onsdag den 31. august 2011

Neil Young – Down By The River


This is a live performance by Neil Young doing the song “Down By The River”. The performance is from the Farm Aid show which is a charity show.
The song is available on the album “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” which Neil Young did with the band Crazy Horse. This album was originally released in 1969.
I really love the song and the simple folk feeling it has. I love how Neil Young plays this solo with just him and his battered up old Les Paul. It sounds so good and genuine.

Enjoy ; )

tirsdag den 30. august 2011

Led Zeppelin – Ten Years Gone


This is a live performance by the British rock band Led Zeppelin they play the song “Ten Years Gone” live.
The song originally appeared on the band’s 1975 album “Physical Graffiti”. The song is credited to Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. It was originally intended to be an instrumental piece composed by Page, but Plant later added the lyrics and made the song what it is. The lyrics are about Plant’s relationship to a girl who ten years earlier had forced him to choose between her or his music.
When playing the song live it was done by Page using a Telecaster with a b-bender and bassist John Paul Jones playing the rest of the parts on a three neck guitar featuring a 12-string, a 6-string, a mandolin, and bass pedals. Truly great measures to get the live performance right.
It’s a great song. I really love Page’s approach to playing the b-bender getting a sort of Eastern sound from it. It’s a great performance by a legendary band.

Enjoy ; )

mandag den 29. august 2011

Stevie Ray Vaughan with Johnny Copeland – Look At Little Sister


This is a live performance by blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan playing the song “Look At Little Sister” live. The performance is from the 1985 performance that Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble gave at the Montreux Jazz Festival that year. Joining them live on stage is another blues guitarist, Johnny Copeland. He also joined in for the songs “Cold Shot” and “Tin Pan Alley” which came prior to this.
The whole concert including Vaughan’s 1982 performance at Montreux is available on DVD and I highly recommend picking it up. Truly a must have if you’re a fan of Stevie Ray Vaughan.
The lyrics to the song are credited to song writer H. Ballard, so I’m guessing it’s some sort of traditional song or something.
It’s a great performance. The solos done by both guitarists are really good and it’s such an up tempo song that just puts you in a good mood. It’s a great traditional blues song played to perfection.

Enjoy ; )

søndag den 28. august 2011

Mötley Crüe - Smokin' in the Boys Room


This is the music video to the song "Smokin' in the Boys Room" in the version done by glam metal band Mötley Crüe.
The song was originally done by the band Brownsville Station in 1973 on the album "Yeah!". The song is about students avoiding the smoking ban by smoking in the boys lavatory, quite simple premise really.
The version done by Mötley Crüe was released in 1985 as a single and it became the band's first top 40 hit. The song is from the album "Theatre of Pain".
I actually kind of like this version of the song. It's glam metal which I'm usually not a big fan of, but really this has much more a rock 'n' roll/bluesy feeling to it. The only thing that's glam really is their outfits and outfits don't matter to me. Also the harmonica on this sounds really good, it was done by Vince Neil which surprises me, didn't know he knew how to play the harmonica. It's a really good and catchy song.

Enjoy ; )

lørdag den 27. august 2011

Guns N' Roses - Civil War


This is a live performance by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses doing a live performance of their song "Civil War".
The song was originally released on the 1990 compilation "Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel", but more famously in 1991 on the album "Use Your Illusion II". It's an anti-war protest song which uses the dual meaning of the word 'civil' to get the message get across. The song was written by, Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan and it was released as a single in 1993.
I really love how Slash opens the song with the intro riff from "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" by Hendrix and also ends the song on this riff. An homage to Hendrix is always welcome in my book, and it fits the song very well. It's a great song and a great performance.

