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 ; )

B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Albert Collins, and Jeff Beck - Sweet Little Angel

This is a live performance by a monster ensemble of great blues guitarists playing the classic blues standard "Sweet Little Angel". On stage is: Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Albert Collins, and Jeff Beck being lead by none other than B.B. King who also does most of the singing on this one. (Guy also gets his turn at the microphone).
The song is also known under the titles: "Black Angel Blues", and "Sweet Black Angel". It was first recorded in 1930 by female singer Lucille Bogan.
B.B. King first did the song in 1956. And his version became a hit reaching #8 on the Billboard R&B Chart. The song was also re-recorded by King for his first album "Singin' the Blues" released in 1957.
It's a great song, and with an ensemble of guitarist like this, it's gotta be a good performance and it is.

Enjoy ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

The Black Crowes - Remedy

This is the music video to the song “Remedy” by the band The Black Crowes.
The song is the second track on the band’s second album “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion” released in 1992. The song is written by Chris and Rich Robinson. The song was very successful and it reached #1 on the Billboard Album Rock Chart and stayed at #1 for 11 weeks. It also peaked at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It’s a great song. I love how they fuse soul music with traditional rock music to make their own sound. When I listen to this I hear something similar to The Rolling Stones in the guitar playing and in the way the piano stays on top of the beat throughout the entire song.
It’s a great song with a lot of soul and rock ‘n’ roll.

Enjoy ;-)

Bonnie Raitt – Love Sneakin’ up on You

This is a live performance by guitarist Bonnie Raitt playing her hit single “Love Sneakin’ up on You”. The performance is from The Late Show with David Letterman 1994.
The song is off Raitt’s 1994 album “Longing in their Hearts”. The album was Raitt’s 12th studio album. This song was the only hit single from the album reaching #19 on the Billboards singles chart.
It’s a great up tempo pop song with the blues feeling of slide guitar added to it. A very good song and performance by Raitt.

Enjoy ;-)

Guns N’ Roses – November Rain

This is a live performance by hard rock band Guns N’ Roses performing their classic power ballad “November Rain”.
The song first appeared on the band’s album “Use Your Illusion I” from 1991.
The song was released as a single the following year. A music video was also made for the song. The music video won a MTV Video Music Award for best cinematography. The single reached #3 on the Billboard Singles Charts which is really good for such a long song. As a fact it is the longest song to ever reach Top 10 on The Billboards Singles Charts.
It’s a great ballad and a great live performance by both Axl and the band. Slash also delivers an amazing solo on this. Truly a great song and performance.

Enjoy ;-)

Bee Gees - How Deep Is Your Love

This is a live performance by the remaining members Barry and Robin Gibb of the group Bee Gees performing the classic song "How Deep Is Your Love".
It's a pop song obviously, but it's from the era of good pop music, so it's okay. The song was originally recorded and released in 1977 on the soundtrack to the film "Saturday Night Fever". Also it was released as a single on vinyl. It did very well on charts in both Europe and USA. And it is #20 on Billboard's All Time Top 100
It's been covered by a large number of artists. My favourite cover, not better than the original, is the one done live by guitarist John Frusciante. Embeded below:

He sort of knows he can't really sing it. So he just does his best and somehow it doesn't seem cheesy nor bad, but just respectful to the original. Also love the simplicity of just an electric guitar through a clean channel and singing, this set up really fits the song. So a good cover and a great original.

Enjoy ; )

Jimi Hendrix - Crosstown Traffic

This is the music video to the classic Jimi Hendrix song "Crosstown Traffic". The song was originally released in 1968 on the album "Electric Ladyland". It was released as a single in 1968 in America and in 1969 as a single in the UK, it was the second single of the album. It peaked at no. 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 37 on the UK pop singles chart.
The song is one of the tracks from the album that features the full line-up of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. It also features Hendrix on a self made kazoo like instrument made from a comb and a piece of tissue paper doubling that with his lead playing at various points in the song.
It's a great song and one of my favourite Hendrix songs. The lyrics are good, but simple, it's well produced, short and got mainstream success. A great song by a great artist and band

Enjoy ; )

Velvet Revolver - Psycho Killer

This is a live performance by American hard rock band Velvet Revolver covering the Talking Heads song "Psycho Killer" live at Rock Am Ring in Germany from 2007.
The song was originally released by Talking Heads in 1977 on their album "Talking Heads: 77" The song's lyrics are about the thoughts of a serial killer. The song has a very unique and recognizable bass line. This was also the only song from the album to enter the Billboard Pop Singles chart, though only reaching no. 93 on the list.
I love the version Velvet Revolver do, it's a little harder and it adds Slash's slide playing to the song which just makes it sound awesome.

