VI

Kia Ora

Link to previous noticeboards  Archive -path to previous notice
Check out selection of Demos on your preferred music service :
Conkijoe Moana
Spotify  & U Tube.
Spotify playlist conk radio- current. Covers a selection of released material from the artists
mentioned on this noticeboard :


Scent dropped to your preferred platform.
Lola Vie on the spring breeze.
Giving thanks to one and all
Bsafe.

BigEye Says : Bullet Train - check it.
TitBit : For the most part pretty boy Pitster makes me puke .Tarantino may have moved me slightly with the whole Manson take
& Ritchie had a good outing with him ; this could be redemption.An oldie but a goodie @ 2022.
Entertainment plus with some great cameos including Sandy B the way yummy mummy.
Of course my whole Pitster phobia could be purely be based on a b/s male rivalry thang with anyone else sending a chicky's panties
moist.
The jury remains out on that  tho.







T.G.I.F.
Friday fish'n chips Marlborough winery styles.



BigEars Says : Blood Sugar Magic from the Peppers of the Chilli variety - stands the test of time. Check It.
TitBit : Always struggled with the Keidis vocal/voice styling I think.The success of the previous release & that amazing cover of
little Stevie Wonder's higher ground grabbed you by the kohonas  paving the way for the expectations of the much anticipated follow up.
An age in the pipeline as they worked through label issues they had the tracks well oiled once they hit the recording button & GO.
Interesting to discover that one of my  favourite tracks on the album - under the bridge had to be prised out of Keidis by Rubin.
Not considered worthy for the band & too personal  Rick Rubins was shooting the breeze with Keidis at his hacienda as they were going through
the lyrics of the songs for the upcoming album when Rick said what about this one too & keidis dismissed it.
Thankfully Rick persisted .
Only caught them live once touring BSM in Wellington at the show building .Terrible acoustics with a tin roof. The new guitarist
puking his guts out off stage - ( nerves ).Pearl Jam had a turn style on the skins seat while these guys had the same issue with the axeman.
The highlight of that gig was the little blondini I had perched on my shoulders most of the show right on the edge of the mosh.
Huge fan of the Navarro era - one hot minute ; transcending .
Good to see Frusky got his shit together & is back where he belongs.
Always felt these guys were giving  a 110 % .


1:15 for rick rubens take
Another great & intriguing Rick Beato interview .Take in the whole interview.Rick Rubens has shaped sound with his finger prints
crossing dimensions.Haven't seen him so candid & lucid.


Hands across the water
theCherokee warrior Jimi

t.L.I.P. - Kris Kristofferson passes - see previous archive page for an insight into the legend.
His partnership with Streisand the real Star is Born.


BigEars Says : Speaking of earth shattering debuts the 92 offering from the Oz rocker Diesel Hepfidelity a testament to Oz pub rock.
CHECK IT.
Ex pat yank found himself washed up in Perth . Wait a minute haven't we heard this before -John Butler.
In typical Oz fashion a stint pumping gas earned him the nickname Diesel.
Soon found himself under Barnsey's wing opening for his shows with his band the Injectors then moonlighting
joining Barnes onstage  as the guitarist in his band.
His first outing on leaving the injectors behind & keeping the nickname
As blasphemous as it sounds I think Diesel wipes the floor with the ex Chisel.
Flawless raunchy vocal and that hammer on pull off groove of tip of my tongue kills me today as much as the first time I saw the clip.
Even the acoustic version is earth moving.
Tip of my tongue
Barnsey & Diesel shootin' the -hit



BigEars Says : Has to be one of the most outstanding debuts from a 70's band - check it.
TitBit : Couple of American military brats hanging out in the U.K. join forces to become a force to be reckoned with.
That infectious acoustic strum of horse with no name set to that falsetto vocal & pulsing conga defines an era.
Three part harmonies and even the thud of sandman carry you away . I need you just says it all.
The art work for the cover on point all be it somewhat controversial & culturally insensitive.
The portrayal  a graven image .
History the go to LP release  cherry picking their first four releases & further shaped by the George Martin touch.
I had that song book down pat could never stop playing horse with no name.
My tutor insisted on Sister Golden Hair for that rock 'n' roll bridge segment in the song.
He was constantly trying to steer me towards that rock 'n' roll swing.
I used to love sandman too for that speeded up bridge section.
And then there  was one - Dewar still prepared to head out on the road.
A horse with no name
Daisy Jane
Sister Golden Hair


WhisperingBreeze



T.G.I.F.