Enjoy ; )

fredag den 26. august 2011

The Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Women


This is a live performance by the famous British rock 'n' roll band The Rolling Stones playing their song "Honky Tonk Women" live. The performance is from Japan and it was part of their Voodoo Lounge tour, this performance is from 2005.
The song was originally released in 1969 and it was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It was hugely successful in both America and the UK. The song was originally conceived as an acoustic country song and it was recorded it two versions. The second version was re-named "Country Honk" and was on the band's "Let It Bleed" album.
The song has also been done by a lot of famous artists since its release by The Rolling Stones, these artists include: Ike and Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Gram Parsons, Elton John, Taj Mahal, and Albert King.
I really love this performance though. Especially love the guitar work by Richards on this one, it's so his style and he plays it magnificently. Also love the piano work by Chuck Leavell, but again Richards can't help but cut in and play the piano a bit. This performance is all about Keith Richards, in my opinion, and he rocks it!

Enjoy ; )

torsdag den 25. august 2011

John Lee Hooker with Ry Cooder - Crawling King Snake


This is a live performance by John Lee Hooker playing his classic song "Crawling King Snake" live. On stage he is joined by guitarist Ry Cooder who's sitting in on this tune.
The song was originally written and recorded by John Lee Hooker. It is one of his many famous songs and it has also been covered by many different artists. One of them being The Doors who recorded a version of the song and released it in 1971. The song has also been done by: George Thorogood, Etta James, John P. Hammond, and Buddy Guy to name a few. (I've embeded Buddy Guy's version beneath, he plays it acoustic and with a lot of conviction and atmosphere, a solo acoustic recording, like the old blues players would have done it.)

It's a great and classic blues song, and Hooker plays it his way which is the right way. Cooder doesn't show off much in this, but then again when you're with the greats you hold back a bit. Both performances of this great blues song are great.

Enjoy ; )

onsdag den 24. august 2011

The Doors - The End



This is a live performance by the American rock band The Doors they play the song "The End" live from the Hollywood Bowl.
The song was originally written by Jim Morrison about a break-up he had experienced, but through months of playing the song live it evolved into a 12 minute opus. The song was released in 1967 on the band's self-titled album. The song would close the band's sets after it's release.
The song's sound comes from guitarist Robby Krieger using a double drop D guitar tuning and and using a harmonic minor scale resembling Indian and raga based music. The crescendos John Densmore plays on his drums also resemble Indian rhythms.
It's a great song and it really has a very interesting set of lyrics very open to read in to.
It's a great song, by a great band.

Enjoy ; )

tirsdag den 23. august 2011

Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit


This is a live performance by psychedelia/acid rock band Jefferson Airplane playing their perhaps most known song "White Rabbit" live at the infamous Woodstock Festival in 1969.
The song was originally released in 1967 on the album "Surrealistic Pillow". The song was released as a single and it reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by Grace Slick who brought the song to the group when she joined the group in 1966. The song's lyrics are allusive towards the classic tale "Alice in Wonderland", but these allusions are believed to have a second meaning that is the effects of hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD. The song is set to a rising crescendo which gives the song a bit of a Spanish feel. It's a great song, and it was one of the first songs to sneak drug references past censors and it's simply a classic.

Enjoy ; )

mandag den 22. august 2011

B.B. King - Let the Good Times Roll


This is a live performance by B.B. King and his magnificent orchestra doing their version of the classic song "Let the Good Times Roll".
The song was originally recorded by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five in 1946. The song was written by "Lovin" Sam Theard and it was co-credited to Fleecie Moore who was Jordan's wife. Sometimes she would be credited even if she hadn't written the song, to get around music publishing restrictions. The song was a hit when it was recorded by Louis Jordan. (Original Jordan performance embeded below).

It has since been recorded by Ray Charles, Georgie Fame, and B.B. King obviously. I really love BB's version of this song. It's up tempo and it's got such a nice groove. King does an amazing solo, but his rhythm guitarist Leon Warren also does a great solo which King of course rightfully credits him for. BB a man with all the talent in the world and not even a hint of an ego. I also love how BB claps to the time signature, brings remembrance of the old days of the blues and how long King has been in the game. It's a great performance of this classic song.

Enjoy ; )

søndag den 21. august 2011

The White Stripes - Blue Orchid


This is a live performance by the alternative/blues rock band The White Stripes doing their song "Blue Orchid" live. The performance is from the Rock am Ring in 2007.
The song was originally released on the band's album "Get Behind Me Satan" from 2005, "Blue Orchid" was released as the first single from the album the same year. It's a great song and it's always great to watch Meg and Jack on stage. What they do on stage is truly unique and can't be matched by anyone.

