#141 BOB DYLAN - Expecting Rain N.E.T. Vol 1-6 (Flac)

In 2011, members of the Bob Dylan 'Expecting Rain' forum conducted a poll to decide on the best 100 live performances of Dylan’s career. The tracks included on these volumes have been selected from the Never Ending Tour only - those that made the top 100 and also some of the best tracks from the forum's short list.

The earlier live recordings were excluded as many have been officially released and the early sixties to early eighties recordings are best heard in their entirety.

This is the complete series of six volumes made available for the first time.They cover the beginning of the N.E.T. in 1988 through to 2010. The vast majority of tracks are from audience recordings.

As you can imagine this set required a great deal of work putting together, not just in collecting and collating the actual tracks chosen in the 100, but also those that made the short lists. 

Source information where available has been included with the notes, as has the artwork which was created especially for those that like a tangible object in their hand, with details on the tracks they are listening to. 

If this compilation inspires a further interest in the NET years and I hope it does, then I would advise getting hold of the following two books:

Mind Out Of Time (1986-1990 & beyond) by Paul Williams.
Superb writing and especially strong on the beginnings of the NET in 1988 through 1990

The Razor's Edge: Bob Dylan and the Neverending Tour by Andrew Muir
One More Night: Bob Dylan's Never Ending Tour (Second and updated edition of above)
Infectious and enthusiastic, Andrew's book more than any gets a grip on the mammoth task of understanding Dylan's live performance since 1988

One final point, if you are looking for further information about Bob Dylan, don't forget to check out 'Expecting Rain' the finest Dylan site on the web. 

Exprecting Rain

Compiled by thebasement67
for the 100 greatest bootlegs blog (February 2016)

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

Expecting Rain N.E.T. Vol. 1

01. Lakes Of Pontchartrain - Wantagh 30-Jun-88         

02. Hallelujah - Montreal 8-Jul-88            

03. Barbara Allen - New York City 19-Oct-88   

04. Disease Of Conceit - London 8-Feb-90       

05. That Lucky Old Sun - Madison 5-Nov-91   

06. Most Of The Time - San Jose 9-May-92           

07. Tight Connection To My Heart - NYC. 17-Nov-93    

08. Blood In My Eyes - New York City 17-Nov-93

09. Delia - New York City 17-Nov-93     LB-6207   

10. A Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall - Nara 22-May-94       

11. Ring Them Bells - Nara 22-May-94       

12. Mama, You Been On My Mind - Warsaw 19-Jul-94        

13. Two Soldiers - Boston 9-Oct-94       

14. I Want You - Unplugged 17-Nov-94

 ER NET Vol 1

 Expecting Rain N.E.T. Vol. 2 

01. Desolation Row - Unplugged 18-Nov-94   

02. Dignity - Unplugged 18-Nov-94    

03. Knockin' On Heaven's Door - Unplugged 18-Nov-94    

04. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue - Prague 11-Mar-95

05. Shelter From The Storm - Prague 11-Mar-95

06. Mr. Tambourine Man - Prague 11-Mar-95

07. In The Long Black Coat - Prague 11-Mar-95

08. Born In Time - Berkeley 26-May-95   

09. Gates Of Eden - Berkeley 26-May-95    

10. Restless Farewell - Sinatra 80th 19-Nov-95   

11. Dark Eyes - Philadelphia 17-Dec-95    

(an alternate has also been provided of a superior recording from 15 Dec 1995)

ER NET V2

 Expecting Rain N.E.T. Vol. 3

01. My Back Pages - Berlin 17-Jun-96

         02. Friend Of The Devil - Berlin 17-Jun-96

03. Lovesick - NYC 25-Feb-98

04. This Wheel’s On Fire - Stockholm 9-Jun-98

05. I And I - Dijon 1-Jul-98

06. The Times We’ve Known - New York City 1-Nov-98

07. Train Of Love - J. Cash Tribute 6-Apr-99

08. Tryin’ To Get To Heaven - Lisbon 7-Apr-99

09. Not Dark Yet - New York City 30 Jul-99

10. Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power)

11. Tomorrow Is A Long Time - Ithaca 15-Nov-99

12. Blowin’ In The Wind - Santa Cruz 16-Mar-00

13. Song To Woody - Santa Cruz 16-Mar-00

ER NET V3

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

Expecting Rain N.E.T. Vol. 4

01. Highlands - Santa Cruz 16-Mar-00  

02. Delia - Newcastle 19-Sep-00                      
03. The Ballad Of Frankie Lee & Judas Priest - Portsmouth 

25-Sep-00     

05. Standing In The Doorway - Paris 3 Oct-00        
06. If Dogs Run Free - Asheville 1-May-01

07. Sugar Baby - Atlanta 9-Feb-02 / Spokane 5-Oct-01  
08. I’ll Remember You - M&A  18-Jul-02  

09. Cold Irons Bound - M&A 18-Jul-02           
10. Mutineer - Fairfax 22-Nov-02 

11. Accidentally Like A Martyr - Fairfax 22-Nov-02

12. Summer Days - Fairfax 22-Nov-02   

This is the first time these volumes (4-6) have been posted, the series was interrupted due to a sound card failure and during the resulting delay the links were lost because of hosting issues.

ER NET V4

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

Expecting Rain N.E.T. Vol. 5

01. Dignity - Niagara Falls 23-Aug-03
02. Highwater (for Charley Patton) - Niagara Falls 23-Aug-03
03. Desolation Row - Berlin 20-Oct-03
04. The Mighty Quinn - London 23-Nov-03
05. Jokerman - London 24-Nov-03
06. Romance In Durango - London 24-Nov-03
07. Million Miles - London 24-Nov-03
08. Dear Landlord - London 24-Nov-03
09. Blind Willie McTell - London 25-Nov-03
10. A Change Is Gonna Come - NYC 28-Mar-04
11. Million Dollar Bash - London 21-Nov-05
12. ‘Til I Fell In Love With You - Dublin 27-Nov-05 

ER NET V5 

   

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

Expecting Rain N.E.T. Vol. 6


01. Boots Of Spanish Leather - Dublin 27-Nov-05
02. Visions Of Johanna - Dublin 27-Nov-05
03. Ain’t Talkin’ - New York City 20-Nov-06
04. Nettie Moore - Santa Monica 3-Sep-08
05. Billy - Stockholm 22-Mar-09
06. Forgetful Heart Tokyo 23-Mar-10
07. The Times They Are A Changin’ - Whitehouse 9-Feb-10
08. Shelter From The Storm - Osaka 13-Mar-10
09. What Good Am I - Linz 12-Jun-10
10. Love Sick - Tampa 7-Oct-10

ER-V6 

This is the final volume, the download link includes a word document of the tracks shortlisted, that were used to compile this series. 

