Megadeth - Trust

This is a live performance by the American heavy metal band Megadeth playing the song “Trust” live. The performance is from the band’s 2005 concert in Argentina which is one of their best concerts ever. It’s available on DVD and I highly recommend picking it up, because it’s just an awesome performance.
The song was originally released on the band’s 1997 album “Cryptic Writings”. It was released in both a Spanish language and English language versions. In this live performance Dave Mustaine sings a bit of both versions. It was hugely successful, got a lot of airplay on MTV, and to this date it is the band’s most successful single. The song was also nominated for a Grammy award.
It’s a great song and a great performance. The Argentinean crowd is just amazing, one of the best crowds ever. This really makes this an amazing performance.

Enjoy ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

Robin Gibb - Islands in the Stream

This is a live performance by former Bee Gees member and singer-songwriter Robin Gibb. He is playing "Islands in the Stream" live with a big orchestra featuring both various percussive instruments, electric instruments, choir girls, and a string section. The performance is from the DVD "In Concert with..." available through Eagle Rock.
The song was originally recorded by country artists Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. It was written be the Bee Gees, but it was originally written for Marvin Gaye. Bee Gees then changed the style of it so Dolly and Rogers could record it.
It's a good pop song, from back when they knew how to make good pop songs with good melodies.

Enjoy ; )

Joe Bonamassa - Django

This is a live performance by blues and rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa playing his instrumental song "Django" live. The performance is from The Royal Albert Hall and this concert is available in both DVD and CD format. (Click here for a previous post and another piece of performance footage from that concert featuring Eric Clapton).
This performance is the opening track alas we see Bonamassa entering the stage. It's a great little piece of instrumental music which leads into the second track "The Ballad Of John Henry" which is what Bonamassa starts playing after switching guitars.
The piece was influenced or rather inspired by jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and obviously also named after him. It's a great little instrumental.

Enjoy ; )

AC/DC - Thunderstruck

This is a live performance by Australian hard rock band AC/DC playing their classic and infamous song "Thunderstruck". The performance is from their 2009 concert at River Plate which was released on Blu-ray and DVD in 2011. The concert was part of the band's tour for their "Black Ice" album.
The song "Thunderstruck" was originally released in 1990 on the album "Razor's Edge". The song is built up around a riff by Angus Young which sounds like fast tapping, but is in fact very fast picking instead. It sounds awesome!
It's a great song and exactly what hard rock is supposed to be!

Enjoy ; )

Joe Bonamassa & Eric Clapton - Farther Up the Road

This is a live performance by Joe Bonamassa playing the classic blues tune "Farther Up the Road" (sometimes titled "Further on Up the Road"). Joining him on stage is blues and rock legend Eric Clapton who made the song famous and part of his live staple. The performance video is from the DVD "Joe Bonamassa: Live from the Royal Albert Hall" from 2009 which was also released as a CD. Bonamassa who has stated the British blues wave as his biggest influence must have been thrilled to stand next to Clapton performing this tune. In fact, he stated that "Farther Up the Road" was the first song he ever learned to play before introducing Clapton. So it's also sort of like the circle has ended with this performance. It's the song that got Bonamassa started and now he's playing it with the artist who he first heard doing the tune. How great is that.
The original recording of this tune was done by Bobby Bland and was recorded in 1957. This original recording reached #1 on the R&B Charts and also did very well on the pop charts.
The song is a mid-tempo 12-bar blues shuffle in the key of G.
It has been recorded by a large number of artists since it's original release, including: Lonnie Mack, Earl Hooker, Robin Trower, Johnny Copeland, and Gary Moore.
On top of that Clapton has done the song several times live. He has done it live with both Jeff Beck and the infamous blues guitarist Freddie King who was a big influence on Clapton's playing.
It's a great song and it's sure to put you in a good mood and lift you up.

Enjoy ; )

Guns N' Roses - Pretty Tied Up

This is a live performance by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses playing their song "Pretty Tied Up" live. The performance is from their 1992 gig in Tokyo, also released on DVD.
The song originally appeared on the band's 1991 album "Use Your Illusions II". The song is subtitled "The Perils of Rock n Roll Decadence". The song was written by Izzy Stradlin and the lyrics may have been inspired by Stradlin's encounter with a female dominatrix and her client.
Another live version of this track is available on the band's live album "Live Era: '87-'93".
It's a great rock 'n' roll song. I love that wah wah Slash uses and the rock 'n' roll piano played by Dizzy Reed you can hear in the background.
A great performance.