Enjoy ; )

lørdag den 20. august 2011

Robert Cray - Smoking Gun


This is the music video to the song "Smoking Gun" by Robert Cray. It was first released in 1986 on Cray's album "Strong Persuader". The album was Cray's fifth album and it became his breakthrough album into mainstream recognition. On it's release as a single in 1987 "Smoking Gun" reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The music video show clips of Cray performing at various shows throughout the beginning of his career. The year and place of the performance clips are displayed at the beginning of each clip which is quite nice in my opinion.
The song also appeared on Cray's 2010 release "Cookin' in Mobile" which was a live CD/DVD release.
It's a great crossover song, and Cray's solo towards the end is amazing.

Enjoy ; )

fredag den 19. august 2011

Eric Clapton - Layla


This is a live performance by Eric Clapton playing the song "Layla" live. The song was originally done by Derek and the Dominos which Clapton was a part of. It has since become a staple in his live set as a solo artist.
The song was originally released by Derek and the Dominos in 1970 on the album "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs". The song is known for its unique guitar figure played by Eric, and the piano instrumental part of the piece composed by Jim Gordon.
The song was written for Pattie Boyd and about Clapton's unrequited love to her. At this point she was the wife of fellow musician George Harrison. It didn't gain success on it's first release, but over time it has become one of the most recognizable and important songs in rock.
As mentioned Clapton has played the song regularly as part of his live set as a solo artist. He has also done a version where he plays it with Dr. John. (Embeded below)

That performance is from a VH1 series called Duets. It mostly features Clapton, but John can be seen in the back playing away on that piano. This version is vastly different from the first version. The opening chord progression is played more like a walking chord progression, it's played faster, it's funkier, and it doesn't feature the instrumental end of the song.
Clapton also had chart success with this song through his acoustic version of the song released in 1992 for the MTV Unplugged he played. (Embeded below)

This version also disposes the instrumental end of the song. It's played slower though, with the chord progression re-touched to fit the acoustic setting. This version reached #12 on the US pop charts and won the Grammy for Best Rock Song in 1992.
"Layla" is one of those shape defining songs of its genre, it's recognizable and truly one of the best rock songs ever written and composed. A great song in all it's versions!

Enjoy ; )

torsdag den 18. august 2011

Sarah Vaughan - Misty


This is a live performance by American jazz singer Sarah Vaughan doing her version of the classic jazz standard "Misty". This performance is from Tokyo, Japan, 1990. This was one of her last gigs in her career, as she got ill with lounge cancer around 1989. These Japanese tour dates were her last completed gigs in her career. And she sings it so wonderfully, her illness doesn't even show a bit.
The song was written by Erroll Garner in 1954. It was originally an instrumental, but lyrics were added later on by Johnny Burke. The song has been done by many great singer, including: Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Lloyd Prince, and Ray Stevens. And Sarah Vaughan of course.
It's a beautiful song, and Sarah sings it like no one else!

Enjoy ; )

onsdag den 17. august 2011

Johnny Winter - Mojo Boogie (J. B. Lenoir)


This is a live performance by blues guitarist Johnny Winter playing his rendition of the classic blues tune "Mojo Boogie". The song was released in a studio recorded version by Winter in 1986 on his album "Third Degree". This performance is from Barcelona in 1991.
The song was originally written and recorded by Chicago blues legend J. B. Lenoir. Lenoir's version of the song is a bit simpler, on the guitar front that is, but the singing and the blues feeling of it is amazing. The guitar doesn't solo on this version, instead a saxophone solos in stead. (Original version embeded below)

Winter added his slide playing to this song and it fit perfectly. He's just a master with that slide and it really fits with this song, his speed is just amazing. It's a great performance by Winter!

