tirsdag den 31. maj 2011

Johnny Copeland - Flying High


This is an acoustic live performance by Texas blues artist Johnny Copeland. He plays the song "Flying High" on a TV-recording (from 1989). It's a self-accompanied acoustic performance, it always fascinated me when artists did self-accompanied performances. The song it self I haven't been able to find any information on. I checked all of Copeland's tracks on Amazon and it looks like this one never made it on to any of his studio, compilation or live albums that they distribute at least.
It's a traditional blues in E though. He keeps it simple, but very effective. The rhythm and timing is spot on and the aggressive approach of using a pick to really make it loud really sounds great.
It's a great performance by a great blues man!

Enjoy ; )

mandag den 30. maj 2011

The Rolling Stones - Jumpin' Jack Flash


This is a live performance by legendary British rock 'n' roll band The Rolling Stones playing their classic song "Jumpin' Jack Flash" live. The performance is from the concert-film "Shine a Light" from 2008 directed by Martin Scorsese.
The song was released in 1968 and it was considered The Rolling Stones' venture back into the rock 'n' roll bluesy sound that they were originally known for. The song was written by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger.
The song has also been recorded by soul diva Aretha Franklin. She did a recording of the song for the Whoopi Goldberg film of the same name. Richards and Ronnie Wood also played the guitar parts on her version.
Other notable covers of the song includes: Leon Russell, Tina Turner, Peter Frampton, Johnny Winter, Motörhead and Guns N' Roses.
It's a great song and the version from "Shine a Light" is an awesome performance of the song as well, with some really good camera angles courtesy of Scorsese. A great performance.

Enjoy ; )

torsdag den 26. maj 2011

Aerosmith - Walking the Dog (Acoustic)


This is a live performance by American hard rock band Aerosmith playing and acoustic version of the song "Walking the Dog". The performance is from the MTV Unplugged series and the performance is from 1990.
The song was originally a Rufus Thomas song and was known under two titles, "Walking the Dog", and "Walkin' the Dog". This version was released on the album "Walking the Dog" and it became Thomas' signature hit and it reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December of 1963. It stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks.
The song has been covered by a large number of artist, including: The Rolling Stones, Roger Daltrey, John Cale, and Green Day, and many more.
I really think this version by Aerosmith is great. They do it acoustic and Steven Tyler is sitting on a chair, but he's as frantic and energetic as ever. A great performance of a great song.

Enjoy ; )

onsdag den 25. maj 2011

Katie Webster - I'm Bad


This is a live performance by blues legend Katie Webster performing her song "I'm Bad" live in the 90's, the performance is from Tromsø in Norway.
Katie Webster is known as a prominent artist within the boogie-woogie and swamp blues genres.
I actually only recently discovered who Katie was. She is not one of the most well known people and by that I mean that if you're just getting into blues you'll discover her, but not at first. I discovered her from the SRV album "Solos, Sessions & Encores" where Stevie plays guitar on one of Katie's songs at a live show. It's a great album and I highly recommend it. And if you're a fan of blues it'll probably introduce you to a couple of new artists.
The studio version of this song appears on Webster's 1991 album "No Foolin'!". There's no doubt that the song's lyrics borrow heavily from other blues songs, such as: Mannish Boy, I'm in the Mood and I'm Bad Like Jesse James. It's sort of Katie's own take on all of these classics showing them appreciation and doing her own thing with it.
It's a great performance. The only thing that sort of spoil it a little is the fact that an announcer speaks over the last part of the song. It's a TV recording, but still it's a shame. A great performance though!

Enjoy ; )

tirsdag den 24. maj 2011

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here


This is a live performance by the British rock band Pink Floyd playing live at the "Live 8" benefit concert. The song is the title track to the band's 1975 album. The song is was a Roger Waters and David Gilmour collaboration with lyrics by Roger Waters who writes about alienation from other people. The song is also an homage to former frontman Syd Barret.
The song is very popular and it has been covered by Wyclef Jean whose version ended up at #2 on the UK Singles Chart. His version was released in 2001.
I also recommend checking out this version, click here to go to a video of it. It is a performance by Roger Waters with Eric Clapton accompanying him. It sounds very good and Clapton's subtle lead playing fits the song very well.
A great song and a great performance.

