Flight Of Zeppelin?

There was an interesting interview with Robert Plant, Alison Krauss and T-Bone Burnett in the Telegraph, a London newspaper.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/10/25/bmplant125.xml

A lot of the content is in reference to the exciting collaboration between Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, "Raising Sand," that Burnett produced. However, Plant does make a statement about the upcoming Led Zeppelin reunion show in November in which his initial stance that the upcoming gig will be a one-off affair now seems open for interpretation.

"It's really about going into the place in your soul at the time you get the calling. Everything and anything can be possible, it just depends. At rehearsals, it sounds magnificent. It's very exciting. I was 19 when I joined the New Yardbirds, which became Led Zep, and I'm not 19 now and neither is anybody else, but 39 years later it's got a maturity and a beauty and it's got lust and it's got power. That's what it is. It's a different 'baby, baby'."

Looks like Plant now isn't so quick to dismiss the possibility of additional Led Zeppelin performances. If Plant and Co. decide to cash in on some tour offers, get ready to pay $250+ for a ticket at your local stadium. Rock on....

Hourglass

I am not a big Depeche Mode fan. I certainly respect the band and the songwriting talents of Martin Gore. Dave Gahan is one of the best front men in music. Their music is highly influential. While I am not much of an admirer of Depeche Mode, my wife is. Because of this, I have seen the band in concert multiple times and I am very familiar with all of their albums and solo projects.

Last week, Dave Gahan’s second solo album, “Hourglass,” was released. I was somewhat curious as to how it would sound, but I also wasn’t expecting any surprises. Gahan’s first solo project, 2003’s “Paper Monsters,” was a mild success and really an extension of the Depeche Mode sound. So it is no surprise that Gahan’s latest effort again is a journey down familiar territory.

Being the good husband that I am, I picked up a copy of “Hourglass” for my wife the day of release. She was pretty excited about checking it out. At some point in the afternoon she called me from the car to tell me how horrible it was. For a devoted fan of Depeche Mode to be turned off so quickly by a new solo project by one of the prominent band members is a troubling sign. She asked me to give it a spin to see what I thought.

Initially I wasn’t as negatively impacted by the disc as she was. There were no surprises. The vocals were strong and backed by a heavy electronic landscape of sounds. Then the third track hit. I am not sure if I have heard a worse song in the past few years than “Deeper And Deeper.” It is just brutal. The music is this heavy pounding mush of sonic crap. As the disc plays on, a few tracks go down a similar path.

I just wonder why Gahan doesn’t use his solo projects as an opportunity to musically branch out to unfamiliar territory. I know enough to know Gahan has diverse musical interests and definitely is a fan of Rock N Roll. This is one highly gifted vocalist and it would be fascinating to hear him record an album of Rock songs with a 3 piece Rock band without such a heavy electronic production.

Is “Hourglass” really a creative outlet for Dave Gahan? No one should expect to be blown away by a Dave Gahan solo project that attempts to mirror a Depeche Mode release. Gahan is not going to lyrically compose anything equivalent to Martin Gore’s gems. The end result of this new solo release by Dave Gahan is a boring and forgettable failed attempt to parody Depeche Mode glories.

Singles?

Mick Jaggar was interviewed on NPR the other day. He mentioned something to the effect that when The Rolling Stones first broke into the mainstream back in the early 1960’s that singles were the predominant trend in the music industry. Then bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd were pioneers in the evolution of the album. He believes that it has come full circle because singles, particularly because of downloads; will now become the focus once again and the album will no longer have the same significance.

This is true to a certain degree. But it doesn’t work the way it once did. Back in the early 1960’s, the artist's record label battled to get singles played on the radio and then battled for the single to gain traction with heavy rotation. This then lead to increased sales and popularity opening the door for television appearances and the opportunity to take the music on the road.

In 2007, radio doesn’t mean s**t. Who is listening? Consumers have so many outlets to find and listen to their music. The old game doesn’t reach the audience it once did and the old game isn’t influential like it once was. Back in the 60’s, if you totally were into a single, you went out and bought it – and that was it, there was nothing else, maybe an accompanying album would follow, and you would spin the same track over and over on the record player. Now, you can play fair and download it for $.99, or steal it, or have a friend copy it for you. You can find live versions on the internet, complete concerts from the artist, etc. The single is just one piece of the pie and if you get sick of it, you simply delete it from your hard drive – music does not hold the same value it once did.

So, if Mick’s view is spot-on, then it really is a sign that the apocalypse is coming. Labels cannot survive in a “singles” business and artists can’t either (unless they have a huge following for their live work).

The real reason some believe that it may become some sort of singles business again is simply because a lot of music sucks. The album no longer has the credibility it once did. For over two decades the quality has become worse with every passing year. The labels slowly jacked up the price of the album and the content became weaker and less interesting as time passed. Suddenly, consumers are faced with albums with maybe one endearing single (two if they are lucky) and twelve filler throw-away tracks for up to $18.

Certainly there are still talented artists and good bands out there. But if they haven’t been commercial enough, if they haven’t been willing to play the game, they have been passed over in favor of fluff that now has the major labels in a sling. The album is dead because the labels helped kill it by being short-sighted and by not developing artists.

For example, if The Who had signed a record deal in the 2007 landscape, they probably would have been dropped after “A Quick One” and definitely after “Sell Out.” The world may never have had a chance to hear the legendary “Tommy” album and two years later the sensational “Who’s Next” album. Granted, the band was feeling pressure from their label back in 1968 to deliver something big, and fortunately for them “Tommy” was a hit, but they were given time to develop and reach their potential.