As we are now ten years on from the oldest performances on this set I recommend the following site:

thousandhighways.blogspot

It's ideal especially if you are looking for Dylan's best performances during the last decade.

#20 CAT POWER - The Complete Peel Sessions (Flac)

*THIS IS AN UPGRADED REPOST*

Standing in a queue waiting to pay for the latest selection of cds I’d chosen. I overheard the girl in front asking what was playing over the shop speakers. When told it was Cat Power’s new album she replied, “I’ll take it too.”

Cat Power at that time was just a name to me despite the 'Covers Record' being her fifth release. Some months later I heard her music for the first time on the John Peel show - the famous long running late night show on BBC Radio One.

The session included a selection of songs that had been recorded but not included on the Covers Record. That covers session included here features just Chan’s vocal and acoustic guitar or keyboards. I remember the DJ John Peel, being particularly taken by “Freebird,” a minimalist cover lasting barely fifty seconds and so completely different from its original incarnation, that it sounds quite bizarre in comparison.

The covers session was recorded on June 18, 2000 at Maida Vale’s studio 4 in London. It was broadcast in two parts, part one on July 20, 2000 including tracks 1 to 4 and track 9. The second part was broadcast on August 31, 2000 and included tracks 5 to 8 with a repeat of “Freebird.” Both parts of the session were broadcast later in the year, a few weeks before Christmas.

The second session was broadcast live and recorded at John’s home “Peel Acres” on August 23, 2001

The third and final session was recorded on January 23, 2003 to promote the follow up release “You Are Free.” It was broadcast on 12 February, 2003. Chan performs another sparse stripped down session emphasizing the haunting soulful beauty of her voice.

This is the complete Cat Power Peel sessions made available in flac, together for the first time (April 2020).

Cat Power - Peel Session #1
BBC Radio 1 FM
Maida Vale Studio 4
London, England
Recorded: June 18, 2000

Lineage: FM > ? > CDR > EAC > FLAC

01. Sophisticated Lady (2:20)
02. Hard Times In New York City (2:49)
03. Wonderwall (2:41)
04. He Was A Friend Of Mine (3:54)
05. Deep Inside > Come On In My Kitchen (5:11)
06. Werewolf (3:07)
07. Up & Gone (2:21)
08. Sister > Knocking On Heaven's Door (4:00)
09. Freebird (0:52)

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

Cat Power - Peel Session #2
BBC Radio 1 FM
"Peel Acres" (John Peel's house)
Great Finborough, Suffolk,
England, U.K.
Recorded: August 23, 2001

Master FM recording
Lineage:  BBC Radio 1 FM  -> Roof Aerial -> Marantz ST151L Tuner -> SB Extigy soundcard -> CoolEdit Pro 2.1 ->
WAV -> CD-R -> EAC -> WAV -> TLH -> FLAC 8 & .ffp

10. Intro  (with Nellie the dog) (1:09)
11. The Party (3:10)
12. Interview  (with John Peel) (0:42)
13. Intro  (with John Peel) (0:28)
14. Baby Doll (3:09)
15. Interlude  (with John Peel) (0:24)
16. Up And Gone (2:40)
17. Come On In My Kitchen (3:52)

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

Cat Power - Peel Session #3
BBC Radio 1 FM
Maida Vale Studio 4
London, England.
Recorded: January 23, 2003

Lineage: FM > ? > CDR > EAC > FLAC

18. Names (5:18)
19. Funny Things (3:10)
20. Evolution (3:01)
21. I Don't Blame You (3:34)

These are the correct dates as sourced from the book 'The Peel Sessions' by Ken Garner (2007)

LINK 

JOHN PRINE - BBC Session & Interview 2018 (Flac)

* Special Post *

JOHN PRINE (1946-2020)

John Prine bravely fought and conquered cancer twice before sadly becoming another victim of the current pandemic. 

His peers and fellow musicians described him in glowing terms:

Bruce Springsteen said:

"We are crushed by the loss of John Prine. John and I were "New Dylans" together in the early 70s and he was never anything but the loveliest guy in the world. A true national treasure and a songwriter for the ages. We send our love and prayers to his family.

Bob Dylan described John's music as:

"Pure Proustian existentialism". "Midwestern mind trips to the nth degree. And he writes beautiful songs."

Robbie Robertson, ex-The Band - called him:

"A genius".

and Robert Plant, ex-Led Zeppelin - said of his work:

"A beacon of clear white light cutting through the dark days," and "His charm, humour and irony we shall miss greatly."

Here he talks candidly to BBC DJ & legendary OGWT presenter, Bob Harris and also performs two songs from his latest album 'The Tree Of Forgiveness'

This short session was recorded by me over a year and a half ago, and is new to circulation. Just a brief example of John's brilliance as a musician, songwriter and raconteur.

Thursday 23 August, 2018
BBC Radio 2  FM broadcast
Bob Harris Country show
John Prine is in session

01. Bob Harris Intro  (0:27)
02. John Prine - Summers End (session)  (3:14)
03. Interview pt. 1  (6:40)
04. John Prine - Crazy Bone (session)  (3:26)
05. Interview pt. 2   (5:02)

Lineage: Denon FM tuner > WAVLAB 6 > FLAC 8
Recorded: thebasement67
 

BBC Radio 2 FM notes.
Earlier this year (2018) legendary singer/songwriter John Prine released his first album for 18 years. Tonight he plays songs from it and discusses his 50 year career with Bob.