Enjoy ; )

mandag den 23. maj 2011

Eric Clapton - Five Long Years


This is a live performance by blues artist Eric Clapton playing his version of the classic blues song "Five Long Years".
The song is one of the most widely covered blues standards of all time. It was originally written and recorded by Eddie Boyd in 1952. It did very well in the USA R&B Chart. The song was also inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011.
I really love Clapton's energetic and up-tempo take on this great classic. This performance is from the unreleased Martin Scorsese film "Nothing But The Blues".
The song has been done by a number of legendary blues musicians, such as: Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker with Van Morrison, The Yardbirds, B.B. King, Ike & Tina Turner, Freddie King, Colin James, and Buddy Guy, and many more.
It's a great song and Clapton plays it flawlessly in this performance. Truly an amazing performance.

Enjoy ; )

søndag den 22. maj 2011

Diana Krall - But Not For Me


This is a live performance by contemporary jazz artist Diana Krall playing her take on the classic jazz song "But Not For Me". She starts of by playing a bit in the original tempo and feel and then moves on to playing the whole song in a much more melancholic and slow tone and feel. The performance is from the TV-show "Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...".
The song was originally composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was originally made for the musical "Girl Crazy" (1930) and Judy Garland sang it in the 1943 film version of the aforementioned stage musical.
It has been recorded by a huge amount of artist, including: Carol Burnett, Miles Davis, Doris Day, John Coltrane, Elvis Costello, Elton John, Frank Sinatra and Chet Baker.
I am personally very found of the version Chet Baker does of this song. (embeded below).

There's no video footage, but pictures and pretty good audio quality. I love how he doesn't have the biggest voice ever, but makes so good use of what he has and just sings it with so much feeling. Then on top of that we get his trumpet playing which is just phenomenal. I recommend both versions of this song, cause they're both great in their own right.

Enjoy ; )

lørdag den 21. maj 2011

AC/DC - Stiff Upper Lip


This is a live performance by Australian rock band AC/DC playing the song "Stiff Upper Lip" live in concert.
The song appears on the band's 2000 album "Stiff Upper Lip" so it's the title track from that album. It was composed by Malcolm and Angus Young and was the first single from the album.
I really love the riff in this song. It's so simple, but so good at the same time. A truly magnificent riff composed by the Young brothers. Good old school rock 'n' roll, simple as that and it rocks!

Enjoy ; )

fredag den 20. maj 2011

Jimi Hendrix - Villanova Junction


This is a live performance by rock god Jimi Hendrix performing the instrumental song "Villanova Junction". The performance is from the Rainbow Bridge in Maui, Hawaii, from 1970.
The song first appeared at Woodstock where it was part of the recorded set that consisted of jam based recordings.
Hendrix is playing a Gibson Flying V in this performance and I really love the cleaner tone he gets from this. Probably the humbucker pick-ups.
You can definitely hear the influence Hendrix has later had on newer artists on songs like this. It is very clear that for instance Stevie Ray Vaughan has been influenced by songs like this on his own songs like "Lenny" and "Riviera Paradise". Just the groove, tempo, expressive nature, and also slightly on the modes Hendrix uses. I must stress that this is merely what I hear when listening to this, I have no sources that confirms my assumptions other than my own personal analysis.
It's a great performance and a great song. And the sound is just excellent on this which is really nice too.