I dig a good single. I have a great 80’s playlist on one of my iPods with some fantastic singles by bands that never produced much more than one quality track. As good as some of those songs may be, they simply cannot compete with a full-length quality album. I love Hendrix’s “All Along The Watchtower,” but I prefer to listen to the entire “Electric Ladyland” album.

If an artist cannot create more than one great song, so be it. I’ll enjoy the one track. But if artists are turned away from producing more extensive bodies of work because the focus turns to issuing singles on a whim, then everyone will lose - especially the creative process. Creating a great album is something artists should strive for. As it currently stands, a lot of the mainstream artists are simply trying to fill a CD with 12 songs and hoping one takes off.

But Albums don’t sell anymore. Or at least they don’t sell at the levels music executives think they should. Yeah, Kanye West and 50 Cent moved some big units a few weeks back, but there has been a continuing sharp decline in album sales for the past few years. Springsteen was #1 again this week and he sold less than 100,000 copies. That is a horrible sales figure in the current music climate. It is the fourth quarter of the year, the biggest sales season, and the #1 album has sold less 100,000 for the week. But, you don’t kill the concept of the album simply because it isn’t selling like it once did.

Some will argue that in a country of nearly 300 Million people with all the marketing and promotional outlets artists have today at their disposal, that it is alarmingly bad that albums can’t sell. They blame CDs, the over-pricing of CDs, peer to peer trading, downloads, etc. Perhaps the music executives and labels do not see things clearly because their views are warped from past glories. Is it reasonable to think that a big title should move 10 Million units? Should albums like “Born In The USA,” “Brothers In Arms” and “Supernatural” be the norm in terms of sales? Should this happen every sales quarter? For a long time, this was the trend (and radio played a big role in it). A big name album would sell insane amounts. Suddenly this scenario is gone, a thing of the past. Yeah, some albums have a big week or two, but then the sales sharply drop off. Maybe this is how it is going to be from here on out (with a few exceptions). Maybe it isn’t about how to get it back to how it once was; maybe it is time to realize the current landscape is not the same and that there is no going back.

Music consumers do not believe in all of this hoopla like they once did. There are so many outlets for one’s entertainment dollar. Maybe consumers only want to pay $.99 for a few tracks; maybe they’ve embraced this concept. You can’t get them back. You can’t convince the general consumer to consistently drop $18 - $20 on new CDs for casual listening. Before iTunes, albums sold a lot more because the consumer usually had to buy an entire CD just for a single they liked on the radio – talk about getting screwed. The hardcore music fanatics like me will drop money on music because we are addicted, but a lot of people aren’t. The labels, executives and even the artists have gotten used to expectations that are now unreasonable. Maybe the financial expectations by all parties involved needs to be readjusted. There is still money to be made, but possibly not as much. That is a hard concept to swallow for many, but it may be a reality.

In the current climate of the business, if an album doesn’t sell over a million copies, it is a failure. How can this be? Well, like I said before, unrealistic expectations have clouded the judgment of a lot of music executives. Those involved need to get creative; figure out a way to get consumers excited about music and inspire them to purchase it. The album shouldn’t die simply because most do not move over 1 million copies anymore. The sales potential for albums is just currently lower in this era. The fact that there are very few traditional record stores in existence doesn't help matters either.

It wasn’t always about greed and moving millions and millions of units. Yes, sales have always been important, but the art form of music once was the real driving force. Just look at the classic Blue Note Jazz catalogue – the music was the main thing. The label wanted profits (who doesn’t?), but the music came first. It cannot be that way right now with the way things currently stand because the major labels have shareholders to answer to – they can’t let a band like The Who develop over the course of 4 albums before delivering the goods. The majors are too corporate. Their greed and short-sighted business model is coming to a screeching halt.

The album will never die. A true artist strives to create a great album. They believe in the power of the album. So, Mick Jaggar may see singles leading the way in the future, but that will only appeal to the casual music consumer and the casual artist. The real talented artists will look back at all the great records like “Sgt. Peppers” and “Pet Sounds” and aspire to achieve that same creative process and outcome. As a musician, what can be better than making that kind of bold statement?

The Fillmore

The Fillmore East and Fillmore West were once arguably two of the most important concert venues in America. Both venues opened in the late 1960’s and were operated by legendary promoter Bill Graham. They quickly became the premier venues of choice by both artists and patrons in San Francisco and New York City respectively.

Bill Graham made the Fillmore experience special for everyone. Artists, some established and some on the verge of breaking, had a place to play in front of an audience that took music seriously. Everyone played there: The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Santana, The Grateful Dead, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Led Zeppelin, Moby Grape, The Byrds, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, The Jeff Beck Group, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Ten Years After, Cream, Pink Floyd, The Allman Brothers Band, Humble Pie, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, Miles Davis – to name a few. Some of Rock’s greatest live albums were recorded there such as The Allman Brothers Band’s “At Fillmore East” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Band Of Gypsys.” If an unknown band was being heckled by the audience prior to the headlining act, Graham wasn’t afraid to tell the audience members to be respectful (in a much more candid way of course).

Maybe Bill Graham receives too much credit for the experience; maybe it also had something to do with the fact it was in an era of music that was full of inspiration and creative development. The music wasn’t so corporate. It was fresh and exciting. It wasn’t all about the money yet (it soon would be). Of course artists, agents, managers and promoters wanted to make money, but the music took the high road. It was all about creating and performing. The audience didn’t need 50 back-up dancers on the stage with a lip-synching superstar surrounded by explosions and laser lighting; the audience expected to be entertained by musicians and artists who could really play and that could touch their hearts and souls with something special. The Fillmore venues certainly enabled this to happen.

