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 ; )

Jeff Beck - Nessun dorma

This is a performance from British guitarist Jeff Beck, it is from the 2010 Crossroads Festival, and it is an amazing performance. He plays his instrumental version of the classic opera piece "Nessun dorma". It has been sung by many famous opera singers, and is one of the most famous tenor arias from any opera. It is also widely recognizable due to the use of the piece in other contexts such as film, television and other rendition like Beck's version.
Beck's version was recorded on his solo album "Emotion & Commotion", and it was done with a 40-piece symphony orchestra. Beck's guitar piece supplements the human voice in the piece. Beck has stated that he always wanted to emulate the human voice with the guitar, and that this piece just really works on the guitar.
They play it on a much smaller scale live, the bassist Tal Wilkenfeld switches to an upright bass, and even plays with a bow for a part of the performance. The drummer switches to a different technique using a different kind of drum sticks, and uses the various high-hats to make them slowly vibrate and create sound. The rest is a keyboard section synthesizing the orchestral parts. It sounds surprisingly good, and it's a great performance.

Enjoy ; )

Jeff Beck - Hammerhead

This is a live performance by guitar legend Jeff Beck. It was released on the 2010 album "Emotion & Commotion". Since it's a pretty new song, there isn't any really good concert footage of Jeff performing this yet, so I've included the album version in a youtube video beneath. The song credits both Jeff Beck and his keyboardist Jason Rebello, and Jeff states that the song's inspiration comes from their love of keyboardist Jan Hammer. Jason came up with the riff on the keyboard, and Jeff picked up on it, Jeff calls it a young and Indian sounding riff, ans states that it kicks ass which I agree with him on 100 %.[1]
It's a rock instrumental, and Jeff plays the main riff of the song alongside a 40 piece symphony orchestra which makes it sound epic, grand and magnificent. It has also recently been nominated for a Grammy at the 53rd Grammy Awards show. It's nominated for "Best Rock Instrumental" and has a good chance of winning, and I'm rooting for it, it's a good song.
The live version and the album version sound a bit different, and Jeff improvises a bit more in the live version, plus it's not with a symphony orchestra when played live.
A great song, cross your fingers for it at The Grammys.


Enjoy ; )