Back in 1970, Prine was playing at the Chicago folk club The Fifth Peg when the young journalist Roger Ebert dropped in for a set. At the time, Prine was a 23-year-old mailman who had been singing his original songs every Thursday night for about two months. Ebert wrote a glowing review for the Chicago Sun- Times , essentially launching Prine’s music career. Kris Kristofferson became one of his earliest advocates; their friendship has lasted decades and they have toured together extensively over the years. In turn, Prine has invited a new generation of songwriters, such as Jason Isbell and Margo Price, to open his concerts. His 2018 tour schedule includes select dates with Sturgill Simpson.

Prine still remembers the first three songs he performed on any stage: “Sam Stone,” “Hello in There,” and “Paradise.” With humility, he recalls, “I sang those three songs and people just sat there and looked at me. I thought, ‘Wow, those are really bad.’ They wouldn’t even applaud.”

Of course, the opposite is true today. Those three songs are Prine signatures. His songs have been recorded by iconic singers like Johnny Cash (“Sam Stone”), Bette Midler (“Hello in There”) and Bonnie Raitt (“Angel from Montgomery”).

LINK 

#140 JOE BONAMASSA - At Maida Vale Studio (Flac)

Between 2006 and 2016, Joe Bonamassa was an annual guest on the Paul Jones Blues Show, broadcast by BBC Radio 2 FM (apart from 2012). Four sessions were recorded at the BBC’s Maida Vale studios in London during this time. These were split between two studio and two live in front of a small audience.

During the soundcheck for the 2010 live session at Maida Vale, Paul Jones interviewed Joe Bonamassa, and welcomed him back to the "scene of a previous triumph." It was a reference to Joe's second appearance on the show in 2008. That live session recorded in front of a small audience of about one hundred people, appeared on a Russian bootleg CD. 

Joe regales Paul Jones with the tale of how they were going to Russia for the first time, to play a couple of shows. On seeing this great theatre where they were scheduled to perform, Joe said, "This will be really terrible if only eighty people show up. Who knows us in Moscow? and apparently the guy, who was the biggest source of said bootlegs, had recommended us for this gig because our bootlegs were doing so well. We ended up selling the place out the first time, based on the strength of like, the Paul Jones show bootleg and a few albums that had the wrong covers and the wrong songs and stuff like that. So you go, well it's not so bad!"

This is the show that was bootlegged. There are numerous excellent high quality sounding officially released live shows on CD and DVD. In fact so many that in recommending a live show it was necessary to focus on something intimate and a bit different. 

I have selected this from the earlier formative years of Bonamassa's solo career. That this show helped him sell out a theatre on his first visit to Russia, is proof enough of its potency. Also included in the post is the first studio session at Maida Vale, broadcast in 2006. The final track has attracted the biggest ever response to a session performance on the Paul Jones' show.

Joe Bonamassa - At BBC Maida Vale Studio
BBC Radio 2 FM Broadcast - Feb 11, 2008

01. Bridge To Better Days (5:38)
02. So Many Roads (6:21)
03. [chat]    (5:13)
04. One Of These Days (5:57)
05. Sloe Gin (7:19)
06. [Question and Reply session] (7:12)
07. Woke Up Dreaming (4:11)
08. You Upset Me Baby (ft. Paul Jones) (5:06)
09. Just Got Paid (9:10)

Time: 56:13

LINK 1 

Joe Bonamassa - At BBC Maida Vale Studio
BBC Radio 2 FM Broadcast - Oct 19, 2006 (track 1 & 2) 
                                                 - Nov 23, 2006 (track 3)

01. Woke Up Dreaming (3:18)
02. Walk In My Shadow >
      So Many Roads >
      Bridge To Better Days (16:36)
03. Just Got Paid >
      Dazed & Confused instrumental section (9:46)

Time: 29:40

LINK 2

#139 THE FALL - Sound City (1992-93) (Flac)

Some years ago after watching the BBC documentary, 'The Fall - The Wonderful and Frightening World of Mark E Smith' Watch Here

I realised I had been listening to them for over twenty-five years and still not seen them live. I decided to do something about it. Not long after watching the TV programme, a new tour was announced to promote the 'Interim' album. I bought a ticket, it was the same line-up of the band that recorded 'Fall Heads Roll' released later in 2005.

I got to the venue early as it was new to me and saw a closed metal gate with a paper sign taped to it: Venue Changed – now at the Student’s Union. Feeling fortunate that I hadn't left it until later I made my way to find something to eat and seek directions for the new venue.

Eventually later in the day I stood in a large line, everyone had to sign papers to get into the Students Union. While standing and waiting down the front with emphasis on 'the waiting' an announcement was made that the band’s transport had broken down. So time for another pint.  

Eventually they appeared on stage and judging by the condition of Mark E. Smith, they had evidently broken down near a pub or off licence.

He stumbled on and directed the band straight into Wrong Place, Right Time segueing into the Move’s I Can Hear The Grass Grow just like on the Peel sessions box. It was impressive, extremely powerful and rock solid.

Touch Sensitive saw Mark E. begin to smile as he voiced the 'Hello Hello' chorus obviously relaxed and enjoying himself. Over half of the set was made up of tracks from the new album 'Interim'.

Closing with Mr Pharmacist, the crowd at the front went berserk especially on the sped up parts of the song, a fitting finale. The band trooped off without a thanks or goodbye. The lights never went on, we waited for more but it was not to be. One hour - thirteen songs including Sparta FC, Pacifying Joint and White Lightning.

This recording comes from the previous decade, from two consecutive annual BBC Sound City live performances in 1992 and 1993. The Fall were on the crest of a commercial wave, 'The Infotainment Scan' had broke into the top ten UK album chart. 
Half of that album can be heard live on the 1993 section of these broadcasts. 

This is the 'Mighty Fall' at perhaps their most accessible.  If you’ve steered clear of them in the past, perhaps daunted by their reputation, try this one you may be pleasantly surprised. I would also like to thank stranger09 who recorded these shows and made them originally available via separate downloads.