The Fillmore East closed its doors in the summer of 1971, the Fillmore West followed years later. In the late 1980’s, Bill Graham reopened the Fillmore West (it would close due to earthquake damage, but the doors opened again in 1994).

Fast forward to 2007. Bill Graham Presents is owned by Live Nation. The Fillmore name is owned by Live Nation. Live Nation decides to dust off the Fillmore name by renaming venues in select cities. Now there are Fillmores in Detroit (formerly the State Theatre), Philadelphia, New York (formerly the Irving Plaza), Miami Beach (formerly the Jackie Gleason Theatre), and of course San Francisco and Denver. Surely more will follow.

The name means nothing in 2007. Does Live Nation think by adding venues under the Fillmore banner that somehow they are adding some sort of value to the concert experience? The original Fillmore East and Fillmore West were historic and special. They were part of an era long gone. Is it really special to see a show at one of the new Fillmore theatres? No one cares. These new theatres and the business in place at these theatres is the same no matter what you call them. The experience, music and business is not what it was between 1968-1971 – renaming a venue will not change this fact. You wonder what Bill Graham would think and more importantly, you wonder if Bill Graham would have sold his business to SFX in the 90’s when a lot of other major concert promoters sold out.

This also shows a lack of vision and creativity on Live Nation’s part. You are not going to save the concert business by renaming a venue after a legendary concert hall. If you want the experience to mean what it meant at the original Fillmore venues, then reinvent the experience. Make it special like it once was. It can start at the theatre level. Lower ticket prices, create exciting line-ups, print up show bills, etc. Hey, but Live Nation is giving out apples in the lobby like Graham did in the 60’s! How pathetic.

All Things Must Pass

George Harrison's masterpiece, "All Things Must Pass," is an album of compelling songs with beautiful melodies and lush, majestic arrangements. Of all the solo albums released by the alums of The Beatles, “All Things Must Pass” is arguably the most impressive.

Harrison’s material usually was not in the forefront of The Beatles’ studio work. On many of the band’s albums, priority was given to Lennon and McCartney compositions with a token Harrison penned tune or two added to the final outcome. George was obviously a skilled and talented songwriter and it is easy to understand his growing frustration within the confines of the band. Upon the disbanding of The Beatles, George quickly set out to release an album of material he had been accumulating during the final days of his stint with his legendary band.

There are few throwaway tracks, if any, which is impressive considering the length of the album (originally a 3 LP release in 1970). This is an example of when an artist has a fruitful period of brilliant writing; when the ideas, words and melodies just effortlessly flow from within. The album had some hits like “My Sweet Lord” and “What Is Life” as well as essential tracks like “Beware Of The Darkness,” “Isn’t It A Pity,” “Wah Wah,” “Awaiting On You All,” and the title track “All Things Must Pass.” The album opener “I’d Have You Any Time” is a gorgeous song, co-written by Harrison and Bob Dylan, with an affectionate melody and some inspired, delicate slide guitar playing. And some of the less-heralded songs such as “Apple Scruffs” and “Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)” turn out to be true gems.

What I consider to be a real highlight is the final sequence on the album known as “original jam.” This portion of the album is basically a jam session with George Harrison and members of Eric Clapton’s Derek And The Dominos line-up (sans Duane Allman). While some music journalists dismiss this portion of the album as being unnecessary, I personally find it completely fascinating. George hadn’t had a chance to let loose like this in years. George was known as a gifted guitarist, and on “All Things Must Pass,” particularly during the “original jam” portion of the album, his talent is showcased properly for the first time on record.

“All Things Must Pass” is one of Rock’s greatest albums. One does not need to be a fan of The Beatles to find the appeal. It is a pretty extensive piece of music to explore, but ultimately it is a very fulfilling ride.

Wolfgang's Vault

Wolfgang's Vault is a pretty cool website (www.wolfgangsvault.com). For those unaware, Wolfgang's Vault consists of the famous Bill Graham archives. Years ago, his vault full of archival material from all of his years of involvement with concerts and events was sold. The current owner of Graham's archives has created a pretty cool little business.

Old handbills, posters, vintage tickets, clothing, photos and even recordings from the various events Graham was involved with are part of Wolfgang's Vault. Fans and collectors can purchase replica pieces to vintage authentic collectables. The most interesting aspect of the vault is the concert recordings and footage.

Bill Graham was known to have recorded and filmed many of the shows performed at his venues. A lot of the audio is from soundboards and a lot of the film consists of black and white footage with one camera angle. Still, the historical value of some of this material is incredible.

And of course, a lot of these recordings and films are the subject of multiple lawsuits from artists, record labels and artists' estates. These matters can be quite complicated covering a multitude of issues such as distribution rights, ownership rights, etc.

In the meantime, a lot of recorded material can be heard for free on the Wolfgang Vault website and some of it can be purchased in the form of mp3 downloads. The potential is there for fans to have access to some amazing material. Classic shows ranging from a 1977 Pink Floyd show to a 1978 Bruce Springsteen Winterland gig can be heard streaming on the website; while concerts from Lou Reed, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Iggy Pop, Humble Pie, Jeff Beck, Santana, etc. can be purchased for download at a maximum price of $9.98.

There are legal hurdles to overcome, but this is a neat concept. Music lovers have a place they can go to listen to music with an option of purchasing rare archival material at a reasonable price in addition to having access to all sorts of unique and exciting memorabilia. Wolfgang's Vault isn't a perfect enterprise, but it certainly beats a lot of the alternatives.

Misc

The Eagles are playing a one-off private concert in London with tickets starting at £1000. Apparently the concert is not open to the general public. It is an invite-only event for music industry executives.