Enjoy ; )

torsdag den 19. maj 2011

James Brown - Get Up Offa That Thing


This is a live performance by James Brown the Godfather of soul performing his classic song "Get Up Offa That Thing". The performance is from The Late Show with David Letterman.
The song was originally released on 7" vinyl in 1976. The original single was a two-part single with a B-side titled "Release the Pressure". "Release the Pressure" is actually just a continuation of the same song, but with different lyrics. The song became a huge hit and one of Brown's biggest hits in his late 70's career. It also later became a very common number to appear in Brown's live sets.
The song was produced by James Brown and written by Deanna Brown, Diendra Brown, and Yamma Brown.
I really love this song and performance. I love how much energy Brown puts in to this performance at his age. And the way he still controls the band; a true band leader. And the saxophone solo, man that was amazing. Also love how the song has a lot of musical breaks and stops that are very fast, and how it usually starts off again with the guitar doing something with a wah wah pedal. This is how funk is supposed to sound. It's grand and I love it.

Enjoy ; )

onsdag den 18. maj 2011

Bruce Springsteen - Pay Me My Money Down


This is the music video to the Bruce Springsteen's version of the song "Pay Me My Money Down". The song was originally a work song that originated from the African-American stevedores working in Georgia. The text was first collected and published in 1942. The melody of the song is much older and was used in other songs as well.
The song done by Springsteen was his first single from his 2006 big band folk album "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions". It got quite popular and the song would very often close Springsteen's set on the subsequent tour upon the album's release.
It's a great folk song. It's up beat and bound to put you in a good mood.

Enjoy ; )

tirsdag den 17. maj 2011

Ike & Tina Turner - "River Deep - Mountain High"


This is a live performance from the 60's and 70's rock 'n' roll duo Ike & Tina Turner. They play their classic song "River Deep - Mountain High". The performance is from 1971. The song was released as a single in 1966. It flopped in USA, but did very well in the European market peaking at #3 in The UK. It was written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. It was produced by Phil Spector after his "wall of sound" technique which gave the single a unique and grand sound. Spector has quoted this as his best work as a producer.
It has since become one of Tina's signature songs in her solo career. It has also been covered by a large number of artists, including: Bob Seger, The Shadows, The Supremes, Neil Diamond and Céline Dion. It has also been used in countless music talent shows such as "Idol" and other programmes of that genre.
It's a great song. The performance is okay, but nothing special. I actually think that some of the versions Tina has done in her solo career have been much better. So my advice is: Track down some of those versions instead.

But yeah, enjoy none the less ; )

mandag den 16. maj 2011

John Lee Hooker - Hobo Blues


This is a live performance by legendary blues musician and song writer John Lee Hooker playing his classic song "Hobo Blues". The performance is from 1965 at the American Folk Blues festival.
It's a self-accompanied performance by Hooker. He taps the rhythm with his foot, plays the rhythm on the guitar and also plays the melody at the same time. At points in the song he also hums the melody on top of playing it on the guitar. I really love this performance. The fact that it's self-accompanied just makes it better and shows a skill that very few people had back then, and even fewer people have today. You can also hear Hooker's influence on slide guitar through his use of open tunings. He doesn't use a slide himself, but uses the tunings many slide players would later also use. (Of course I know that slide guitar existed way before John Lee Hooker, but many slide players, for instance Ry Cooder, have quoted John Lee Hooker as an influence).
The song was originally released as a single in 1948 which was also the year it appeared on Hooker's LP "The Blues" released on Crown records.
As mentioned earlier it's a great song and a great performance. One of Hooker's best.

Enjoy ; )

søndag den 15. maj 2011

Megadeth - Almost Honest


This is the music video to the Megadeth single "Almost Honest" of their "Cryptic Writings" album. The album was released in 1997 and it was a continuation of the band's transition from a heavy metal sound into a more melodic hard rock sound. The lyrics to the song were written by Dave Mustaine the band's front man and the music was written by Mustaine and lead guitarist Marty Friedman.
Friedman has also stated in interviews that this was in fact his favourite song to perform live. He really enjoyed hearing it on the radio and got to use his favourite effect pedal for the solo.
The music video is nothing special. Basically just the band performing and then cutting back and forth between that and some snowboarding sequences. Also some of the video is shot with a camera in front of a TV playing the footage so it switches from good to bad video quality in the video which is an interesting effect.
It's a very good hard rock song and it even has some pop elements. A great song.