Enjoy ; )

Eric Clapton - I Shot the Sheriff

This is a live performance by Eric Clapton playing his version of the classic reggae song "I Shot the Sheriff". The performance is from the 2004 Crossroads Guitar Festival.
The song was originally written and performed by Bob Marley and his band The Wailers. It appeared on their "Burnin'" album. The story of the song is quite simple; A man who admits to having shot the sheriff also claims that he has been falsely accused of shooting the deputy sheriff.
Clapton's version was released in 1974 on the 461 Ocean Boulevard album. Clapton's version is the most commercially successful version of the song peaking at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. This also meant that this was Clapton's only top charting hit in the US. And with the music standards dominating today I seriously doubt he will ever have a hit that becomes equally big. But that says more about the terrible taste of music consumers to day and nothing about Clapton.
It's a great performance and the band and Clapton really have a nice feel on it in their playing. I also really think that Doyle Bramhall II's rhythm and background playing on this makes for a very good performance. He plays something in the beginning with a wah pedal that just sounds awesome. Clapton has expressed his enthusiasm about Doyle in his autobiography alongside Derek Trucks. Also Clapton's guitar solo on this is long and played like only Clapton can. Truly a great performance of a great song.

Enjoy ; )

Guns N' Roses - Patience

This is the music video to the classic folk rock song "Patience" by Guns N' Roses. The song appears on the band's "G N' R Lies" album from 1989 which is also the last album before the band started going through line-up changes. The song peaked at no. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The music was written by rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin and the lyrics were done by Axl Rose.
The song doesn't feature any percussion. But in live performances the band would often play it with drums and electric instruments. They would also use keyboards on these live performances. Embeded below is a live performance like this.

The song has been covered by many artists who especially love playing the song live. It's been done live by artists like: Carrie Underwood, John Mayer with Maroon 5 and also in various ways featuring Slash and different singers.
It's a great ballad/acoustic folk rock song, and the lyrics are very good and well written as well. A gem amongst GNR songs.

Enjoy ; )

Beck - Loser

This is a live performance from 2003 by alternative rock artist Beck. The song is from Beck's 1993 album "Mellow Gold", but it was originally released on Beck's own independent record label on 12" vinyl. The song gained massive air play on modern rock station and Beck was picked up for a much bigger contract with Geffen Records who also re-released the single. It did very well and reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 becoming Beck's first mainstream successful hit.
The song came to be as Beck moved back to his home-town of Los Angeles. He was broke and needed to take low-income jobs to survive financially. He still performed in coffee houses and such and to check if the audience was listening he would make up ridiculous lyrics while playing in and open tuning. This is how the song "Loser" eventually came to be.
It's a very good song and a very good performance by Beck as well. He is improvising and having fun with the tune and finally getting a big crowd who is listening.

Enjoy ; )

Kansas - Dust in the Wind

This is the music video to the classic Kansas single "Dust in the Wind". The song was released as a single in 1977 and peaked at no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song was written by Kerry Livgren and it was a departure for the band as they had not done any acoustic tracks prior to this one. The main melancholic acoustic guitar part is played on two acoustic six string guitars. One is in standard tuning and the other is in what is known as Nashville tuning. The two guitars together create the same sound one would get on a 12-string guitar. On top of this Robby Steinhardt plays the violin and viola on the instrumental bridge of the song.
I really like this song and I think it is one of the best acoustic guitar songs ever, period!