Can you imagine spending that kind of dough on a concert ticket? Unless Elvis comes back from the dead to play a gig at The Roxy in L.A., I won't even begin to consider spending big money on a show. No concert is worth £1000. Are they raising money for a political campaign? Are they financing their settlement with Don Felder? Maybe they want to see what it feels like to be Barbra Streisand?

The only funny thing about it is that one article called this the seminal line-up of the band. Are you kidding me? It is down to four "real" members. Granted they can still play, but don't tell me this current line-up is better than when Don Felder was playing dueling leads with Joe Walsh or when Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner where involved with the band. PR work at its finest.

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The Radiohead saga continues with “In Rainbows.” While the band prepares to release this project to the masses on CD via a major record label, the latest development is that they are going to add bonus tracks to the CD version.

So, the hardcore devoted fan that downloaded the new album last week; is now going to have to repurchase it on CD for the exclusive bonus tracks. Now, some consumers probably took advantage of the “pay what you want” download, but some probably contributed at least $5 - $10 to the cause. Does the fan that purchased the $80 deluxe version get the bonus tracks? Will the band allow fans to download the bonus tracks that already paid for the download of the actual album?

There is nothing more annoying than an artist and/or record label reissuing a fairly new album shortly after the initial release date with “bonus” material. I love bonus tracks as much as the next guy. But, I like it when they are added to an album at least ten years after the initial release date. Adding bonus material so soon is nothing more than the artist screwing the fan.

“In Rainbows” has become one big cluster-f**k. Two weeks ago, Radiohead looked like visionaries, now they look like jackasses. This is the last time I plan on commenting on it because musically speaking, I have no interest in the album. A once compelling story is turning into a joke. Time to move on.

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Looking for a good book to read? Check out Eric Clapton’s new autobiography. It is a fantastic book that flows very smoothly. Clapton has an incredible story and he doesn’t shy away from any topic. The fact that he is open about the good and the bad lends credibility to his story. It is an intriguing look inside one of music’s greatest talents.

Madonna

Live Nation is in the process of locking in a long term exclusive deal with Madonna that would have her severing ties with Warner Music Group. The deal would encompass not only touring, but recorded music and merchandising as well. Some say the total package could be worth anywhere between $120 - $180 Million.

Madonna is one of the last arena acts that can sell tickets at obnoxiously high prices and fill arenas. Some of Live Nation’s motivation had to be CEO Michael Rapino wanting to make Madonna’s services off limits to rival AEG. With fewer acts of this caliber available to gross absurd amounts of money in the concert business, look for this to possibly be a business trend in the future.

Does anyone think Madonna is going to sell huge amounts of albums anymore? Certainly her “hits” collections will move a lot of units indefinitely, but WMG gets to keep cashing in on that material. The potential of Madonna producing a hit record isn’t high, especially if she keeps making calculated dance music.

This is all about securing the long-term services of a major concert attraction. It will also be somewhat of a test business model by an entertainment company like Live Nation trying to branch out into other areas to see if they can innovate something lucrative for both themselves and the established artist.

Madonna’s live show still grosses huge dollars, so Live Nation will make back its money and then some. Madonna obviously wins here too. And what does this say to the traditional major labels? A big star chooses to align themselves and their future music making enterprises with a non-major record label. Certainly Live Nation made a better deal with Madonna than AEG did with David Beckham (have you ever seen $200 Million tossed away more quickly?).

The promoters are going to keep throwing insane amounts of money at stars that are at the end of their artistic run, but that have a few more lucrative tours in them. For Madonna to command that kind of deal from Live Nation, the consumer ultimately takes the hit because you can bet that ticket prices for a Madonna show will remain extremely high. This is about greed, not creativity. In the end, it is still all about overpaying for talent, overcharging the consumer and milking this cash cow for every last drop.

Best "Live" Vault Releases For 2007

I have always been a fan of live albums. The improvisational element and energy of live recordings make them an intriguing listen. There is nothing better than hearing the true skills of musicians being put to the test on stage without the aide of the studio. Granted, loads of live albums over the years have been filled with edits and overdubs, but with the new era of vault releases (sometimes being exclusive to collector’s labels) the music fan for the most part is given a chance to hear undoctored and organic recordings.

Here is what I consider to be the best “live” archival releases of the year so far:

Deep Purple – Live In London 1974
This is a fantastic MK3 line-up gig from Deep Purple. Prior to 1974, there had been a handful of configurations of the band with the most influential and popular period arguably being the MK2 line-up from 1970 – 1973. However, in 1973, vocalist Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover left the band and were replaced by David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes. Due to this change, the musical direction of the band shifted to more of a bluesy, heavy oriented sound. Coverdale certainly was a skilled vocalist and handled the bulk of the vocals quite nicely.

The BBC recorded Deep Purple at The Gaumont State Kilburn Cinema on May 22, 1974. The show has been issued in the past in truncated forms, but was finally issued in all of its glory in 2007. The sound quality is fantastic, especially compared to some of the other vault releases of live material issued by Deep Purple during the past decade. Ritchie Blackmore is absolutely amazing during this show. His solo on “You Fool No One” is worth the price of admission alone.

Within a year, Blackmore would defect from the band he helped elevate to superstar status to embark on a new journey with Rainbow. But, his work with Deep Purple set the bar for many Hard Rock guitar players. Did anyone play a Strat better in 1974? While the MK2 line-up of Deep Purple is certainly worth the hype that it gets, Blackmore’s work on stage in 1974 with the band is as inspiring as it ever was.

“Live In London 1974” is a welcomed release for Deep Purple fans and for Ritchie Blackmore enthusiasts. If you are looking for a taste of Deep Purple’s live work, this is a nice starting point. If you are an established fan, this is a must-have.