Drunken Kereru crashing through the trees ; irritable Tui  darting to & fro scrapping  ;Piwaka waka fluttering like confetti on the breeze.
Bay with many coves sounding like Marlborough an old pirates  haven.

Bizarro : Just in case you have been living under a rock - sid snot (pardon me Kenny ) & his older bit of bother
even snottier little c--t have decided to finally bow to the Benjamins & get the band back together for a few gigs.
Do Not underestimate the power of the brotherly wind up on this one !
While Noeline was honing his craft locked away in his bedroom s.l.c. pissed all over his keyboard/laptop
They managed to wind each other up so much on an Atlantic crossing for a U.S. tour that s.l.c. returned on the next
available flight home to cry in the arms of his girlfriend leaving brov to face the music.
Noeline blames s.l.c. for his destruction of a studio once s.l.c. thought it would be a good idea to invite the entire pub back to
the studio at closing time to finish off their drinking session.
The insanity of the ticket prices/travel way out of my league - buy the dvd.
Chances are one of them will get a blister on his little finger & it will be all over baby blue.
I have one word for those insane enough to even contemplate one of their gigs.
INSURANCE
I would even look at the odds the bookies are offering  5:1 worth a flutter.
I remain in awe - perhaps Mirage more than an Oasis.

A word from Sid



T.G.I.F.
A Breezy TidalWave sounds good to me


 
New track in the works  : Scent - looking for a Thanks Giving release -late November



BigEars Says : Patti Smith  ; Horses - check it
TitBit : When one of your first true love's hot older sister makes a recommendation to you & you're transfixed.
My introduction to Patti Smith.
Probably as close as you ever want to really get to a " Mrs Robinson " moment
Her whole body of work is worthy of your time.
A combative process for Welshman John Cale ( velvet underground) getting these tracks to fruition as the producer for the band.
Must be a New York thing -the infamous glam rock producer Nick Chapman would recount the same experience with Blondie
 delivering them parallel lines a few years later ; bemoaning their total lack of dedication to the process & musicianship.
While not recognised immediately  the debut from this artist would be acclaimed far & wide as a pivotal point in rock n' roll.
Along with the Ramones crossing the Atlantic to London galvanising  the British punk movement.
Sinomon recounting one of the initial Clash performances being invaded on the stage by this crazy chick
he thought he was going to have to deal to - later to find out it was Patti Smith.
Often  referred to as a punk artist - the poetry angle made her much more cerebral to me & more new wave.
I mean that punk label was thrown about all too liberally for my liking.More of a slick marketing ploy from an A&R man
Other CBGB darlings like Television , Blondie , Talking Heads
The Ramones were about the only ones who wore it well.
Punk is a gutterall form of expression .The musicians true to form would barley know how to play their instruments.
It was pounding . it was in your face , it was energetic, it was spotty , it was ugly, it was self help ,it was dank & dingy , it was swetty & smelly.
Anytime it reached out of the filth of the gutter it morphed into something else.
Paradox illy  cannibalised  by any real commercial success & ultimately doomed to failure
Given enough rope.

 



Gloria
Ghost Dance
Dancing BareFoot
Segments for this clip taken from the Dream of Life doco - hard work to get through unless you're an avid fan !!
Try it on for size.