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

The Fall

Sound City, Waterfront, Norwich, England

21 April 1992

BBC Radio 1 FM stereo

Nakamichi Tapedeck > CD-R > Audacity > TLH > Flac

01. And Therein

02. Blood Outta Stone

03. Time Enough at Last

04. Free Range

05. Idiot Joy Showland

06. Gentlemen's Agreement

07. Edinburgh Man

LINK Pt. 1

The Fall

Sound City, Hallam University, Sheffield, England

7 April 1993

BBC Radio 1 FM stereo

FM > Cassette > Nakamichi Deck > CD > wav > flac

08. Intro

09. Why Are People Grudgeful?

10. Ladybird (Green Grass)

11. Glam Racket

12. Free Range

13. I'm Going to Spain

14. The League of Bald-Headed Men

15. Lost in Music

Great performances and excellent quality recordings.

LINK Pt. 2

#138 LED ZEPPELIN - Texas International Pop Festival 1969

August 31, 1969
Texas International Pop Festival
Motor Speed Way
Dallas, TX

In 1969, Led Zeppelin played over 150 live shows, touring began prior to that on Boxing Day 1968 and then continued through into Mid- February ‘69
After a two-week break the group began a UK tour on March 1st and also fitted in some Scandinavian dates mid-month. This took them into mid-April and immediately they flew to the US and began another tour that ran to the end of May.
Amazingly a second UK tour of the year followed finishing at the Royal Albert Hall on June 29th.
Less than a week later they were in Atlanta Georgia for the beginning of the US Festival season, more dates at conventional venues followed with appearances in Canada before finishing at the Texas International Pop Festival on Aug 31st, in September they took some time off!

On October 7th touring began again in Europe, opening in Stockholm. Their second date, three days later in Paris is the recording that was previously available here, a pre-fm of a radio broadcast. That show is now officially released on the second disc of the Led Zeppelin debut album deluxe 2cd set. (Note that less than half of the final track How Many More Times has been included. Yes, the official release has cut the 23:08 running time down to 11:13 probably to make way for the inclusion of Moby Dick, missing from the bootleg. The official release also has some music cut from White Summer/Black Mountian Side).

A final European date in London on October 12th was followed by more touring of the US and Canada between October 17th and November 7th.
A year that also saw them release their debut album and record and release a second, Led Zeppelin II
What a phenomenal work schedule, these guys certainly worked hard for their success.

This show hasn’t been professionally mixed and therefore can’t match the quality of the Paris ’69 show but it’s still an excellent recording and a great performance, although at the beginning you can hear the soundman struggling to mix Zeppelin’s live sound (much like the Paris bootleg). It soon settles down and provides one of the best sounding live bootlegs from Led Zeppelin's early years.

These audio files are from the Empress Valley title  “The Only Way To fly “ released in 2002.

----------------------------------------------------
original notes:
Source: Soundboard Recording with Audience patches to make a complete show.


1. Introduction
2. The Train Kept A Rollin'
3. I Can't Quit You
4. Dazed And Confused
5. You Shook Me
6. How Many More Times
7. Communication Breakdown


Notes:
Empress Valley has taken the missing segments for the soundboard and added the audience source to fill in the gaps. Sound is excellent for the Sbd and Good/Very Good for the audience source. 

 LINK

GREATEST BOOTLEG DVD'S part two

NOTE: There are no links for these DVD's, they are just recommendations and for information only.

Sometime ago, 12 June 2013 to be precise. I posted part one. That title is now something of an anachronism with the rapid advance of technology. I imagine that most of us now use streaming sources to view video footage. In fact, the majority of these titles should be accessible via Youtube. 

Recently during a bout of dreadful winter weather I was basically house bound and to stop cabin fever breaking out, decided to plow through much of the video footage in my collection, downloaded over the last fifteen plus years.

Below are the ten titles selected that are very worthy additions to the listing. A few included in the part one list have now seen official release and there are also one or two titles, that seven years down the line I may not have chosen. 

JIMI HENDRIX -  Royal Albert Hall 24 February 1969 (K. Max version)

Room Full Of Hendrix by 4Reel Productions was the first video footage of Hendrix at the RAH I downloaded, way back in 2008. Six years later an upgrade was posted and began circulating around the NET. Superior to the previous version, it sparked much interest and renewed claims for the show to be officially released on CD and DVD. 

Indeed at the time of preparing the first part of this DVD list, it was strongly rumoured that an agreement was on the verge of being struck by the various factions involved. I decided to omit 'Room Full Of Hendrix' from the first listing post because of this. I should have known better because here seven years down the road, the Royal Albert Hall still hasn’t received an official release.

The upgrade, the K. Max version listed here, began circulating in 2014 and had the following changes made to the original raw film: 

The mono audio was replaced with full stereo sound, and in the correct set list order. Colour correction, was applied to the new 2014 source, out of sync shots were also corrected, the shortened songs were extended to their full length with still photos, screen captures and pyschedelic effects to replace the missing scenes. Certain effects added to the raw footage could not be removed such as the ocean waves on ‘Little Wing’ and the sparkler effects on ‘Voodoo Chile’. 

The previous ‘Rising Sun’ version is compared on the extras menu. The upgrade has superior colour tones and contrast and the picture quality is much sharper. The old version is more washed out with a blurred image and orange tone. 

01. Intro  02. Lover Man  03. Getting My Heart Back Together Again  04. I Don't Live Today  05. Foxy Lady  06. Bleeding Heart  07. Fire  08. Little Wing  09. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)  10. Room Full Of Mirrors  11. Purple Haze  12. Wild Thing

DVD Extras - Hound Dog Acoustic / Interview / Technical Notes including A/B comparisons to old and new source that was "unearthed" in 2014 exclusively for this project.

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

RADIOHEAD - Bonnaroo Festival, Manchester, TN – June 8th, 2012

Radiohead’s appearance at the Bonnaroo festival in 2006 is one of their all-time legendary shows, they performed a set full of older hits and a handful of newer tunes. (see #80 Radiohead)  Their return to Bonnaroo in 2012 was subject to much anticipation, could they deliver another legendary show? The video footage shows a band playing at the top of their game and includes the build up and the complete two and a half hour set. 