*Available at most internet retailers.


The Doors – Live In Boston 1970
In 1969 and 1970, producer Paul Rothchild recorded a series of concerts by The Doors to create the band’s first official live album. Initially, two concerts and a rehearsal from The Aquarius Theatre in Hollywood were recorded in 1969 for the project, but after reviewing the tapes, Rothchild felt there wasn’t enough usable material from the Aquarius run and decided the band should record some additional shows. In the spring of 1970, concerts in Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York and Boston were recorded for the prospective live album. Ultimately, the live album was completed using material spanning all of the concerts recorded and titled “Absolutely Live.”

In 2000, former Doors manager and long-time fan Danny Sugarman created a collector’s label called Bright Midnight. Some of the initial promotional statements by Sugarman which highlighted some of the material planned for release referenced a couple of the “Absolutely Live” shows in particular, and the two 1970 “drunken over-the-top” Boston gigs were among them.

After the Detroit 1970 show and Aquarius material was issued by Bright Midnight in 2001-2002, there were rumblings of financial issues with the label as well as an ongoing battle with cancer by Sugarman. With Bright Midnight being in a holding pattern, some fans wondered if the legendary Boston shows would ever officially see the light of day.

In 2006, Bright Midnight got back on its feet with the release of the 1970 Philadelphia concert. Finally in 2007, the complete Boston gigs were issued. The Boston shows have always been a curiosity for many because Jim Morrison was completely trashed during the concerts. It wasn’t uncommon for Morrison to be under the influence on stage, but in Boston, he was loaded. Nevertheless, “Live In Boston 1970” is arguably the best official live Doors release issued so far by Bright Midnight.

Yes, Morrison is intoxicated and definitely loses focus off and on throughout the proceedings, but it isn’t as bad as one would expect. In fact, there is a strange sort of charm to the whole thing. The rest of the band is on fire. They make some mistakes and ocassionally lose their timing, but the energy from Manzarek, Densmore and Krieger is tremendous. Robby Krieger in particular is tearing it up that night. His tone and execution in Boston is as good as it gets.

Don't expect flawless singing and flawless playing if you pick this title up, but the fantastic energy and intensity of that night makes for one remarkable release. If you want a standard and safe Doors gig, check out “Live In Philadelphia.” If you want to hear an invigorating show, “Live In Boston 1970” is the one.

*Easy to find, available at most internet retailers and at traditional music retail stores.


Allman Brothers Band – Boston Common 1971
This is a nice surprise. The Allman Brothers Band started issuing live material from their archives in 2002 with the release of “American University 12/13/70.” When the Allman Brothers announced that they would be opening the vaults for archival releases, they made it clear that they wanted Duane Allman’s work with the band to initially take priority. After the American University gig was issued, the following year another concert from the Duane Allman era was released. The third and fourth releases, however, were post-Duane Allman performances. So, it seemed as though that was it for Duane and the original line-up of The Allman Brothers Band.

Then, the 2007 release was announced, “Boston Common 1971.” Another show featuring slide guitar virtuoso Duane Allman was being showcased. There can never be enough live material with Duane Allman in the marketplace. Duane was one of the most inspirational Blues/Rock guitarists to ever play. One can get chills listening to his slide work. Also, the brilliant interplay between Duane Allman and Dickey Betts is one of the greatest collaborations in music. There was a magic about the instinctual communication between those two guitar masters on stage that was reminiscent of the musical interplay between Coltrane and Miles Davis or Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.

The set-list is pretty typical from the era. There are not any surprises except for the sound quality. How did a show with such fantastic sound quality stay in the vaults for 35+ years? Anyone wanting a taste of the genius of Duane Allman does not need to look any further and any fan of The Allman Brothers Band should not be without this live show. Hopefully additional performances from the original line-up of The Allman Brothers Band will continue to be issued, but for now, this is another welcomed release that will get unlimited spins.

*Exclusive item found at hittinthenote.com


Elvis Presley – Viva Las Vegas (bonus disc)
Elvis' live gigs from Las Vegas in 1969 are among the finest in Rock N' Roll history. Bass player Jerry Scheff called it "Punk Rock Lounge Music." That is a pretty accurate description. Elvis' energy, passion and incredible vocals created a dynamic show. He also had one extraordinary band.

Prior to 1969, Elvis had spent a vast majority of the decade in Hollywood making B-level movies (which generated millions) and for the most part after 1962, recording D-level soundtrack recordings. There was an occasional non-soundtrack recording session that yielded something special (including the stunning Grammy award winning "How Great Thou Art" Gospel album). Other than two benefit concerts in 1961, Elvis' touring days had ended in the late 1950's.

Then in 1968, Elvis was back as a legitimate artistic force due to his legendary 68 Comeback Special on NBC. A few months later in early 1969, he recorded some of the finest studio recordings of his career in Memphis at Chip Moman's American Studios. The ground work was now laid for a return to the concert stage.

Elvis' manager, the notorious Colonel Tom Parker, booked a month of shows at Las Vegas' newest casino, The International (later to become the Las Vegas Hilton). Elvis was supposed to open the showroom, but Parker wanted it broken in prior to Elvis taking the stage, so Barbra Streisand did a run of shows to "work out the bugs" prior to Elvis' triumphant return.

A couple weeks into the engagement, RCA recorded 14 of the shows for a proposed live album which ultimately became "In Person at The International Hotel." Portions from only a few shows were used to construct the live album. Other than a handful of tracks from the 1969 Vegas run being added to a posthumous box set in the early 1980’s and one in the early 1990’s, the bulk of these stunning performances gathered dust in the vaults for 30+ years.