Enjoy ; )

tirsdag den 16. august 2011

The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night


This is a live performance by The Beatles, the performance is from Shea Stadium in New York 1965. It's in colour, but it's a little pale and the audio isn't the best, but still an amazing performance.
The song was released in 1964 on the soundtrack to the film of the same name. The song was written by John Lennon, but credited to McCartney as well. The song is very famous for the opening chord which rings out before the lyrics and the rest of the band join in. It has been debated for a long time what chord it was, but it was confirmed by George Harrison that it is in fact a Fadd9, or as Harrison put it: "It is F with a G on top,[...]". The complete opening has been broken down like this,
George Harrison: Fadd9 in 1st position on Rickenbacker 360/12 12-string electric guitar
John Lennon: Fadd9 in 1st position on a Gibson J-160E 6-string acoustic guitar
Paul McCartney: high D played on the D-string, 12th fret on Hofner 500/1 electric bass
George Martin: D2-G2-D3 played on a Steinway Grand Piano
Ringo Starr: Subtle snare drum and ride cymbal

by Dominic Pedler.
It is a classic Beatles song, and it has been covered by a lot of different artists, including: The Supremes, Quincy Jones, Peter Sellers, Chet Atkins, Billy Preston, Otis Redding, Hank Marvin, and Billy Joel.
It's a great song, and the reception of girls screaming in this clip is just astounding. No band has ever gotten a reaction like that, and I don't think any one ever will!

Enjoy ; )

mandag den 15. august 2011

The Rolling Stones - Happy


This is a live performance by The Rolling Stones playing the song "Happy" live. The performance is from the 2006 gig they played on the beach of Rio de Janeiro. They played to an audience of 2 million people, that's probably the biggest crowd ever at a live show, thus proving the grandiose scale The Rolling Stones are at.
The song originally appeared on the band's 1972 album "Exile on Main St.", and it was the second single released from the album. Richards sings lead on this one, on the record Jagger was credited for percussion and backing vocals. In this live performance, however, he does not seem to appear on stage.
It's a great performance by Richards, really proving that he could be the front man if he wanted to. His performance is so energetic. It's also a good example of how Richards and Ronnie Wood work together and play off each other. It's a great performance and in a way, in my opinion, it brings a certain intimacy to a grand show courtesy of Mr. Richards.
A fantastic performance!

Enjoy ; )

søndag den 14. august 2011

Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears


This is the music video to the song "No More Tears" by Ozzy Osbourne. It was the fifth track on the 1991 album also titled "No More Tears". It has a running time of 7 minutes and 23 seconds which makes it the longest studio recorded song by Osbourne in his solo career. This music video is the full length version there is also a version cut down to about 5 minutes.
It's a great song, and one of Ozzy's best of his solo career in my opinion.

Enjoy ; )

lørdag den 13. august 2011

Slash ft. Andrew Stockdale - By the Sword


This is a live performance by infamous guitarist Slash performing the song "By the Sword" live on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Andrew Stockdale sings on this song.
The song is from Slash's 2010 album titled "Slash". The album was a solo project, but on it Slash worked with many different singers and musicians (check the wikipedia to see a complete list of his collaborators, or even better, buy a copy of the album, it's well worth your money), Stockdale one of them obviously. Stockdale sang this song on the album as well. It was the first official single from the album.
Andrew Stockdale, singer for the band Wolfmother, sings on this song and co-wrote it with Slash. It's a great vocal performance by Stockdale, and from watching it live you definitely don't doubt his abilities, as he sings it to perfection here.
It's a great song, with a good singer and good guitarist, what more can you ask for?

Enjoy ; )

fredag den 12. august 2011

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Cold Shot (Dr. John)


This is a live performance by Texan blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan playing his version of the song "Cold Shot". The performance is from the "Live From Austin, Texas" DVD which features two performances from the TV show Austin City Limits, one from 1983 and one from 1989. This clip is from the 1989 performance. It's a great performance and the band is really hitting the groove on this one.
The song "Cold Shot" was written by W. C. Clark and Michael Kindred and released by SRV on his 1984 album "Couldn't Stand the Weather".
The song was also performed at the SRV memorial concert. In that concert it was performed by piano legend Dr. John. (Embeded below)

I really love what Dr. John does with this tune. He sort of plays it his own way, in a different key, but he still sort of manages to compose a lot of Stevie's guitar parts to piano which sounds amazing to me. Also the ending of this performance is amazing.
It's a great song, and SRV sure made this tune his own, a great groove, gotta love that.