01. Bloom  02. 15 Step  03. Kid A  04. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi  05. Staircase  06. The Daily Mail  07. I Might Be Wrong  08. The Gloaming  09. Separator  10. Nude  11. Magpie  12. Identikit  13. Lotus Flower  14. There There  15. Karma Police  16. Feral  17. Idioteque  18. You and Whose Army?  19. House Of Cards  20. Supercollider  21. Bodysnatchers  22. True Love Waits / Everything In Its Right Place  23. Give Up The Ghost  24. Reckoner  25. Paranoid Android.
 

The set list was vastly different from their performance six years earlier. The band played a twenty-five song set that focused heavily on their newer material. In their review of the show ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine said that: 

"While Thom Yorke and Co. weeded out a few thousand hit chasers in the crowd by eschewing well-known favorites like ‘Fake Plastic Trees’ and ‘No Surprises,’ they held tens of thousands more spellbound with a textured tableau of intertwining rhythmic arrangements — augmented by the addition of auxiliary drummer Clive Deamer – and nuanced sonics, with some latter-day catalog cuts emerging as concert anthems. When Yorke howled out the chorus of In Rainbows standout ‘Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,’ he cued an en masse singalong that sounded like a tidal wave ripping across a human sea of 80,000.” 

Jon Pareles writing for the ‘New York Times’ was also impressed and wrote, 

“Friday night at Bonnaroo was the follow-through: Radiohead the rhythm band, hitting groove after groove and riding them to darkly kinetic places…. But it was the music itself that made the best patterns: drumbeats and tangles of guitars, live and looped, bending funk into odd meters or twisting and untwisting, starting out transparent before some massive distorted keyboard texture plunged the whole assembly into ominous shadows. The rhythmic sinew of each song was exposed and vital, whether the music was moving through Beatles-like harmonies or bearing down on a handful of repeating chords.” 

The review titled ‘Bonnaroo: Radiohead’s Festival Evolution’ continued saying that, 

“It was a challenging show, filled with the sort of cerebral, experimental music that requires more of its audience than most Bonnaroo headlining sets. Even when a group of amped-up fans near the soundbooth began setting off their own fireworks during “Reckoning,” though, it was hard to take your eyes off the action up front. For a minute there, we all lost ourselves.”

 -----------------------------

THE ROLLING STONES – Cocksucker Blues

Directed by Robert Frank, Danny Seymour
United States • 1972 • 93 mins. • In English

The year was 1972. The Stones were rolling again after surviving the drug busts, Brian Jones exit and death, Altamont, and the 1960’s. The ’72 tour of America introduced the band with a fully reconstituted repertory. ‘Exile On Main Street’ was new and the group never played better! They’d also achieved new status by then as celebrities whether by sheer muscle of the money they made or growing respectability, the Stones were off the news pages and onto the gossip pages, members of the ‘beautiful-people’ in whose company it was a coup to be seen. Not that they didn’t still know how to rock out!

The Rolling Stones were upset by the film’s portrayal of them. The film is under court order that only allows it to be shown when director Robert Frank is present. It stars Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman & Mick Taylor. Also making an appearance are, Danny Seymour, Bianca Jagger, Tina Turner, Truman Capote, Stevie Wonder, Andy Warhol, Dick Cavett, Terry Southern, Princess Radziwell, Cynthia Jones and various groupies, roadies and scalpers.

Shot in black and white and colour, through the murk, you will see one of the most direct and honest documentaries ever filmed about the music business and the lifestyle of its participants. The level of personal contact and intrusion into the lives of such a major rock band, is only something that today’s filmmakers can dream about. It has undoubtedly contributed to the legendary appeal of ‘Cocksucker Blues’ and is not just down to the controversial depiction of nudity and drug usage (for its time). 

Reviewer’s comments: 

“It is the least seen movie about the Rolling Stones and ranks as one of the most revealing ever made.”

“It’s a movie as much about late 20th century America as about the Rolling Stones, “a far truer picture of the USA than anything else Frank ever did.”

“Gritty, tedious, funny, nauseating, thrilling and merciless: Cocksucker Blues, Robert Frank‘s film about the Rolling Stones‘ 1972 tour of North America, may be the most complete rock & roll documentary ever made.”

“The Stones in 1972 were magnificently raw and feral, at the peak of their era with (Mick) Taylor, and the music comes like a rush of blood to the head.” 

The copy I have is: 4 Reel Productions proudly presents: 

Big Cocksucker Blues (2004)

At the time of downloading, this was said to be the best version circulating. The comment on the cover says: 

“With all the versions of this floating around out there, we decided to put out the best possible version we could find and here it is! It comprises two discs with the second including footage from" 

Saville Theatre 1969 / Australian Tour Documentary 1973 / Promos / Brown Sugar Clip 1973 / David Frost Show 1969 / Interviews With Mick Jagger & Mick And Biancas Wedding 

"The video and the audio were re-mastered entirely along with all the bonus material making this THE definitive version.” 

A reviewer of this version asked the question: 

“What exactly makes Big Cocksucker Blues different than plain old Cocksucker Blues, the legendary rarely-seen film of the Rolling Stones' 1972 tour? Well, while the original Cocksucker Blues has frequently been bootlegged since the pre-DVD era, this Big Cocksucker Blues has that 95-minute film and well over an hour of extras.” 

I was going to recommend where you could see it but the video was removed, for apparently violating YouTube's terms of service!

A print of the film was put up for sale for £25,000 in 2013, copies made from that, are likely to be in private hands, an upgrade as has not circulated freely since the 4 Reel Productions version.

 -----------------------------

PJ HARVEY -  EVOLution 1992-2004

 

This collection was put together and released into circulation by PJ fan ‘Newrose’ in 2007. It comprises two DVD discs worth of pro-shot footage and looks at the EVOlution of Polly's career from 1992 to 2004. The quality ranges from watchable (mainly the early 1992-96 performances) to excellent. It's unlikely a better video accompaniment (apart from an update including post 2004) to PJ Harvey's career will appear unless it's an official release. 

It's a fascinating look at Polly Harvey's ever changing dress style as well as the changes in the band's musical direction. 

