Eric Clapton – Malted Milk (Robert Johnson)

This is a live performance by blues guitarist Eric Clapton playing his rendition of the classic Robert Johnson song “Malted Milk”. Clapton has been a fan of Johnson since very early in his beginning to play the guitar. He has also stated in many interviews his admiration for Johnson and his ability to play like he does on his own. (I’ve embedded the original version of this below).

Clapton’s version is very similar to the original which has sort of always been Clapton’s mission in covering Johnson. Playing it either similar to him or in a fashion that you can still hear that it’s Robert Johnson music.
This version that Clapton plays here is from the Martin Scorsese documentary “Nothing But The Blues”. Another great version of this by Clapton can be found on his 1992 “Unplugged” album.
It’s a great song. I really love the little motive that plays after the line “spooks around my bed”, at the same time, it’s traditional and totally outside what you’d normally do in a blues. The genius of Robert Johnson!

Enjoy ; )

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 ; )

Guns N' Roses - Since I Don't Have You

This is the music video to the song "Since I Don't Have You" performed by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses.
The song is from the band's 1993 album "The Spaghetti Incident?". The album consists solely of covers, ergo no original or new material from Guns N' Roses on it, just covers. This was also the last album to feature guitarist Slash, drummer Matt Sorum, and bassist Duff McKagan. It is also the only studio album to feature guitarist Gilby Clarke.
The song "Since I Don't Have You" was originally recorded by The Skyliners, and it was written by Joseph Rock and James Beaumont.
I think it's a good cover, and a really good rock ballad.

Enjoy ; )

Elvis Costello - Sulphur to Sugarcane

This is a live performance by British singer-songwriter Elvis Costello doing the song "Sulphur to Sugarcane" live on his television show "Spectacle". The performance is from the songwriters circle edition of the programme.
The song is from Costello's 2009 studio album "Secret, Profane & Sugarcane". (Cover art work embeded below)

The album was recorded in Nashville and was produced by T-Bone Burnett. The album features Americana, bluegrass, and country, of course with Costello's lyrics.
This song, however, was co-written by T-Bone Burnett who besides being a producer co-wrote this song, and played on the album.
It's a great song, and this performance is delightful and simple. It's basically just Costello and his backing guitarist for this show John Leventhal playing, and Costello singing. Leventhal does a great job adding that electric country sound to the song with simple soloing and rhythm parts throughout, very impressive.

Enjoy ; )

Dizzy Mizz Lizzy - Barbedwired Baby's Dream

This is the music video to the song "Barbedwired Baby's Dream" by Danish alternative band Dizzy Mizz Lizzy. The song was released as a single, thus the music video, and it was from the band's self-titled debut album. The album was released in 1994 and did very well. Initially only released in Denmark, but soon after that released to huge success in Japan. The cover art of the album became iconic for the band (picture below).

Five singles were released from the album and they were all successful.
The group broke up officially in 1998, but reunited for a tour where they played shows in both Japan and Denmark in 2009 reaching into 2010.
This is a great straight forward rock song, I really love the guitar solo Tim Christensen delivers. A great song.

Enjoy ; )

Metallica - Am I Evil?

This is a live performance by American heavy metal and thrash band Metallica playing the song "Am I Evil?". The performance is from 1998 in New York.
The song was originally recorded by the British heavy metal band Diamondhead. It was written by Sean Harris (singer) and Brian Tatler (guitarist). It was originally released on Diamondhead's debut album "Lightning to the Nations" in 1980.
Metallica who were big fans of Diamondhead would play this and many other Diamondhead songs at the beginning of them playing together. The most widely available version by Metallica is on their 1998 "Garage Inc." double album which consists solely of covers. Diamondhead has said in interviews that they are flattered by the cover done by Metallica and that the royalties from the song have been beneficial for the band's continued recording and touring career.
It's a great and heavy song, and a great performance by Metallica.

Rory Gallagher - Garbage Man

This is a live performance by Irish guitarist, singer songwriter and blues man Rory Gallagher. In this performance he plays the song "Garbage Man" which was originally recorded by Muddy Waters. The song was written by Willie Hammond. The performance is from 1977 and from the Rockpalast festival in Germany.
It's a great performance, but sadly it cuts off in the video and cuts to some other German programme. It's great till that happens though, and we get most of the performance. Lou Martin does a really good piano solo and Rory then goes off on slide in standard which he is amazing at. It's a great performance.
To my knowledge the only official of this release by Gallagher is on the album "Ultra Rare Rory" which I own. It's a bootleg album, so the quality isn't the best, the performances however are top notch. Cover in picture below.