Enjoy ; )

Lou Reed - Foot of Pride

This is a live performance by rock musician Lou Reed performing his version of the classic Bob Dylan song "Foot of Pride". Reed is best known for his gig as singer and guitarist for the group "Velvet Underground" and for his successful solo career as well. The performance is from the 30th Anniversary concert celebrating the musical life of Bob Dylan, the performance was released as a CD and also released on DVD. It was recorded October 16, 1992 and released later in 1993.
All of the songs were written by Dylan, but Dylan only appeared on a few selected tracks himself.
It's a great performance, I really love how there's a lot of lyrics which makes for quite a long performance. Lou sort of talk sings a lot of it, but still doesn't loose melody, very impressive. The guitar solo on the song is done by G. E. Smith who also served as the musical director for the show. A great performance.

Enjoy ; )

Eric Clapton - Over the Rainbow

This is a live performance by Eric Clapton and band from 2001 playing the classic song "Over the Rainbow". The performance is from the concert DVD and album by Clapton also released in 2001 titled "One More Car, One More Rider".
The song was originally sung by Judy Garland and it was recorded, composed and written for the classic American film "The Wizard of Oz". It is by many considered one of the greatest songs of the century and one of the greatest songs from films. Also it won an Academy Award.
The song has been done by a large number of artists and interpreted in many different genres and styles. Anything from pop to Hawaiian and more a jazzy feel like on Clapton's version. Also Jeff Beck did an instrumental version of the song on his 2010 album "Emotion & Commotion". This version sticks very closely to Garland's original recording basically trying to transfer her vocal performance into and instrumental guitar piece.
I really love this version by Clapton. It shows off Clapton's skills in more of a jazzy thing. It also shows off Clapton's voice as he sings this very beautifully in his own way. Also the back-up band does an amazing job, from David Sancious' beautiful synthesizer saxophone solo to Billy Preston imitating birds singing on the Hammond Organ. This is just a beautiful performance.

Enjoy ; )

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Love Struck Baby & Rude Mood

This is a live performance by Texan blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan playing two of his classic songs live on stage: "Love Struck Baby" and "Rude Mood".
I already previously posted these songs, but in different versions. Click here for "Love Struck Baby" and click here for the video to "Hideaway & Rude Mood". On the performance of "Hideaway & Rude Mood" from Montreux Stevie doesn't play "Rude Mood" in its entirety, instead he switches back into "Hideaway". On this performance he plays the entire instrumental piece which I think justifies reposting it.
The performance is from Daytona Beach in 1987. And the performance has been released on the DVD "Boogie With Stevie".
You can read more info on the songs by clicking the links to the previous posts and read about them.

Enjoy ; )

The Black Crowes - Hard to Handle

This is a live performance by American rock band The Black Crowes performing their version of the classic song "Hard to Handle".
The song was originally recorded by Otis Redding in 1967. This version was released posthumously in 1968 on the album "The Immortal Otis Redding". This version was produced by Steve Cropper.
It has become a very popular song and it has been covered by a large number of artists. Artists such as: Tom Jones and of course the band The Black Crowes who's version is perhaps the most successful and well known.
This version was released in 1990 on the band's debut album "Shake Your Money Maker". The melody for this version of the song is taken from a Buddy Guy song named "A Man of Many Words". Two versions of the original recording by The Black Crowes exists: The original album version and the single mix which adds an overdubbed brass section to the song.
They also use a brass section at this live performance which just makes it sound sweet. The performance is from the recently released DVD "Live in San Francisco" . This DVD features the concert footage from the band's reunion concert in 2005. It's a really great performance, front man Chris Robinson delivers an amazing and energetic performance, Rich Robinson delivers a solid and funky rhythm guitar and Marc Ford does an amazing job on lead guitar. This added to the horn section makes for one hell of a performance. Really an awesome performance!