Enjoy ; )

lørdag den 14. maj 2011

Guns N' Roses - Dust N' Bones


This is a live performance by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses performing the song "Dust N' Bones". The performance is from 1991.
The song is from the band's 1991 double release Use Your Illusion I. (Of course the second album of that double release was Use Your Illusions II). "Dust N' Bones" is the second song on the album and it was written by Slash, Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagan. It is the first song on the album that is sung by Stradlin and also the first song to feature Dizzy Reed on piano. I really think the piano is crucial to what makes the song good, it gives it an old school rock 'n' roll feel a la The Rolling Stones. Both the live version and the album version features Slash playing talk box guitar on the song which also adds to the sound of the tune.
It's a great song and the live performance is very good as well. (Though the audio could have been better).

Enjoy ; )

torsdag den 12. maj 2011

Stevie Ray Vaughan & W.C. Clark - Insturmental Jam


This is a performance video by Stevie Ray Vaughan that I only recently discovered. It features Stevie Ray Vaughan and fellow Texan musician W.C. Clark on the bass. As the song is an instrumental jam there is no song title.
W.C. Clark is a Texan blues, funk and jazz musician. He plays both guitar and bass. He first learned the guitar at around age fourteen and then moved on to playing bass. In the 1970's he formed a band called "Triple Threat Revue" where he played with Lou Ann Barton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He played in many bands in this period and also played with Stevie's brother Jimmie Vaughan in another band.
This instrumental jam is a true gem among SRV fans. It's really great to hear how well he fits in with the whole funk thing. Also his soloing and rhythm playing on this is spot on perfect. I know they probably rehearsed this prior to the performance, or more correctly, I'm assuming that, but who knows maybe it really is all improvised. All I know is that it is a really good performance and Stevie's abilities as a guitarist really shine through.

onsdag den 11. maj 2011

Jimi Hendrix - Lover Man


This is a live performance by Jimi Hendrix playing his classic song "Lover Man". The performance is from The Royal Albert Hall in 1969.
The song "Lover Man", also known under the titles: "Here He Comes" and "Here He Comes Your Lover Man", is unique in that a studio version wasn't released until 2010. It has been performed live on numerous occasions and performed as early as 1968. The structure of the song is the same they'd use when covering B.B. King's tune "Rock Me Baby".
It's a great song and Hendrix really adds that unique touch and sound to this tune. My favourite version is a rare take that I haven't really identified. It's from youtube and all I know is that it's rare. Embeded below:

There's no video, just pictures. The audio quality is really good though and to me it sounds like a deposited studio take. It's a slower version of the song which I really dig. The slow tempo really adds to the psychedelia factor. Also the extended wah wah solo at the end of the song.
I love this take and any version of this song. It's so good and one of Hendrix's best in my opinion.

Enjoy ; )

tirsdag den 10. maj 2011

Buddy Guy - Damn Right, I've Got The Blues


This is a live performance by blues legend Buddy Guy playing his original blues tune "Damn Right, I've Got The Blues". The set-up is very laid back and simple. All musicians on stage are sitting down and Guy is only accompanied by a piano and a second guitarist. It gives a simple, but very good sound where Guy's playing really shines through.
The song is the title track to Guy's 1991 album. The album was described as Guy's commercial comeback album back when it was released. The album also features the following guest artists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Mark Knopfler and the Memphis Horns.
This performance is from the Guitar Center Sessions. I really love how even when they're doing a laid back performance Guy can't turn off his natural showmanship. He can't help playing the guitar the same way he would standing up and doing all those funny tricks like for instance turning the guitar upside down and rubbing it against the fabric of his shirt. He just can't help him self and that is why he's such a great performer. Truly a great blues performance.