 


BigEars Says : Diesel and Dust-from the garageland seaweeds of Nth Sydney ; Midnight Oil - resonating through the ages - check it
TitBit : Stepping into the Oz outback to stare into the eye of the black fella & a timeless journey to original man.
Full bore Oz pub rockers known for their dynamo , spazoid front man Peter Garret.
Infamously gigging that dank tinder box pub scene with an oxygen cylinder side stage.
This their stand out release & the only thing I continue to listen to.The rest of their work awkwardly forced to me.
Heavy on the political messaging.
Gun barrel highway was removed from the U.S. release due to a sensitivity issue with a line in the lyrics.
Use of the Bullroarer  in one of the tracks drew a measure of criticism as inappropriate  out of ceremonial use .
I have a vivid memory of Garret wielding a bullroarer over his head , standing cliff side over what looked like the Blue Mountains
can't find the clip now - or was I in DreamWorld.
Lennon told me I was a dreamer but he said I wasn't the only one- imagine that .
They copped it for being exploitive of the whole blackfella/whitefella exercise .They came - they went .The issues remain.
A certain inevitably  with the criticism ; but I feel their intentions were in the right place & they land on their feet as
the GoodFella.
They shone a light into a gloomy corner which ultimately trumps those concerns  in an evolving modern age,
And as what Glad Reed ( female trombonist /backing vocal )was probably alluding to in the doco ; A Big Country
the passive back seat nature women take in Aboriginal culture certainly doesn't sit well with all.
Female use of the dij is a no no - although I understand there is a question of practicality.
the circular breathing required being harmful to female reproduction .
Speaking a deceased's  name a no no - I was surprised to see Garret pressing a black fella
for the circumstance surrounding the death of several of his family members - he was visibly uncomfortable trying to skirt the subject.
Compromise as we evolve to embrace one another.
I do recall seeing a promo clip where all the elders were duly gathered for a performance from the band sitting
stoically on  make shift scaffolding theatre seating respectfully unresponsive to the white fella's ceremony of song & dance .
The mind boggles as to what they were thinking : w.t.f.
Bridge across the water.


Solidarity from a brother with another mother -graffiti Lambeth council offices , Brixton 1988

BlackFella / WhiteFella Dead Heart
Oils/Warumpi walkabout
Bullroaorer - example of
NB -for the sensibilities of those that may be unfamiliar with the terminology :
BlackFella is an Aboriginal term - wonderfully succinct & to the  point in line with their world view
and I don't need some bent out of shape moron telling me when I can use the term either - it is.
What it is not is a racial slur.
If black ; white ; yellow is a slur in your eyes then I would suggest YOU have a problem.
A self perpetuating complex of inferiority - get over it ; get over yourself then GET a LIFE.