Enjoy ; )

torsdag den 11. august 2011

Joe Bonamassa - High Water Everywhere


This is a live performance by guitarist Joe Bonamassa playing the classic blues song "High Water Everywhere" live. The performance is from the North Sea Jazz Festival.
The song was originally written by blues singer Charley Patton. The theme of the song is the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 which devastated Louisiana. Bob Dylan paid tribute to the song on his 2001 album "Love and Theft" with the song "High Water (For Charley Patton).
The song was initially released by Bonamassa on his 2006 album "You & Me". It is in fact the opening track for that album. Bonamssa has had the number in his live repertoire for quite some time and a live version appeared on the DVD of his concert at The Royal Albert Hall released in 2009.
It's a great song, and Bonamassa does a great job of playing it live.

Enjoy ; )

onsdag den 10. august 2011

David Bowie - Fame


This is a live performance filmed by the BBC in 2000 of David Bowie performing the song "Fame" live.
The song was first released in 1975, and when it was released as a single it reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by David Bowie, John Lennon, and Carlos Alomar. Alomar came up with the guitar riff, Bowie wrote the lyrics, and Lennon came up with the title, he didn't have that much to do with the writing of this number, but still got a writing credit.
It's a great song with a really good groove, I really digg it.

Enjoy ; )

tirsdag den 9. august 2011

Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb


This is a live performance by English rock band Pink Floyd performing the song "Comfortably Numb" live from the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park, London in 2005. The song first appeared on the band's infamous double album "The Wall" from 1979. The song was released as a single the same year. The writing credit for this song is shared between guitarist David Gilmour and bassist and singer Roger Waters, Gilmour composed most of the music and Waters wrote the lyrics.
One of the things that the song is most known for are the two guitar solos played by Gilmour. There is a chorus solo which is in the key of D major, and the long outro solo is in the key of B minor.
It's a great and mellow song, and one of the band's most well known and really a great tune.

Enjoy ; )

mandag den 8. august 2011

Eric Johnson - Zap


This is a live performance by guitarist Eric Johnson playing one of his instrumental songs. It's titled "Zap" and it was first released on Johnson's "Tones" album and it was this track from the record was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1987.
This concert footage is from a concert in Austin Texas. It's a great rocking instrumental song performed to excellence by Johnson.

Enjoy ; )

søndag den 7. august 2011

Joe Satriani - Cool #9


This is a live performance by guitarist Joe Satriani playing the song "Cool #9" live. The performance is from the "Satriani: Live" DVD. It also features bassist Dave LaRue laying down the funky bass and doing a little solo too.
The song is the opening track to the album titled "Joe Satriani" from 1995. That album showcased a more laid back attitude and a bluesier sound than all of Satriani's previous recordings. "Cool #9" is also a laid back funk blues kind of thing, but Satriani still plays in that ultra technical style through parts of it.
It's a great funky little instrumental by a great guitarist.

Enjoy ; )

lørdag den 6. august 2011

Louis Jordan - Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby


This is a clip from the 1944 film "Follow the Boys". In this film there's a performance sequence of the song "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby".
The song was originally released by Louis Jordan in 1944 as a b-side. It became a hit and reached high positions in various charts. The song was co-written by Billy Austin. The phrase "Is you is or is you ain't" dates back to the 1920's where it first appeared in a story by Octavus Roy Cohen who wrote humorous black dialect fiction, racist fiction basically.
The tune has over time become a jazz standard and it has been recorded by such artists as: B.B. King, Diana Krall,Bing Crosby,Nat King Cole, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

It also gained fame through being featured in a 1946 "Tom and Jerry" short titled "Solid Serenade". That is the clip above this text. It's a fun little clip. The title card of the cartoon is in the image below.
It's a great little jazz tune, sure to pick you up if you're feeling down, cause this is swingin'!

