Katie Webster – Pussycat Moan

This is a live performance by Katie Webster, also known as the swamp boogie queen, playing the song “Pussycat Moan” live. The performance is from the 1990 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
I haven’t really been able to find any studio recorded versions of this. The only thing I’ve found is a version on the compilation CD “Alligator Records 20th Anniversary Collection”.
It’s a great slow blues song and Katie sings it to perfection, just the right way. Also plays the piano in that way only she can. She’s a great blues artist and more people should know about her.

Enjoy ; )

Albert King – I’ll Play The Blues For You

This is a live performance by blues legend Albert King playing the song “I’ll Play The Blues For You” live. The performance is from Ohne Filter which I assume is either a German venue or some sort of German television show. The performance is from 1992.
The song was the title track to King’s 1990 album. On the album it’s a 7:17 long blues song which makes it the longest on the album. Opening with a long blues number, now that’s Albert King.
He is joined on stage by two guitarists, and I don’t know who they are. One of them is playing a lefty Stratocaster, he only does rhythm parts, the other guitarist however does a really good solo. I’d like to credit him, but as stated above, I don’t know who he is.
It’s a great extended blues jam by The King.

Enjoy ; )

B.B. King – I’ll Survive

This is a live performance by blues legend B.B. King playing the song “I’ll Survive” live with his full band which also features a horn section, I’m a big fan of the horn section sound.
The song originally appeared on King’s 1998 album “Blues on the Bayou”. The first time I heard the song it was on the 2003 compilation album “Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: B.B. King” which is a great introduction CD if you’re new to King’s music.
It’s a great song and it really has that sound of a B.B. King song. Just sounds sweet.

Enjoy ; )

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 ; )

Metallica – King Nothing

This is a live performance by the American heavy metal band Metallica playing the song “King Nothing” live. The performance is from 1996 from the British TV show “Later with Jools Holland”.
The song was originally released on the band’s 1996 album “Load”. The song is credited to: James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Kirk Hammett. All guitars were tuned down one half step to Eb.
The song was released as a single in 1997 and a music video was shot for it as well. It peaked at #90 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
It’s a good song and a good performance by the band.

Enjoy ; )

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 ; )

AC/DC – Shoot to Thrill

This is a live performance by the Australian rock band AC/DC playing the song “Shoot to Thrill” live. The performance is from the 1991 gig AC/DC played at Donington.
The song first appeared on the band’s 1980 “Back in Black” album. The song also appears on “AC/DC Live” and on the “Iron Man 2” soundtrack. The song is credited to: Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Brian Johnson.
It’s a great song and a great performance. I love how it throws in the Hendrix chord right before the chorus, great idea that adds variety to the sound of the song. It’s also a great showcase for Angus Young who delivers an amazing rock ‘n’ roll guitar solo for this one. Truly a great performance of an amazing song.

Enjoy ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )

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 ; )