It's a great performance, and Rory truly proves that he was indeed a blues man in this performance clip.

Enjoy ; )

Richie Havens - "Tupelo Honey" & "Just Like a Woman"

This is a live performance by folk icon Richie Havens. In this performance he plays two songs, first he plays the classic Van Morrison song "Tupelo Honey", and then he switches into "Just Like a Woman" originally written and performed by Bob Dylan. Both covers are great.
Richie is a folk icon. He is known for his unique approach to playing the guitar. He uses open tunings very percussively through his strumming. He was also the guy who opened the original famed Woodstock Festival.
The first song "Tupelo Honey" was originally written and performed by Van Morrison. It was from the album also titled "Tupelo Honey" which was released in 1971. The song was released as a single in 1972.
"Just Like a Woman" is a Bob Dylan song. It was first released on Dylan's 1966 album "Blonde on Blonde". I really love Haven's take on this song and I highly recommend checking out his performance from Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert because it's amazing.
Richie Havens is a unique artist with his own flair and sound and that's what I enjoy so much about him. It's folk at it's best.

Enjoy ; )

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 ; )

The Doors – Back Door Man

This is a live performance by The Doors playing the classic blues song “Back Door Man” live. The concert footage is from 1969.
The song “Back Door Man” is a traditional blues song written by Willie Dixon who wrote the song for Howlin’ Wolf. Wolf’s version was released on his 1961 self-titled album. And the song is considered a classic of the Chicago blues.
The Doors version of the song first appeared on their 1967 self-titled album. And the song became a standard cover song for the band.
It’s a good performance of a classic song. But also brings that 60’s psychedilia into the song.

Enjoy ;-)

Johnny Winter – Highway 61 Revisited

This is a live performance by American blues guitarist Johnny Winter doing his rendition of the classic Bob Dylan song “Highway 61 Revisited”.
This was the title track of Dylan’s 1965 album. The lyrics of the song all revolve around various problems that eventually end up being solved on Highway 61.
Johnny Winter did his cover of the song in 1969 and it became a career defining track for Winter. It was on his album “Second Winter”. The song became a live standard for Winter.
The song has also been recorded by P.J. Harvey and Billy Joel.
I love Johnny’s version and the slide guitar he’s playing that just seems to fit in perfectly with the original feel of the song. A great song and a great 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 ; )

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 ; )

Freddie King - I'm Tore Down

This is a live performance from blues guitarist Freddie King playing the song "I'm Tore Down" which is not his most famous song, but still quite known thanks to, as is the case with many of his track, being covered by famous blues artists with more mainstream appeal. The song was released in 1961 and it reached no. 5 on the American R&B charts.
Freddie is one of those guitarist who has influenced both the American and British blues boom. He was known for his aggressive and creative style of improvising. Artists who are influenced by Freddie include, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Gary Moore.
Many of Freddie's songs have been covered by famous acts. This song has been covered by John Mayer and Eric Clapton (Clapton embeded below).

I think Clapton does a very good job. He definitely adds his own unique and fast style of playing to it. And had a bigger horn section at the recording. Both versions are worth checking out though.

Enjoy ; )

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Testify

This is a live performance from blues guitarist extraordinaire Stevie Ray Vaughan playing the instrumental song Testify live from the El Mocambo venue in Canada.
The song originally consisted of two different recordings of the same song, but with different lyrics. They have been dubbed the names Testify Parts I and II. The song was recorded by The Isley Brothers in 1964 who at this time had Jimi Hendrix on guitar. Embeded below is a short clip of the original recording (or at least one of the original recordings with Hendrix on guitar). It sounds different and has lyrics, but you can recognize the riff that Stevie did a take-off on.

Stevie's version was released on the 1983 album Texas Flood and it was the fifth track on this record. It starts out with a stand-alone guitar riff and on the 7th bar the bass and drums kick in and play with the guitar for the rest of the song.
I think it's a very good song, and without Hendrix's version we wouldn't have had Stevie's. Hendrix just seems a bit like he's holding back, he was playing with a group and hadn't branched out as a solo artist at this point. Remember we were still four years away from Voodoo Chile (Slight Return), but he definitely shines on this as well. Stevie's version just sort of became the famous one, and is in my opinion the superior version.
Especially from The El Mocambo gig which is one of the best gigs ever recorded. It's so good, and if the DVD "Live at The El Mocambo" isn't in your collection, it ought to be!!