Finally in 2001, the first complete show from Elvis’ fantastic stint at The International Hotel was issued on BMG’s “Live In Las Vegas” box set (unfortunately in a terrible mix) with two more complete shows being issued on the BMG Elvis collector’s label, Follow That Dream (the finest collector’s label in existence by a mile), shortly thereafter.

BMG issued a compilation of some quality live Elvis performances from Las Vegas between the years of 1969 – 1972 in the late summer of 2007 titled “Viva Las Vegas.” Most fans could have cared less as these particular performances had been issued countless times on multiple compilations. However, BMG added a second bonus disc as a Wal-Mart exclusive that housed another complete show from 1969. One can never have too many concerts from Elvis’ unbelievable run of shows in Las Vegas from 1969.

Up until recently, live Elvis Presley archival material issued by BMG has had very questionable and controversial mixing associated with it. Most of it was done by Dennis Ferrante. He absolutely destroyed the 8/24/69 midnight show released on the “Live In Las Vegas” box set by mixing out the prominent keyboard track from the mix while increasing the volume levels of James Burton’s guitar. Later on the Follow That Dream collector’s label, he made up for it with solid mixes of Elvis’ 8/23/69 midnight performance found on “Elvis At The International” and Elvis’ 8/26/69 midnight performance found on “All Shook Up.”

The Wal-Mart exclusive bonus disc from “Viva Las Vegas” was fortunately mixed by the skilled Ray Bardani. However, the fantastic disc is not without some controversy. A lot of fans who have compared it to underground recordings of the 8/21/69 dinner and midnight performances believe this current release is a spliced composite of both shows. Producer Ernst Jorgensen has been quiet on all fronts, so nothing has been confirmed. Either way, this may be the best sounding live Elvis recording on the market. Personally, I am partial to the show found on the “All Shook Up” release as being the best live 1969 Elvis show available. But, if you are mildly interested in Elvis and want to hear why his reputation as a live performer is legendary, next time you are at Wal-Mart (how pathetic is it that one can only buy something of this magnitude at Wal-Mart?), pick this gem up for a taste of “Punk Rock Lounge Music.”

*Unfortunately, this one is a Wal-Mart exclusive. Either suck it up and go to a location or do it the simple way and order on-line.


Other fantastic archival "live" releases issued in 2007 so far:
Pearl Jam - Live At The Gorge 05/06
Muddy Waters/Johnny Winter/James Cotton - Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down
Aretha Franklin - Oh Me Oh My: Aretha Live In Philly, 1972
The Grateful Dead - Live At The Cow Palace: New Years Eve 1976

Can't wait for:
Jimi Hendrix - Live At Monterey (reissue)

A Bargain In Kansas City

Garth Brooks doesn’t mean what he once did in terms of mass popularity. The guy has been pretty inactive and out of the mainstream music publicity machine for years. But he has sold A LOT of albums during the course of his career. He has a big following from a strong fan base.

This fall, Garth is playing 9 shows at Kansas City’s new Sprint Center and they all are sell-outs. But the real story here is that the top prices are $32.50 (total + fees). This is unheard of in today’s music business landscape for an artist of the caliber of Garth Brooks.

What is his motivation here? Who really knows, but Garth Brooks has created a buzz about a music event. He is offering high-end tickets at $32.50 and the remainder of the house at a whopping $25.00.

The consumer wants to be entertained. People enjoy going out to a show, grabbing some dinner and leaving the craziness of life behind them for a couple of hours. Garth is enabling this. Even mildly casual fans will be inclined to buy tickets to a show if it is reasonably priced.

This is fantastic. No $200.00 tickets, no VIP packages for an even higher price for good seats and a meaningless laminate pass that gets you nowhere in the venue all in the name of greed. The arena won’t be half empty needing creative curtaining and papering to fill out the empty seats.

The current state of the concert business is completely out of control. Heavily inflated ticket prices are ruining the business. The artist gets paid, but the consumer loses. And ultimately the artist loses. The artist loses the faith and respect of the consumer and turns away potential new fans. Someone loosely interested in an artist is not going to roll the dice and fork out $90.00+ to purchase a ticket to a show they are not sure they will dig. You can bet that there are some consumers that are not really into Garth that are going for the hell of it – and once they are blown away by the show, Garth will have brought a new fan into the fold that will be buying the albums and future concert tickets. He is creating an atmosphere to generate new fans as well as taking care of the already devoted.

Garth Brooks will have to play more shows at $32.50 per ticket to generate the same kind of high performance guarantee associated with one show priced significantly higher, but who cares? He obviously doesn’t. Certainly there are agents and managers that would say he is crazy. But, he is a music artist and respected performer. His first love should be performing, so why should it matter if he has to play a couple of more shows to earn what he could playing one show with higher ticket prices?

You couldn’t pay me $32.50 to see Garth Brooks because I have no interest in his music, but right now I respect the hell out of him. He is doing what a lot of other artists should be doing. It is time to get the public back into the arenas enjoying entertainment at a reasonable price. It is time for the concert industry executives and artists to regain the trust of the consumer and get them excited about the concert experience once again. Good for you Garth.

461

Eric Clapton’s “461 Ocean Boulevard” is one of those special albums that has a timeless appeal. It is considered by many as Clapton’s finest solo album.

From a production standpoint, it can sound a little dated. It may come accross as lacking a certain amount of energy due to its subdued laidback feel. The guitar work isn’t dazzling as one might expect. So why is it special? Well, sometimes brilliant work is understated. There is nothing forced, contrived or musically calculated. This is an album that is authentic in its lyrical content, musical landscape, and message.