Enjoy ; )

fredag den 5. august 2011

George Harrison - Beware of Darkness


This is a live performance by George Harrison playing the song "Beware of Darkness". He's backed up by a big band, and Leon Russel also comes in and sings part of the lyrics.
The song was originally released on Harrison's solo album "All Things Must Pass" which was the first ever triple LP by a solo artist. "Beware of Darkness" was written by Harrison.
This performance is from The Concert for Bangladesh which was a benefit concert arranged by Harrison and Ravi Shankar. Click here to read more detailed about The Concert for Bangladesh.

The clip above is yet another version of the song. This is the version from the Concert for George. The song is sung by Eric Clapton who I think does a great job and really does the song justice. This was the first time I ever heard the song, so forgive me for being a bit biased towards this version.
What really makes this song special though, are the lyrics. They're so innocent and pure. A quality that a lot of Harrison's work has, and one of the reasons why he's such a great song writer.
It's a great song with a beautiful set of lyrics, listen to both versions, it's worth it.

Enjoy ; )

torsdag den 4. august 2011

Chuck Berry - No Particular Place to Go


This is a live performance by American rock 'n' roll artist Chuck Berry playing the song "No Particular Place to Go" live on a French TV show. I don't know exactly when it's from, but the footage is in black and white, so I'd guess about the 1960's.
The song was initially released in 1964 through the Chess Records record label.
It's a great classic rock 'n' roll song, and a great piece of performance footage of Berry. It's black and white, but they get a lot of close-ups and semi close-ups of Berry's playing and expressive animated face during the performance. A great little piece of performance footage of one of the best rock 'n' roll artists of all time.

Enjoy ; )

onsdag den 3. august 2011

Nirvana - Where Did You Sleep Last Night (Lead Belly)


This is a live performance by American grunge band Nirvana playing the song "Where Did You Sleep Last Night". The performance is from the band's MTV Unplugged performance from 1993.
The song is an American folk song which dates back to around the 1870's. It is also known under the alternate titles: "Black Girl" and "In the Pines". The person who is most commonly associated with the song is Huddie Leadbetter aka Lead Belly. He recorded various versions of the song throughout the 1940's and it is also this version that Nirvana covers and re-interprets in their own way. (Original Lead Belly version embeded below).

The song has been done by a long list of artists, including: Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Hole, Grateful Dead, and Dolly Parton.
I love both versions and I really think that what Nirvana did was very interesting. They took Lead Belly's original arrangement of the song and used it with the set-up of two guitars, bass, drums, and a cello. It sounds beautiful and it definitely captures some of that beautiful energy of the original recording. A great acoustic performance.

Enjoy ; )

tirsdag den 2. august 2011

Joe Bonamassa - Burning Hell


This is a live performance by American rock and contemporary blues artist Joe Bonamassa playing the song "Burning Hell" live. The performance is from the 2006 Rockpalast festival in Germany. This performance was released on DVD. This was one of the last concerts Bonamassa played with his old three piece line-up band.
The song was originally released on Bonamassa's 2003 album "Blues Deluxe". It's a great slide guitar number by Bonamassa and I really love the groove Bonamassa has going with his band, especially towards the end of the performance. It's a great performance by a great, tight, and awesome three piece band.

Enjoy ; )

mandag den 1. august 2011

The Rolling Stones - Midnight Rambler


This is a live performance by the infamous British rock 'n' roll and blues band The Rolling Stones playing their song "Midnight Rambler" live. The performance is from a concert in India from 2003 and it was raining heavily which can also be seen in the concert footage.
The song is from the band's 1969 album "Let It Bleed". The lyrics take the viewpoint of a rapist/murderer, and Keith Richards has referred to the song as "a blues opera". The song was written by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. On the original studio recording Richards played all of the guitar parts, mainly using standard tuning, but also open E tuning for some parts. Mick played the harmonica on it, Bill Wyman played bass, Charlie Watts played drums, and Brian Jones was credited as percussionist.
I think it's a really good performance, I love the tempo shifts in it, Jagger's harmonica playing and just the whole feel of it. Really seems very loose and a lot like a jam. A great performance of a really great song.

Enjoy ; )