DVD 1 1992 – 1998 (PAL 4:3)  01:25:11

1992-93: 01 Dress – The Late Show 31 March 92  02 Naked Cousin – Jools Holland 7 May 1993  03 Dress  04 Sheela-Na-Gig –  t3-4 Festival 28 August 1992  05 Highway 61  06 Yuri G  07 Stella  08 Dress – t5-8 Cabaret Metro Chicago 1 July 1993

1995-96: 01 Working for the Man  02 Goodnight – t1-2 The White Room 15 April 1995  03 Send His Love to Me – Jools Holland 12 May 1995  04 The Dancer  05 Meet Ze Monsta – t4-5 BBC Studio 16 August 1995  06 C’mon Billy - Tonight Show 14 May 1995  07 Send His Love to Me – Late Show 11 September 1995  08 That Was My Veil  09 Taut – t8-9 Jools Holland 26 November 1996

1998: 01 A Perfect Day Elise  02 Hook  03 Meet Ze Monsta – t1-3 V98 Festival Chelmsford 23 August 1998 04 Catherine  05 Civil War Correspondent  06 Is This Desire – t4-6 Sessions At West 54^th,  New York, NY, U.S.A 5 November 1998  07 The Sky Lit Up – Jools Holland 20 November 1998 

DVD 2 2000 – 2004 (PAL 4:3) 01:24:37

2000-01: 01 Good Fortune – TFI Friday 17 November 2000  02 Whores Hustle & The Hustlers Whore  03 Somebody’s Down Somebody’s Name – t2-3 Werchter Festival 1 July 2001  04 Down By The Water  05 Losing Ground  06 Horses In My Dreams  07 Big Exit – t4-7 Gurten Festival 15 July 2001  08 This Is Love – Jools Holland 12 October 2001

2003: 01 A Place Called Home  02 Missed  03 To Bring You My Love  04 50ft Queenie – t1-4 Big Day Out Australia Jan 2003  05 50ft Queenie  06 A Place Called Home  07 Man-Size – t5-7 Pukkelpop Hassalt 30 August 2003

2004: 01 Uh Huh Her  02 Meet Ze Monsta  03 Who The Fuck?  04 Evol  05 Victory – t1-5 Hurricane Festival Germany 26 June 2004  06 The Dancer  07 Uh Huh Her  08 Taut – t6-8 Vilar De Mouros Portugal 18 July 2004 

Sources: Master VHS > DVD  & All DVD Trade

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

NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE - YESTERYEAR OF THE HORSE 1976

Video footage of Neil Young & Crazy Horse performing live in 1976. Recorded in March and April in Japan and the United Kingdom, the never-released concert documentary ‘Yesteryear Of The Horse’ begins with Young performing solo, followed by a set with his rocking backing band.

The video begins with Young’s solo offerings of “Mellow My Mind,” “Too Far Gone” and “No One Seems To Know” from performances in Budokan, Tokyo. Full band versions of “Country Home,” “Don’t Cry No Tears,” “Drive Back,” “Cowgirl In The Sand,” “Lotta Love” and “The Losing End” also come from the Budokan shows. Next comes footage from London’s Hammersmith Odeon in which Young goes from solo acoustic guitar on “Tell Me Why,” to piano on “Stringman,” to banjo on “Human Highway.” Crazy Horse then comes aboard for “Down By The River” and “Cortez The Killer.” The end of the video is of Young busking on the streets of Glasgow, Scotland while playing “The Old Laughing Laughing Lady” on banjo.

The footage was filmed for a documentary and recorded for a live album release called Odeon / Budokan, which obviously never happened. Jim Jarmusch used a quantity of the backstage material in his film ‘Year Of The Horse’ but only a relatively small part of the performance footage - a segment of Like A Hurricane appeared.

Note that the quality of the footage leaves a lot to be desired but is nonetheless a fascinating look at the past. It’s in 2^nd or 3rd generation VHS type quality. I’m sure that this will be included in some form, either audio/video, or both on the long awaited second volume of Neil’s ‘Archives’ series. 

Budokan, Tokyo 1976 
0:00 Mellow My Mind
3:25 Too Far Gone
6:38 No One Seems To Know
9:14 Country Home
15:47 Don't Cry No Tears
18:35 Drive Back
24:06 Cowgirl In The Sand
30:00 Lotta Love
33:00 The Losing End (When You're On) 

Hammersmith Odeon, London 1976 
37:25 Tell Me Why
40:02 Stringman
43:43 Human Highway
46:52 Down By The River
59:00 Cortez The Killer 

Central Station, Glasgow 1976 
1:07:16 The Old Laughing Lady

 -----------------------------

BBC Four Television - Friday 31 October 2008

NEIL YOUNG - BBC SPECIAL FEATURING:

BBC IN CONCERT FEBRUARY 23, 1971

21:30 Kicking off Neil Young Night, a 1971 gig by the singer/songwriter, showcasing songs from Harvest. 

DON’T BE DENIED (2008) 

22:00 Tracing the musical journey of the legendary singer/songwriter through interviews and unseen performance footage.

Both of these shows were recorded and circulated together, quickly on torrent sites. At the time it was stated that “The programme would be shown just a few days prior to the expected release date of the first set of Young's much-delayed 'Archives' project." Neil Young fans were not surprised that ‘Archives’ didn’t appear until June 2, 2009. 

BBC IN CONCERT FEBRUARY 23, 1971 
01. Out On The Weekend  02. Old Man  03. Journey Through the Past  04. Heart Of Gold  05. Don’t Let It Bring You Down  06. A Man Needs A Maid  07. Love In Mind  08. Dance, Dance, Dance

Neil Young played a wonderful set in 1971, that was taped and broadcast by the BBC. He arrived in England right after the release of Harvest and this was filmed as part of a promotional tour for the album. It’s just Neil solo with his acoustic guitar and a set of songs that have become familiar favourites that appear on his best-of collections. At this concert they were fresh and new, he also performed some unreleased songs. The filming and the sound quality is excellent, and Young’s stories about his life and surroundings are easy to follow. This is a true gem, and one of the best captures of Neil Young in his early seventies heyday. 

DON’T BE DENIED (2008) 
Neil Young traces his musical journey in his own words. This documentary film was made from three hours of interview shot in New York and California, and utilises previously unseen performance from the star’s own extensive archives.

“I only do it for the music. If the music is saying to do one thing, the people are secondary; you just have to do what you have to do and if you’re always like that, people begin to trust that. They realise it’s not a personal thing.”