Enjoy ; )

mandag den 9. maj 2011

Joe Bonamassa - Woke Up Dreaming


This is a live performance by blues and rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa playing his original song "Woke Up Dreaming".
The song was originally released on Bonamassa's 2003 album "Blues Deluxe" which was his fourth album as a solo artist. The song is sort of Bonamassa's version of an acoustic blues song, but with his own significant and apparent touch. For one it's very fast, but still follows a somewhat familiar chord structure again with some apparent differences from your run of the mill blues, this is definitely unique and different while still familiar which is quite an accomplishment in a song.
He also explains this as he's getting into the tune in this performance. The performance is from the series "Guitar Center Sessions" where the artists switch between talk and performance. He kind of combines it in the beginning as he explains how this song came to be.
It's a great song, I really love the speed and truly unique sound it has. Also just watching Bonamassa playing is amazing, his technique is amazing and his control of volume on an acoustic instrument is amazing as well.
It's a great performance of a really good song.

Enjoy ; )

søndag den 8. maj 2011

Eric Clapton - Motherless Children


This is a live performance by Eric Clapton. He is joined on stage by Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall II. Bramhall and Clapton are playing slide on this tune while Trucks handles the rhythm part which is unusual as Trucks is known for his virtuous slide playing. The performance is from a concert in France from 2006. It's not professionally shot, but the audio is surprisingly good. Also this track is pretty rare for Clapton to do live.
The song is from Clapton's "461 Ocean Boulevard" (1974) album which was a highly successful album from Clapton, also containing Clapton's version of "I Shot the Sheriff" his only #1 hit on the Billboard hot 100.
The lyrics to the song are traditional and ergo have no writer. The arrangement is credited to Clapton and Carl Radle.
The song is basically about mothers and the big impact and love they have on everyone around them. It's also about the void left should a mother die. So I thought it would at the very least be somewhat relevant on mother's day.
It's a great performance and the audio is surprisingly tolerable.

Enjoy ; )

lørdag den 7. maj 2011

Foo Fighters - White Limo


This is a live performance by American rock band Foo Fighters performing their new song "White Limo" live at the Ed Sullivan theatre.
The song is off their recently released "Wasting Light" album. It is the band's seventh studio album and it debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 which just goes to show that rock acts can still rule the charts. It has mainly gotten positive reviews commenting on the good song writing and the nice production work done on the album's sound. "White Limo" is the fourth track on the album and was also the first song to get a music video. The video features the band members being driven around in a white limousine. The driver of this limousine is none other than rock legend Lemmy Kilmister. This marks, from my knowledge, his second cameo in a music video as a driver as he also drove the truck in Australian band Airbourne's video to their song "Runnin' Wild". Click here for the music video of White Limo.
I really love Foo Fighters' performance of this song. I love how the band are wearing suits to resemble The Beatles. I also love Dave Grohl's mini guitar solo towards the end of the song, especially how he opens it with a little Chuck Berry riff thus reminding us that all rock music really stems from the same well of inspiration, if that makes any sense.
But a great performance of a really good song.

Enjoy ; )

fredag den 6. maj 2011

Chuck Berry & Keith Richards - Carol


This is a live performance by Rock 'n' Roll legend Chuck Berry performing his classic song "Carol" which he also has writing credit for. Keith Richards is sitting in as this is the rehearsal footage prior to the main performance celebrating Berry's 60th birthday in the film "Hail! Hail! Rock N' Roll" from 1987.
The song "Carol" was first released by Berry in 1958. It was later covered by a long list of artists, including: The Beatles, Charlie Daniels, The Doors, and of course also by The Rolling Stones.
I really love this piece of post concert footage. I love the tension that is between Berry and Richards, it is very entertaining to watch. Berry's solos on this are amazing, Richard's not so much as he screws up a bit on a lick or two and also has a hard time getting the intro down. But Berry's solos and Johnnie Johnson's piano solo makes for a really good performance- When they finally get through it.
A great little piece of footage from Berry when he was in his prime performing-wise. A great performance and very entertaining as well.