 
theManu - Kiwi as
Now making a splash on your preferred music platform.
theManu



Hands across the water
Keef


Big Ears Says : London Calling ; Clash release never gets old - check it.
TitBit : When the stars  align & the universe seems to be talking to you.
Paul Sinomon captured venting his frustration at the Palladium N.Y. -a seated gig with tight security.
News of the Rainbow in London getting torn apart may have traveled the Atlantic.
That wild jungle energy  they were used to getting back from the mosh in all  likelihood had a lid on it.
Rescued by Strummer ; as the photo journalist dismissed the shot as out of focus ; to become the art work for the  album cover.
The band member that got the job for his street cred & look not his musicianship delivers a defining moment.
Guy Stevens a ring in on production - Strummer feeling that he polished too much of the edge off what the Clash sound was.
A consequence of signing to a major label in CBS & that inevitable battle of wills .Sell out? Probably not if you want to get beyond Camden,
Cobain making a very similar comment about Butch Vig & his work on Nevermind.
Each of these albums propelling the bands into the stratosphere .
In typical fashion the 5 record deal they thought they had signed was in fact for 10 records once the fish hooks were exposed.
Keefs immortal words - DON'T SIGN ANYTHING left to echo on down the hall.
The group not afraid to make mistakes on a quest of discovery & pushing boundaries . Always ahead of their audience.
Although in cutting the umbilical chord and washing away the after birth of their punk origins it remained a part of their DNA.
High  octane performance with in a manifesto of righteous street cred that spurned a  nasty national front right wing element to punk
for  the street level Brixton vibe of rebel reggae which surrounded them.
For me they stood head and shoulders above the great pretenders even Malcom McClaren's pistol puppets who are
more often held up as the poster child of punk and in spite of the fact the Clash had an inspirational manager of a similar vein in Bernie Rhodes.
Three art school students that were initially more interested in a stage presence than a recording contract.
Each one of them a capable frontman for a band & once they found Topper Headon with his jazz chops the fire was lit.
Sound like a stone rolling your way ?
Mick Jones embraced the studio becoming the lynch pin between the booth & the band .Remaining true to their live sound.
A part from their body of original work each one of their calculated covers places a stamp of ownership to the extent
 most fans have no idea they are covers.
They had the nous to include a keyboardist on a couple of their early U.S. tours -hiring Mickey Gallagher  one  of
Ian Durie's Blockheads to join them on stage.He bought the bass playe over with him & did lay down a few tracks  in spare studio
time that were sliced & spliced into something the band ended up using .
At some stage they made a trip to their Mecca ;Jamaica only to be run out of town at gun point.
Outside of the touristy resorts it really is a dog eat dog jungle .I had a minder during my own personnel experience.
They have nothing - You have something - They're going to take it - That's what you owe
A couple of howli fools mesmerized by those huge toothy grins & broad rasta accents is just low hanging fruit ripe for the picking
Dreadlock Holiday - Brixton it ain't mon .
They had  London in their back pocket when it was time to take New York.
A weeks residency at Bonds ; a casino off Times Square had been oversold - business as usual.
Nearly as if scripted - the city fire marshals stepped in & closed the venue down.The ensuing mayhem amongst queuing fans
in Times Square - publicity  money simply couldn't buy.Recognising the opportunity & true to form the boys were plastered over
local TV pledging to honour all ticket sales - even more publicity as all New Yorkers fan or not grapple with a righteous deed in their city
It took them a marathon of 15 shows over 2 weeks with a couple of matinees thrown in to clear the ticket sales but the city was theirs.
In a stark  contrast Topper seemed to relish the residency - Strummer said it killed him .
Like a sponge they absorbed the New York street sounds of rap & hip hop at it's dawning
Jones then delivered a double LP version of Combat Rock.Their label spewed  & remaining members sided with the label.
The infamous  engineer/producer Glyn Johns is brought in to take a razor to it handing them their biggest commercial success.
Offering value to their fan base was core to the manifesto - double & triple releases always at a cut price.
Jones wasn't enamored with the return of Bernie in to the fold  after his hiatus from the band.
Topper hit the smack spiral & with  his junkie physic of death warmed up was struggling to make it through
 their arduous 2 1/2 hour sets . The travel involved in touring with a junkie in tow raises another set of complications for the band.
This rock star cliche also seen as kick in the teeth & betrayal of the contempt for which the Clash held for rock royalty/bloat.
Terry Chimes ( original drummer ) is brought in at various stages over the years to cover.
With a turnstile over the drummers seat - the dark clouds were always gathering.
From the grime of Camden town NW London to the final strum at Shea stadium  New York -what a journey.
The brilliance of the sum of the whole gets sacrificed at the alter as all sight of the trees gets lost gazing upon the forest.
Topper is probably long gone once  Jones is  asked to leave. Two guitarists are hired to replace him.
Critics in the peanut gallery  became ruthless & when Strummer handed them an album title like Cut the Crap to
throw back in his face they just lined up to use the pun.The release not nearly as bad as the press lamented .
The album was promoted on a busking tour of Europe  .By all accounts the stripped down acoustic versions
of the songs worked well - maybe not well enuff.
Eventually Strummer fired everyone & the 7 year itch was scratched to it's death.

Missing their performance one of  life's regrets for me but a ticket to one of their shows was like hens teeth when they finally
made it downunder.The band was of course in implosion mode Relegated to catching them in their individual projects years later .

 
Mick Jones , Don Letts & co.& of course Paul Sinomon in the opener  Havana 3 am.
Most of the fans had whistles that they would respond on cue with and their was a huge florescent coloured banner
of a montage of people like figures in a tribal form of dance/movement strung over the balcony of the old theatre.
It was Carnival.