Enjoy ; )

George Harrison ft. Eric Clapton - Taxman (SRV)

This is a live performance from George Harrison, joining him on stage is his good friend Eric Clapton. Clapton is very respectful and doesn't steal the show, he respectfully stays in the background and plays the lead part when needed.
The song Taxman was released by The Beatles on their 1966 album Revolver, it is the opening track on the album. The song is written by George and it is about the high progressive tax the British government was taking at this time. It was basically written after Harrison found out how much of his income was being taken by "the taxman". On the record version the solo and guitar parts are played by Paul McCartney, he also plays the bass on the track.
Click here for a sample from the album version of the song. (Taken from Wikipedia.)
This live version is really good, and Clapton does a really good job. However I've always more leaned towards Stevie Ray Vaughan's interpretation of the song. It is very different from the original, and it doesn't even have the same key-centre. The original version by Harrison is in G, and SRV's version is in B♯. I think it just sounds better and is played with more attitude (and also in a humorous way). The original version has that 60's mercy beat sound, and SRV's version is more bluesy and done in a Texas style which is more my flavour. SRV never got to perform it live, and it has only been released on his 1995 Greatest Hits album (as the only never before released track). Both versions are excellent, I just prefer Stevie's which is embeded beneath.


Enjoy both versions!! ;-)

The Highway Men - Big River

This is a live performance by the country supergroup The Highway Men. They perform the classic Johnny Cash song "Big River". The Highway Men is a supergroup consisting of various members who are most known for influencing the sub-genre of country known as "outlaw country". The genre was big in the 60's and 70's and also somewhat popular in the 80's. It is known for having a specific sound, and the artists are often self-declared outlaws in music.
The song Big River is a Johnny Cash original and it was released in 1958. Cash is also one of the members of the band, alongside; Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. I think it's a really good performance, and a really well written song.
Of course as with so many other good songs it has been covered. My favourite cover is the one done by Motörhead front man Lemmy. He really sings it well and it somehow fits his voice really well. I've embeded that version beneath.


Enjoy ; )

Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower

This is a performance by Hendrix of the classic Dylan song "All Along The Watchtower". The song was originally recorded by Dylan, but the most famous version of the song has become the one done by Hendrix on his 1968 album "Electric Ladyland".
Hendrix was very influenced by Dylan, because he has said in interviews that Dylan was the one who gave him courage to start singing, so definitely thank you for that Dylan. Before Hendrix started playing solo and as leader for his own groups he toured playing the rhythm sections for various bands, including Little Richards band.
This is definitely the most famous rendition of the song, and Dylan (who generally isn't easy to impress) was overwhelmed by this version, and has said that Hendrix with his talent build upon the song and made it better. Dylan took notice of this version, and started doing Hendrix's version live and still does Hendrix's version to this day. So in a way the cover had become the original, or at least been embraced by the original artist.
Hendrix's version is amazing, and he could even do it live which is just even more amazing. This rocks, no doubt about it and it's one of my favourite Hendrix tracks.

Enjoy ; )

Son House - Death Letter

This is an acoustic solo performance by legendary blues musician Son House. House isn't as widely known and famous as Robert Johnson who was also one of the old dogs when it comes to blues. Son House was born in 1902 and got to have a long life lasting to 1988 which meant he got to be around the greats and even influence some of them. Many people believe that House has influenced Johnson, in fact Johnson incorporated some of "Death Letter" into his own blues classic "Walking Blues". Son House, because of his old age, was also one of the people who helped spread the myth that Johnson had sold his soul to the devil in trade of his marvellous musical abilities.
The song Death Letter is about a man who learns about the death of the woman he loves in a letter. It is a very dark and depressive song, as the narrator views her dead body in the morgue and attends the funeral only to return home in a state of depression.
The song and Son House himself also gained some new notoriety in recent years due to Jack White being heavily influenced by him. The White Stripes has also covered Death Letter live on numerous occasions. It's a great song with a simple rhythm. One man and his guitar, that's what the blues is all about.

Enjoy ; )

Stevie Ray Vaughan - The Things That I Used To Do

This is a video of Stevie performing his version of this classic blues song. It was first recorded by blues artist Guitar Slim, and after a long time on Southern rural radio stations, it was picked up nation wide and became somewhat of a hit.
The song was produced and arranged by a young Ray Charles, and took several takes to get just right.
It has become a legendary song, and it has been covered by a lot of artists including; Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, Freddie King, Chuck Berry, Buddy Guy and John Mayer. (click links to go to artist's version)
It's a great song, and a great performance. The camera angels are a little weird, and it's not the most well shot video, but the audio is descent and it's an enjoyable watch.

Enjoy ; )