“461 Ocean Boulevard” was issued in 1974 following a very dark period for Clapton. Since 1970, he had been nursing a debilitating heroin addiction. After the break-up of Derek and The Dominos, Clapton remained pretty much inactive and in seclusion other than a brief guest appearance at George Harrison’s Concert For Bangladesh. In early 1973, Pete Townshend orchestrated a comeback concert event at the Rainbow Theatre in London to get Clapton out of hibernation and back on stage. Soon thereafter, Clapton convened with producer Tom Dowd to go over material for his second solo album.

Up until that point, Clapton was a guitar hero. His inspired and innovative playing had spanned a handful of legendary projects and bands such as his stint with John Mayall and as a member of super-groups Cream and Blind Faith. His 1970 landmark album, “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs,” with Derek And The Dominos only added to his legend. Anyone expecting the guitar heroics of the past was in for a great surprise upon hearing the release of “461 Ocean Boulevard.”

That isn’t to say there wasn’t some fantastic playing on “461,” but it was different. It was laidback. The volume was low. There was a lot of slide. The explosive bursts of notes from past glories were replaced with tasteful chords and licks. Clapton was transforming himself into an artist concerned with economical songcraft.

The album starts off with a bang with the scuffle groove of “Motherless Children.” This is one of the album’s most energizing pieces and the heaviest guitar track. But the true tone of the album is set with the second tune, “Give Me Strength.” This is one powerful cut. It is a very subtle track musically with a slow bluesy acoustic guitar as the lead instrument along with a soulful organ track and slide guitar in the background. You can hear Clapton’s anguish in his painful delivery. You hear a man struggling to regain a sense of direction.

Clapton then ventures into formerly unchartered territory with his renditions of Reggae staples “Willie And The Hand Jive” and the hit “I Shot The Sheriff.” From here there are stabs at Soul with “Get Ready” to sweet love songs like “Please Be With Me.” He even revs it up again with the guitar work-out “Mainline Florida.”

But the real gem of this album is the beautiful “Let It Grow.” It is a simple song. Yet it is such a powerful statement. The lyrics are somewhat minimal and undemanding, but the message is genuine. And it really is a pretty self-reflective piece from that era in his life. Clapton did not do much writing in the early 70’s during his mini-retirement, but this is one of the few songs that came out of that dark period. It is almost an extension of “Give Me Strength.” He was a tortured soul and putting his faith in love gave him hope. It truly is a majestic piece.


Standing at the crossroads, trying to read the signs
To tell me which way I should go to find the answer,
And all the time I know,
Plant your love and let it grow.

Let it grow, let it grow,
Let it blossom, let it flow.
In the sun, the rain, the snow,
Love is lovely, let it grow.

Looking for a reason to check out of my mind,
Trying hard to get a friend that I can count on,
But there's nothing left to show,
Plant your love and let it grow.

Chorus

Time is getting shorter and there's much for you to do.
Only ask and you will get what you are needing,
The rest is up to you.
Plant your love and let it grow.

Chorus
Chorus


Musically, it is beautiful with an attractive array of notes, layers of acoustic and electric guitars, piano and organ, sensitive backing harmony vocals, and a soft soulful lead by Clapton. It definitely is one of the finest tracks in his solo catalogue.

Upon release, even with the startling change in musical direction, the album hit number one on the charts and went gold within a month. Eric Clapton had rebounded with a high artistic achievement that would help propel him to continued stardom for the next 3 decades. Over thirty years later, “461 Ocean Boulevard” still has that timeless appeal of a classic.*


*The story doesn’t end there. In 2004, Universal issued a Deluxe Edition of “461 Ocean Boulevard” that was augmented with session outtakes (all of which had been available on previous archival releases, but were at least finally in one place) and a second disc comprised of two live performances from December 1974 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. The sound quality on this release is fantastic and with the addition of the bonus material, it makes this amazing album a total must-have for any Rock fan.

In Rainbows, Pt. 2

So, it looks like Radiohead is closing in on a deal to release a CD version of "In Rainbows" with one of the major record labels. The previous news that they were going to distribute their upcoming studio effort independently now only is a half-truth.

It makes sense from a business perspective. If one wants their music to have the best chance of being exploited to the fullest extent possible, they have to play the old game. The major labels still can get you the best exposure possible. As one of the band's managers said to Billboard; the band is proud of the new album, they want it introduced into the mass marketplace, and the record companies have the infrastructure to deliver it. That pretty much sums it up. That is the reality.

And here is another thing to consider; would there have been this much buzz about the new album had Radiohead not taken their initial stance that their new album was going to be self-distributed? I'm not saying it was a marketing ploy, but why initially hold back this substantial detail about how the album will be made available to the consumer?

What are the major labels thinking? The band will be issuing basically free downloads of the album and those same downloads will be traded like crazy all over the internet. Hardcore fans will invest in the deluxe box set version. So who will buy the traditional CD version? Casual fans at Wal-Mart and Borders? Radiohead isn't a guaranteed million seller, so it isn't as though the CD version of "In Rainbows" has double platinum potential. Usually, large revenue streams and profits due to big sales are what the major labels go for and Radiohead isn't necessarily a recipe for that (their impressive concert box office grosses are a different story). Certainly the desperation to be in business with one of the few bands in the current music landscape that has any artistic credibility is an appealing factor.

The only disappointing aspect to this update about the pending major label deal for Radiohead is that it would have been fascinating to see how the success of "In Rainbows" would have panned out had the band kept it as a self-distributed project. Maybe Pearl Jam will show us how this experiment works someday in the future....

Stuff

So, I had a chance to spin Springsteen’s “Magic” loosely a couple of times. There are definitely a few gems on this new disc which is a nice change of pace after having lived through the bland “Devils And Dust” and uninteresting “Seeger Sessions” albums the past couple of years.