A few weeks before Joe touring earthquake weather  pre the mescaleros .
It was PureEnergy
All three of them live on stage in their various solo projects.
B.A.D. had enjoyed considerable commercial success as Strummer turned the Clash to Trash .
His stint as a Pogue a redeeming moment until he found the Mescaleros.
Sinomon of course ambled along rubbing shoulders with that Brit sound machine royalty  resulting in
the Good the Bad & the Queen & along with Jones pitching in on the Gorillaz project.
I am surprised he never teamed up with Paul Weller at any stage. ha ha ha .
True to form they never re- formed despite the wads of cash waved under their nose,
Even when it did look like we might see them on a stage together to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in early 2000's
Strummer pissed off & for good this time - t.L.I.P.

I feel compelled to add that the small core of die hard punks in the mosh at each of those shows seemed to just piss Mick & Joe off.
 Their spitting & thuggery more stupidity than social statement; to the point where each them stopped the show & told them to Fuck off.
Which only appeared to rally them all the more.
I missed a B.A.D. show in Boston because Jones had contracted hep C - still an issue years later !
London Calling - Strummer cut
the mescaleros
Magnificent Seven - the Clash
BankRobber - theClash
Another track off Sandanista - initially only released in Holland ; becoming so popular their label was forced to relent & set it for general release.
For those vinyl hounds : if you ever come across Super Black Market Clash jump on it.
A re - issue of what was originally an EP release of Black Market Clash issued between Sandanista & Combat Rock,
Super distinguishable by it's blue cover as opposed to the beige of the original.
That's actually Don Letts facing the wall of coppers - what you don't see is the mob behind him - he was trying to leg it not lead it.
A dub version of Robber only one of the nuggets - these guys had spent considerable time in the studio with Lee Scratch Perry
if it wasn't obvious enough .This disk got a heavy rotation once I stumbled upon it.


Sinomon's fender bass - a fitting epitaph for the Clash.



T.G.I.F.



t.L.I.P. - Martin Phillips nucleus of the Chills & flying nun darling has slipped this mortal coil.


BigEars says : Hugh Cornwall return visit down under  from the telecaster rhythm master. Check it
TitBit :Power trio re working & breathing fresh life with a rhythm take on some of those strangler anthems.
Barely noticed the absence of that heavy key strangler formula.
I did find  what seemed to be a deliberately flat vocal on a couple of numbers nauseating.
Lou Reed & Dylan can pull that off but no sale for me on Cornwall .
Leading the audience chorus through - always the same - as the Gandolf the grey crowd reveled.
He needn't delve too deep into that strangler bag of goodies because most of his solo work stands up.
But he does.
Always left with a hollow feeling about any of their album releases until the arrival of the singles 77- 82.
Wasn't until I caught them a couple of times at the Brixton Academy on what seemed to be an annual
pilgrimage that I took a shine to them .A little suspect of a band whose greatest offering turns out
to be a chronological singles list. The changes series of Bowie releases endanger of the same .
Noticeably subdued guitar in the arrangements.
There were always some absolutely stunning women at those gigs.Alone.
You just don't go to a Stranglers gig expecting to pull a bird.
Worth a mention as that tragically depressing Goth look in uniform black really is a drag.
Always the Sun - French TV



" I read the news today - Oh Boy "


Don't bogart that joint my friend
Willin'

 
The Olympiad 24



Depiction of hedonistic origins a step too far for the sensibilities of some .
Maybe they should have gone with a bunch of muscle bound naked blokes rubbing each other down in olive oil .
As they had competed in the original ancient Greek concept of the games.
Dionysus may be a shot over Joe & Josephine public's head.


As for the gruesome history lesson - not for the faint of heart.


Olympic tri - athletes lambasted as precious over water quality concerns in the river Seine.
Army of  homeless concur -as all athletes faced with discovering the versatility of cardboard for a good nights kip.
( beds are constructed of cardboard in the Olympic village )
Pitching that sustainability flag a little too high for a lot of the top athletes expected to be performing at their peak.
No air con in the summer heat; a pitch to plant based food options - a total farce as athletes forced into making alternative arrangements.
Sounds to me like a lot of decisions made by committee without an athlete or coach in sight.