Enjoy ; )

torsdag den 5. maj 2011

Cream - Outside Woman Blues


This is a live performance by British supergroup Cream performing a live version of the song "Outside Woman Blues". The performance is from their 2005 reunion concert at The Royal Albert Hall. It's a great performance and it shows just what this trio was capable of and still were capable of back in 2005.
The song was originally recorded by Blind Joe Reynolds in 1929. It has since been covered by a large number of artists, but most notably Cream. Cream's version was released in 1967 on their "Disreali Gears" album. There were only two covers on this album, and the rest of the songs were originals. Also the lyrics are credited to Blind Joe Reynolds, but with arrangement by Clapton. This is also very clear, if you take a listen to the original (click here for a performance of the original).
The song has been performed by a lot of artists and Clapton has also played the song live as a solo artist. Like this acoustic clip embeded below which is a very good version. It really marks Clapton's self-accompanied style and abilities and his vocal ability as well.

The song has also been performed by: Jimi Hendrix, Back Door Slam, Doyle Bramhall II, Van Halen and Johnny Winter.
I love both of Cream's versions of this song. They're both great performances who share displaying Clapton's guitar abilities and his vocal ability as well.

Enjoy ; )

onsdag den 4. maj 2011

Albert King & The Bluesbreakers - Why Are You So Mean To Me


This is a live performance by blues legend Albert King and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers playing the song "Why Are You So Mean To Me".
The song was originally released as a single in 1959 on the Bobbin label. It is not one of King's most famous songs, but I really like it.
Also the version with the Bluesbreakers is really good. John Mayall's piano and especially his blues harp skills really adds another layer to this great song. This incarnation of The Bluesbreakers featured former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor who does a really good solo on this playing a Stratocaster.
What really impressed me about this though was King's playing at the end of the song. He really plays a lot faster than I've ever heard him play while still keeping the soul alive in his playing. Truly a great performance from all parts. A great performance.

Enjoy ;-)

tirsdag den 3. maj 2011

Isaac Hayes - Soulville


This is a live performance by soul music legend Isaac Hayes playing the song "Soulville" live in concert.
The song is from the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film "Shaft". The most famous song of that soundtrack of course being the Academy Award nominated "Theme from Shaft" famous for it's heavy use of wah-wah pedal and somewhat cheesy lyrics. Click here for a performance of "Theme from Shaft". The soundtrack only contained three songs with vocals, the rest of it were instrumentals. The last song with vocals was "Do Your Thing".
It's a great performance and Hayes really impresses with his musical abilities. As he's playing the saxophone on this song. In the later years of his career he'd usually stick to playing piano. The horns would come from a three piece keyboard section Hayes used on the road.
But a great performance of a really nice song. And this song has some pretty good lyrics.

Enjoy ;-)

mandag den 2. maj 2011

Diana Krall, Elvis Costello & Elton John – Makin’ Whoopee


This is the final performance from the TV-show “Spectacle with Elvis Costello”. On this episode jazz pianist and singer Diana Krall is the guest and as she is also the wife of Costello he chose not to do the interview. Instead Elton John did the interview, he also executive produces the TV-show.
At the final performance they all three sung the song together.
The song is an old jazz/blues tune that was first popularized by Eddie Cantor in the 1928 musical “Whoopee!”. The song acted as a cautionary tale for men. It starts with a wedding, then talks about the honeymoon and marital bliss, but moves on to babies and responsibilities which leads to affairs and ends up in divorce.
It’s been done by a lot of artists, including: Elton John and Rod Stewart in a duet, Dr. John and Rickie Lee Jones in a duet and even parodied on Sesame Street by the Cookie Monster.
It’s a great little show tune and I love what the three of them do with it. They really maintain the original campy feel and make it seem so cozy on stage. A job well done indeed with this one.

Enjoy ;-)

søndag den 1. maj 2011

Mick Jagger feat. Lenny Kravitz – God Gave Me Everything


This is the music video to the song “God Gave Me Everything” featuring Lenny Kravitz who played the electric guitar, bass, drums and tambourine. He also did backing vocals on the song.
The song is from Jagger’s 2001 solo album “Goddess in the Doorway”. It wasn’t a huge commercial hit and this single didn’t do that well either, but the album was very well received among critics. It’s a pretty good song and it definitely has a sound that strays very much from what you usually hear from The Stones.

Enjoy ;-)