So enjoy it ; )

John Lee Hooker feat. Bonnie Raitt - I'm in the Mood

This is a clip from the music video to the John Lee Hooker and Bonnie Raitt collaboration "I'm in the Mood".
The song is from Hooker's 1989 record "The Healer" which was a somewhat successful record for him peaking on no. 62 on the Billboard 200. The album featured collaborations on almost every single track, the guest artists included: Robert Cray, Carlos Santana and band, Los Lobos and of course Bonnie Raitt.
It's a very good album that really shows all aspects of what Hooker was as an artist. It features the bigger jazzy laid back thing on the Santana collaboration and there's also three tracks where Hooker accompanies himself in the style of the 30's and 20's, very cool indeed.
The cool thing is that the video is snapped from an old MTV broadcast. Remember? MTV used to play music videos, and good videos featuring talented artists. Wow miss those days, but at least we still have access to all of that through the computer.

Enjoy ; )

Johnny Winter - It's All Over Now

This is a live performance by blues guitarist Johnny Winter. He is known for his southern blues and rock 'n' roll style of guitar playing and his physical appearance as him and his brother both have albinism.
He plays the classic rock 'n' roll song "It's All Over Now". The performance is from 1983. The song was originally released by the band "The Valentinos". This version was released as a single in 1964 and entered the Billboard Hot 100, though only peaking at no. 94. The Rolling Stones did a recording of the song the same year and it became their first no. 1 hit ever.
It's a quite famous song and it has been covered by a lot of different artists, including: AC/DC, Rod Stewart, Social Distortion and Ry Cooder.
I think it's a great song and that Johnny does a great cover. It really fits his style of playing which makes for a really good and energetic performance.

Enjoy ; )

Isaac Hayes - Theme from Shaft

This is a live performance from 1973 of Isaac Hayes performing the Theme from Shaft. The song was originally recorded in 1971 as the theme for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film "Shaft". The song was shortened from the version in the film and was released as a single. It reached no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in America. The following year the song won an Oscar for the best original song. This also made Hayes the first Afro-American to win an Academy Award in a non-acting category.
The song has been featured in many TV-shows and films since and was also re-recorded for the 2000 remake of the film, it wasn't changed, just re-recorded.
It's a very traditional and good funk song. It has a lot of wah-wah on the guitar and I think it sounds amazing, and Hayes has a voice unlike anyone. It's so low-registered, and I love it. It's a great song, but also a historic song in recent Afro-American historic events. A great song.

Enjoy ; )

Iron Butterfly - Easy Rider (Let the Wind Pay the Way)

This is a live performance from 60's band Iron Butterfly. They play the song "Easy Rider (Let the Wind Pay the Way)" often shortened to "Easy Rider". The song appears on the band's 1970 album "Metamorphosis". This live performance is from 1968 which means that they are playing the song prior to recording it. This song was released as a single, but didn't do that well in the charts, it topped at no. 66 on the Billboard Charts and was considered a minor hit. The album is also famous for being one of the first to ever feature talk box on a rock album.
On this song one of the guitarists use slide and the other doesn't. The song has that 60's/70's Middle Eastern sound combined with a more traditional rock sound. Doug Ingle is the lead singer on this song and he also plays the organ on it.
I think it's a pretty good song, and I've always enjoyed it and I hope you will too.

Enjoy ; )

The Doors - Touch Me

This is a performance by 70's rock band The Doors performing their classic song "Touch Me". A song more in the category of dance music, or maybe even a ballad at some points in the song, though it is a complicated progression, and it isn't just one genre throughout. It was released on the band's debut album "The Soft Parade", and was written by Robby Krieger.
The song is also notable for it's use of a string section, a horn section and a sax solo from Curtis Amy. It was released as a single in 1968, and did very well in the charts reaching no. 3 on the American Billboard chart.
It's a great performance, only made better by the accompaniment of the horn section and the string section which makes this a really good performance.

Enjoy ; )

Aerosmith - Back In The Saddle

This is a performance from classic hard rock band Aerosmith performing the rock 'n' roll song "Back In The Saddle". The song was written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry aka The Toxic Twins. The song is from the band's 1976 album "Rocks" and was released as the third single from the album in 1977 and peaked at #38 on the Billboard charts.
The song was came about from a bass riff that Joe Perry came up with which gave the song the heavy bass sound. It is also one of the songs to feature Brad Whitford on lead guitar and Joe Perry on rhythm guitar, changing it up a bit.
Another characteristic of the song is the slow build up from the drum, to the bass kicking in, to it finally taking off into the song that is "Back In The Saddle". It's a great rock 'n' roll song, and a good performance.

Enjoy ; )