams
Bowery Ballroom
May 27th, 2003

Lineage:
Lost Highway Records radio hour cd's -> EAC -> HD -> Flac

Lucinda Williams  vocals, guitar

Doug Pettibone  guitar, vocals
Taras Prodaniuk  bass

Jim Christie  drums

 1-Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
 2-Fruits of My Labor
 3-Those Three Days
 4-Blue
 5-Still I Long For Your Kiss
 6-Ventura
 7-Something About What Happens
 8-Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings
 9-Joy
10-Band Intros
11-Over Time
12-Concrete and Barbed Wire
13-I Envy the Wind
14-Cold Cold Heart
15 intro to Atonement
16-Atonement
17-Words Fell

#72 TALKING HEADS - Sharp Objects 1977 (Flac)

"Sharp Objects"
Old Waldorf,
San Francisco, CA.
December 3, 1977

This is the third of CBGB's original big five, to have been included in the 100 greatest blog, see posts #12 Patti Smith and #36 Ramones.

Earlier in 1977, Talking Heads had made their live debut in Europe, touring through the last week of April into May and the early days of June (supporting the Ramones). Surprisingly the four shows that took place at the Old Wardorf, San Francisco over December 2nd and 3rd, were the first live performances by the band on the west coast. Another historic show from an intimate San Francisco venue and available in pre-FM from the KSAN reels, with ultimate sound quality. The mix is superbly balanced.

The Old Wardorf was active on 444 Battery Street between 1976 and 1983, before being closed by Bill Graham. Advertising from the time says 'that dinner will be available at every event and may be purchased in advance for certain 8pm and 11pm shows with best available seating.' Imagine finishing your dinner while Metallica or Iggy Pop take to the stage of this 600 capacity venue for the early show.

early set-list:

01. Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town
02. ... With Our Love
03. The Book I Read
04. Artists Only
05. Stay Hungry
06. The Big Country
07. New Feeling
08. Thank You For Sending Me an Angel
09. Who Is It
10. Psycho Killer
11. No Compassion
12. No compassion (reprise)
13. 1, 2, 3, stoplight
 

 Lineage: SBD / Pre-FM > DAT > CDR > EAC > WAV > flac