Enjoy ; )

John Mayall, Chris Barber & Eric Clapton - Please Mr Lofton

This is a live performance by John Mayall, Chris Barber and Eric Clapton. The concert footage is from the DVD "70th Birthday Concert" from 2003 where Mayall celebrated his 70th Birthday with a concert featuring his own band The Bluesbreakers and a couple of carefully selected guest stars. Two of these were Clapton and Barber, but Mick Taylor was also featured on some of the tracks.
This part of the performance is the part where they've taken it down to a smaller scale. It's just Mayall, Clapton and Barber on stage and the rest of The Bluesbreakers have left the stage.
This DVD is a must have for all blues fans. It's a really good set-list with a lot of up-beat blues songs that'll lighten up your day for sure. Also it was a historic event since it was more than 40 years since Clapton and Mayall had been performing together, a reunion of those two is definitely worth buying for alone, but also you get Mick Taylor, Chris Barber and the rest of The Bluesbreakers on top of all of that. As said, a must see for all blues fans.

Enjoy ; )

Jeff Beck & Imelda May - How High the Moon

This is a live performance by Jeff Beck and vocalist Imelda May from the recently released concert film "Rock 'n' Roll Party". The film honours recently deceased guitarist Les Paul, features many different guest artists, a lot of classic rock 'n' roll tracks and is also available as a CD.
Jeff Beck is joined on stage be Imelda May an Irish vocalist who sings this style of music to perfection. It is very obvious that she is trying to imitate Mary Ford's clean vocals from the original recording with Les Paul, and she does an amazing job and is a very talented singer. She earlier collaborated with Beck on his 2010 Emotion & Commotion album where she sings on "Lilac Wine" and does an amazing job.
The song "How High the Moon" is a jazz standard and it was first featured in 1940 in the Broadway revue "Two for the Show". The best known recording of the song is the one done by Les Paul and Mary Ford. (Embeded below)

This version was recorded in 1951 and it was an unexpected hit doing well on the Billboard chart at no. 1 for several weeks.
It's a very good song and a very good performance by Beck paying tribute to a great player and a great inventor.

Enjoy ; )

Metallica - Nothing Else Matters

This is a live performance by metal band Metallica playing their ballad "Nothing Else Matters" live. This performance is from the 1999 S&M concert which is available on both CD and DVD. It's a great concert featuring Michael Kamen conducting the San Francisco symphony orchestra playing live with Metallica in concert.
The song was released as a single in 1992 and it originally appeared on the band's 1991 album entitled "Metallica" aka. "The Black Album".
The song is credited to James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Hetfield came up with the beginning of the song as he was plucking the four open strings of an Em chord while on the phone with his girlfriend. Originally Hetfield didn't want the song to be on the album, but after hearing it Lars convinced Hetfield to put it on the album. It is also one of the few tracks where Hetfield plays lead guitar. And on the original album version Hetfield recorded all of the guitar tracks on the song. So Hammett isn't even playing on this track.
The original album version was also scored by Michael Kamen. The band tuned down his scoring a lot, but a version with acoustic guitars, Hetfield's vocal track and the original composed piece by Kamen exists and is known as "The Elevator Version". Kamen orchestrated a lot of Metallica songs (including this one) for the S&M concert in San Francisco.
It's a really good song and a really good ballad for Metallica that seems to strike something in people when they listen to it. A really good track.

Enjoy ; )

The White Stripes/ The Rolling Stones ft. Robert Cray - Stop Breaking Down

These are two different contemporary versions of the classic Robert Johnson song "Stop Breaking Down".
The original recording done by Johnson was recorded in 1937 and released in 1938. Johnson did two takes of the song. They are pretty similar, but the length differs with 5 seconds. This original version is a solo piece with Johnson accompanying his own vocal performance on guitar. Both takes were originally used, but on two different pressings of the single.
The top video is of the duo The White Stripes doing their version of the song. This version was initially recorded and released on the duo's 1999 debut album entitled "The White Stripes". I really like this version. Jack's slide playing really elevates this song and breathes new life into it whilst still staying true to the original. Very well done in my opinion. (The video quality isn't the best, but still enjoyable).
The video below is The Rolling Stones' version of the song. The Rolling Stones recorded a cover of the song on their 1972 "Exile on Main St." album. This performance featuring Robert Cray is from the concert DVD "The Rolling Stones: Voodoo Lounge Live". The performances on this DVD were recorded in 2004. It's a very good version. Personally I prefer The White Stripe's rendition, but this version is very good as well.
So there you have it. Enjoy Johnson's original recording along with all of the modern interpretations of his stuff.

Enjoy ; )