There is nothing reminiscent of past glories or past projects as a lot of the reviews out there would suggest. The only thing that is familiar is Brendan O’Brien’s production. I can’t stress enough how I think O’Brien’s influence on Bruce’s music has left it sterile and sleek. One of the attractive things about the bulk of the Springsteen catalogue up until this century was how organic and natural it all sounded. Even his ventures into a more synthesized Pop sound in the late 1980’s-early 1990’s didn’t feel mechanical like his current sound does. I’m sure there are some fans that totally dig what O’Brien brings to the table, but Springsteen’s music doesn’t need a modern sound. Bruce is the artist, and if this is what he feels his music needs, more power to him.

Nevertheless, “Gypsy Biker” and the title track “Magic” are worth exploring. Those two hit me right away. I’m sure a couple more will follow.
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I have been spinning a few Motorhead discs off and on the past week. It is another reminder to me that they were the best Metal band of all time. What an energizing ride to sit through. The album “Overkill” is an absolute masterpiece from the Metal genre. It has it all: strong hooks, power, energy, speed and fantastic volume. Bottom line; it is great Rock N’ Roll.

The Sanctuary 2CD reissues of the band’s albums are brilliantly done. The bonus material which ranges from outtakes, alternates to live material is excellent. This is how reissues should be done.
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On November 20, Rhino is issuing a 2 disc DVD set comprising of various performances from Eric Clapton’s 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival. Normally, this sort of release doesn’t grab my attention, but Clapton’s annual Crossroads gig delivers the goods. He always has an incredible cast of characters performing on the bill.

This one will be worth it to see for these performances alone:

*“Highway 61 Revisited” featuring Johnny Winter with the Derek Trucks Band
*“Sitting on Top of the World" with Hubert Sumlin, Robert Cray Band, Jimmie Vaughan
*”Paying The Cost To Be The Boss” and “Rock Me Baby” with BB King, Hubert Sumlin, Jimmie Vaughan, Robert Cray Band
*”Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers” and “Big Block” from Jeff Beck
*”Who Do You Love” with Robbie Robertson and Eric Clapton
*”Presence Of The Lord,” “Can’t Find My Way Home,” “Had To Cry Today” and “Crossroads” with Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton

Seeing Clapton and Winwood collaborating again will be worth the price of admission alone.

In Rainbows

Radiohead is set to release its first new studio album in over 4 years. "In Rainbows" is set to be a pioneering release in terms of distribution. Over the past 24 hours, the internet has been buzzing about "In Rainbows." No one is talking about the music. Everyone is talking about the fact that Radiohead has basically given the middle finger to the mainstream record labels.

After their deal with EMI expired, Radiohead was one of the biggest free agent bands in the world. Certainly they were offered some lucrative and possibly innovative deals, but they obviously had their sights set on something different.

Musically speaking, I am not a big Radiohead fan. I enjoyed aspects of their early work and have always found "The Bends" to be one of the strongest Rock albums to come out of the 90's, but the band lost me with "Kid A" and "Amnesiac." Yeah, it was supposed to lose people, dazzle them with hypnotic experimentation, but I couldn't digest it. I found it to be overrated. Experimental music can be given artistic accolades, but it still has to have melody and sound good. I dig Miles Davis as much as anyone, but "On The Corner" still sucks.

Nevertheless, what they are attempting to do with the release of their upcoming album is an attempt to revolutionize an alternate way of distributing their music. Other artists do things in a unique way, but usually they have to because they are small and independent and do not have a large audience. Radiohead is an A-list band in terms of credibility and popularity. They don't sell huge amounts of records, but they have artistic integrity, industry-wide respect and have one of the hottest concert tickets around.

Here are the consumers’ options for purchasing "In Rainbows":

1) On October 10, they can download it for whatever price they want. Seriously. If you go to the 'check out' phase on the website: http://www.inrainbows.com/Store/index3.html - the consumer is prompted with the following message, "It's up to you. Really, it's up to you." That should be interesting. Essentially they are giving away their music for free, or for a very small price.

2) If you are a hardcore fan, you have the option of spending nearly $80 U.S. Dollars for a deluxe configuration in early December consisting of the following:

*CD version
*12 X 12 inch heavyweight vinyl version
*Download version
*Bonus CD with additional new songs, artwork and photographs
*Artwork and lyric booklet

All this is being done independently. The band left money on the table from the majors and is doing their own thing. They no longer want to be part of the old business model. This may not be the ultimate answer to the long-term landscape of music releases, but it definitely is a positive step.

The casual fan can download the tracks and burn them onto a CD for very little money. The hardcore fan can get a fully loaded deluxe package and a premium price. But what about the fan who wants an affordable CD with some artwork and liner notes? Guess they are stuck with some cheap downloads because $80 will be too much for something physical.

Will this be financially successful for the band? The downloads probably won't be since the band will be giving those away for next to nothing. The deluxe package most likely isn't built for large profits; its price probably covers production costs and gives the band a little extra revenue. Obviously, Radiohead's agenda for releasing new music isn't to make loads of money. They want their music out there for their fans to consume in unique, easy and enjoyable way. If they were in it for the cash, they would have signed a lucrative deal with one of the majors. And don't forget, they are an immensely popular concert attraction. Any money the band is giving up by releasing their upcoming album independently, they will make up on the road.

I applaud the Radiohead for rocking the boat. Granted, their albums have not been flying off of the shelves the past 7 years, but they still have major name recognition, and leaving the major labels' model behind will be an eye opener for other artists that are not strictly in it for the money. Keep an eye on this because it is just the beginning...