Young later explained his anti-star status, “I didn’t spend 10 years in the 60s and 70s creating something so I could be a prisoner of it … You know if you’re trying to stay in the favor of the public, you’re a loser – you’ll never get there.”

A resolutely private artist who seldom looks back, Neil Young has never before unfolded his career on camera. With unprecedented access to one of the world’s renowned music legends, the film explores how Young’s unbending dedication to the muse has created an awe-inspiring body of work and bruised a few egos along the way.

Told in Young’s own words, the film weaves hours of exclusive interview, shot in New York and California, with previously unseen performance footage from the star’s own extensive collection. The documentary also features long-time collaborators Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Nils Lofgren and James Taylor. 

The film ends with Young still refusing to be denied, playing an anti-Bush anthem to a Republican audience in the South.

 -------------------------------

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS - BBC SESSIONS (2008)

On Friday 4 July 2008, BBC Four Television presented an evening of programmes dedicated to Nick Cave. It comprised of three shows, firstly an hour-long live special, recorded 30 June in London at LSO St. Luke’s church. The second titled ‘Songwriters Circle, was an acoustic concert from the Subterrania club in West London, featuring Chrissie Hynde, John Cale & Nick Cave.

The night ended with a selection of performances drawn from his eight appearances on the long running Later…with Jools Holland show (Nov 12 1992 - s01e06 / May 14 1994 - s03e02 / May 8, 1998 - s11e04 / May 11 2001 - s17e05 / June 20 2003 - s21e06 / October 29 2004 - s24 e04 / May 11, 2007 - S29e02 & May 13, 2008 - S32e07)

Although not advertised at the time, the show also included four performances, selected from other BBC shows. The first and last programmes quickly began circulating on torrent sites and made an essential two-hour disc of highlights from Nick Cave’s career, that included his collaboration with Shane McGowan of the Pogues, side project Grinderman, and the Bad Seeds. A post 2008 version compiles the whole evenings shows, including the four acoustic performances by Cave.

9-30 - 10-30pm: BBC Four Sessions - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

01. Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (4:42)  02. Red Right Hand (5:45)  03. Midnight Man (5:31)  04. Deanna (4:49)  05. God Is In The House (4:45)  06. Today's Lesson (4:41)  07. Get Ready For Love (3:47)  08. The Lyre Of Orpheus (4:22)  09. The Ship Song (4:17)  10. The Mercy Seat (4:07)  11. We Call Upon The Author (4:29)  12. Stagger Lee (5:16)

11-20 - 12-20pm: Nick Cave on Later ...with Jools Holland (plus other BBC Appearances)

01. Introduction  02. Today's Lesson (May 08, Later)  03. The Weeping Song (Jun 90, The Late Show)  04. Cindy Cindy (Dec 90, New West)  05. And The Ass Saw The Angel (Oct 89, The Late Show)  06. Rainy Night In Soho (Nov 92, Later)  07. Wonderful World (with Shane McGowan) (Nov 92, Later)  08. Thirsty Dog (May 94, Later)  09. When The Wild Roses Grow (with Kylie Minogue) (Oct 95, TOTP)  10. Do You Love Me (May 98, Later)  11. Nobody's Baby Now (May 98, Later)  12. Fifteen Feet Of Pure White Snow (May 01, Later)  13. He Wants You (Jun 03, Later)  14. Abattoir Blues (Oct 04, Later)  15. Honey Bee (Let's Fly To Mars) (May 07, Later)  16. Jesus Of The Moon (May 08, Later)  17. Midnight Man (May 08, Later)

  -------------------------------

Tom Waits - ‘A Broken Heart: Live In Germany 1977’ (Rockpalast)

Live at WDR Studios, in Koln, Germany on April 18th, 1977. Rockpalast (Rock Palace) is a music television show that broadcasts live on German television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR). It began in 1974 and continues to this day. Hundreds of rock and jazz bands have performed on the show.

For those who never had a chance to catch him in the early days, this is your entry point into the dark, jazzy, twisted, literary world of Tom Waits - on film. Quite surprisingly early Waits footage is not that rare, although most are short performances, limited by the allocation of small screen time. These are also excellent and video of the following shows is essential: Austin City Limits, 1978 (53 minutes), No Visitors After Midnight, compiles the PBS Chicago show from 1975 (36 minutes) and the BBC Live In Person show from 1979 (45 minutes) and Elephant Beer Blues… a Danish TV special from 1976 (39 minutes).

In a Pitchfork article just before last Christmas, contributor Tyler Wilcox penned an article about Tom Waits titled:

‘A Deep Dive Into Tom Waits’ Best Rare and Unreleased Material’

He discussed some of Tom’s best-unreleased material from each stage of his career. More pertinently for this post, he wrote about the classic performance by Waits on the ‘Rockpalast’ German TV show screened in 1977.

His review is short, succinct and an example to all budding writers that you can just be as effective with a hundred words as you can with a numerous page dissertation.

“For a glimpse of Waits in all his mid-’70s glory, look no further than this 80-minute performance that aired on the Rockpalast TV show. Opening with a rapid-fire recitation of “Step Right Up,” Waits and his band instantly transform the sterile German studio into a smoky, seedy nightclub. The entire show is a tour de force performance, as Waits expertly mixes beat-poet flow with gravel-voiced laments, jazz noir with jokes. There’s also a hint of the surrealism that would come to the fore in his later years: With its fragmented imagery and haunted scenes, closing song “Tom Traubert’s Blues” transports that smoky nightclub to someplace much stranger.”

01. Step Right Up (6:50)  02. Invitation To The Blues / Eggs + Sausage (7:45)  03. Depot Depot (3:20)  04. Jitterbug Boy (5:00)  05. Pasties And The G-String (6:10)  06. I Wish I Was In New Orleans (4:05) 07. Fumblin’ With The Blues (2:45)  08. Semi Suite (5:45)  09. Emotional Weather Report (4:00)  10. Bad Liver And A Broken Heart (4:40)  11. New Coat Of Paint (2:25) 12. I Can’t Wait To Get Off Work (3:25)  13. The One That Got Away / Small Change (10:35)  14. Band Introduction (4:00)  15. Tom Traubert’s Blues (7:20)

Musicians:

Tom Waits (vocal and piano) / Frank Vicari (Sax) / Dr. Fitzgerald Jenkins III (Bass) / Chip White (drums)

 -------------------------------

PATTI SMITH GROUP - I’m An American Artist: Grugahalle, Essen, Germany. 22 April, 1979

This is the only complete Patti concert from the seventies that was filmed and broadcast. The "Rockpalast" show was a German TV programme on WDR, that broadcast a whole night of music live all over Europe.

It includes an early career spanning set from the ‘Wave’ era and would be her last European tour for seventeen years. She stepped away from the music business, bar the occasional benefit appearance, to get married and raise a family. Patti re-appeared with a new album in 1988, ‘Dream Of Life’ but it wasn’t until after the deaths of her husband, ex MC5 guitarist, Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith, and her brother Todd, that she decided to get back on stage. It followed the urging of her friends, including Michael Stipe & Allen Ginsberg, who believed it would help  to assuage her grief. Patti ended 1995 touring with Bob Dylan, and following the release of her new album ‘Gone Again’ in 1996, set out on her first headline tour since ‘Wave’ (see post  #24)  

This upgrade to previously circulating sources appeared in October 2007. It was recorded from the digital cable TV rebroadcast. The audio originally sourced from a stereo FM broadcast, was taken from a silver disc bootleg pressing.

The 4th Rockpalast Festival

WDR TV Station (Germany)

Lineage: Beta Master Tape > VHS Tape > Final Cut Studio 5 > Canopus ADVC 110 > Apple's Final Cut Studio 5 > Dual Layer DVD – 9 (6,18 GB) 

Soundboard > FM Stereo Broadcast > Bootleg (Silver Disc) > CD WAV Source > Flac16

Tracklist:

01. So You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star  02. Rock 'n' Roll Nigger  03. Privilege (Set Me Free)  04. Dancing Barefoot  05. Redondo Beach  06. 25th Floor  07. Revenge  08. 5-4-3-2-1-Wave  09. Pumpin' My Heart  10. Seven Ways Of Going 11. Because The Night  12. Frederick  13. Jailhouse Rock  14. Gloria  15. My Generation  16. Interview

Running Time: 93:55 minutes

  -------------------------------

THE ROLLING STONES – Atlantic City 1989 ‘Deluxe Edition’

The Rolling Stones concluded their 1989 North American tour with a live pay-per-view TV special broadcast from Atlantic City in New Jersey. Special guest stars included Axl N' Izzy from Guns N' Roses on "Salt of the Earth", Eric Clapton on "Little Red Rooster", John Lee Hooker on his own song "Boogie Chillun"

The Complete Show from December 19, 1989 Convention Center Atlantic City, New Jersey sourced directly from a master VHS! The Stones tour was feverishly anticipated, they had been off the road for seven years while Mick and Keith conducted a ferocious private war that threatened to derail the band for good. The guest spots by Eric Clapton (one of his finest blues performances of the ‘80’s on "Little Red Rooster") & John Lee Hooker are magnificent. By the time they reached Atlantic City, they had played to 3.2 million people, grossing $97 million; and this pay-TV cablecast was watched by a further three million. This was the penultimate date of the tour. The picture quality is remarkable for the time, bright colours and very sharp together with stunning sound quality.

Review comments

“At the time, I was totally thrilled with this. I had seen the Stones live in "Let's Spend the Night Together" and this seemed such a huge improvement, both in terms of set list and execution of the songs. It was the first of the huge nostalgia tours with big production budgets and the augmented band that have, for better or worse, become the standard Rolling Stones concerts. But, at the time, I wasn't aware of this of course, so it was all enjoyment for me.”

“The 1989 Atlantic City show is an all timer for me. I was 28 years old; I'd seen a few of the Steel Wheels Shows in Los Angeles, and they were uniformly incredible. The playing was magnificent. I've probably watched the performance of Midnight Rambler a hundred times over the years, it really, really knocked me out. POWERFUL. Mick sounded unbelievable on the harp on that track. I'm still convinced, he knew this performance was so great that he starts off "honey, it's not one of those", with a little uncontrollable laugh, he was amazing on that track that night. Check out the video.”

“I watched the whole show last night (I grabbed a good definition VOB set with good sound) and it's a good show. I'd say it's a bit grittier, more "Stones" than Live At The Max and Tokyo Dome. There's a lot of leather jackets around - Mick at the outset (better than those awful Edwardian coats), the girls, Eric, Axel) so gives it more of a rock look. In relation to all that has followed over the last 29 years (!), it's refreshing to see Keith on top form and playing so well (rhythms and solos). This is a keeper.”

Live in Atlantic City, New York

Dec. 19th 1989

DVD 1: 01. Continental Drift  02. Start Me Up  03. Bitch  04. Sad Sad Sad  05. Under Cover Of The Night  06. Harlem Shuffle  07. Tumbling Dice  08. Miss You  09. Terrifying  10. Ruby Tuesday  11. Salt Of The Earth (with Axl Rose & Izzy Stradlin)  13. Rock And A Hard Place  14. Mixed Emotions  15. Honky Tonk Women  16. Midnight Rambler

DVD 2: 01. You Can't Always Get What You Want  02. Little Red Rooster (with Eric Clapton)  03. Boogie Chillen (with Eric Clapton & John Lee Hooker)  04. Can't Be Seen  05. Happy  06. Paint It Black  07. 2000 Light Years From Home  08. Sympathy For The Devil  09. Gimme Shelter  10. Band Introduction  11. It's Only Rock And Roll  12. Brown Sugar  13. Satisfaction 14. Jumping Jack Flash

This version is a new upgrade with improved image quality and there is a bonus slide of pictures with audio of the pre and after show documentary. In perfect stereo sound, re-mastered from the gold edition from Swingin' Pig 4 CD set.

Running Time: 165 minutes approx.

This completes the listing, the two parts add up to thirty of the best bootleg dvd’s available. If you are unable to watch any of them on YouTube the torrent sites listed in the Best Bootlegs 2015-19 document should help in locating them.