  What is HappeningHere ?
 Canadian defending Olympic champion womens football team fingered as cheats - big ding to sportsmanship !
 U.S.A. women 7s  rugby team Olympic medalists - gettin' yer done !
Olympic runners performing in spray on shoes - one small step back from blade runners ?
Olympic body embraces the cut 'n' tuck gender into women's competition -  takin'a walk on the wild side as he becomes a she ?
In the meantime a broken nose in a New York minute - raises more than a few eye brows .
Olympic team refugee - in all probability may not know who Tom Petty is .
Oh & you might want to think twice before you coat hanger that skatey punk or bmxer cutting you up using you as a slalom pole
they very well may be an Olympic champion.

 
A Clint Eastwood fan ? - Cool hand Luke 51 year old silver medalist hitting his mark
Look Ma no props - his piers often roll kitted out with ear muffs , single eye sites & would choose not to be accused
of a quick game of pocket billiards .

What'sNext ?
B grade reality show star /bankrupt both  literally & morally getting cosey in the oval office ?  - wait that HAS happened !!
A genocidal maniac  with a standing ovation in front of congress - is that what you saw ? or not.
A courageous Aniston ( Hollywood heartthrob )  calls out a VP choice on a record of senseless insensitivity .
Is that what you heard  or not ? - Go sister Go is what I say.
STOP and look what's goin down


Pictured alongside Jen - French widow that posed for the bronze casting of the statue of liberty
presented to the Yanks once they sent the Brits packing .
& who said that Frogs don't have a sense of humour .
featuring Johnny Carson :
For What it is Worth

 


Hands across the water
Willie Nelson


tL.I.P. : Passing of John Mayall - fretman & catalyst during the dawning of the P.O.H.M.S.honki blues scene.
Prisoner Of Her Majisty's Service = Englishman
It's an Antipideon thing & the reason thick prison stripes run deep in Australian coterie as a fashion statement.
Talk to your daughter




BigEars says ;theDay the Music Died & goodbye to American pie
although Sara Lee may disagree.
TitBit : theDon's  70's lament to the tragic death of Buddy Holly etched into the psyche of anyone with a clue of
who Casey Kasem  is.
The cat set amongst the pigeons recently as a gig is canceled due to a stolen band lap top.
Wake up people -augmented performance from your favourite artist has been happening for decades .
The onus is on you to figure out to the extent that little heart throb is a well choreographed karaoke act.
Hint those ear buds may be a dead giveaway .
Improvision  and playing an instrument - too much to handle & relegated to the struggling artist
who as it turns out may be more deserving of your hard earned dollar but alas is probably playing for free.
Support the street busker  - they may be the next Tracey Chapman or John Butler or Not.
Last word to the Sage - Rick Beato.
Rick weighs in



BigEye Says : Find Me Falling - entertaining despite the predictability of the storyline - check it.
A word to the wise : avoid any of the trailers/spoilers.
&beware - even the biggest cynic in the family will find themselves welling up to this one at some stage.
TitBit : One would assume Harry Conick Jr to be doing all the heavy lifting in this tale of woe but not so.
The cast and their well scripted characters are engaging to say the least with a glimpse into Greek culture as the cherry on top.
Worthwhile getting past the opening scene to see Jr busting out of the cliche of a N'orlans ,Bourban street
 dark, smokey ,dingy ,corner of a dive bar tickling the ivories & out into the sunny isles.
The word refreshing springs to mind.
Let's talk about it.
George Shearing interview
(I could only) Whisper your name



BigEars says : Alison Moyet iconic female vocal performer of the 80's synth pop thang - check it.
TitBit : Vocal chops up the YAZOO .Her partner in crime moving on as a key member of depeche mode while
she moved on to an exploding solo career.
Alf got me through the Palm Springs Ca desert in a board laden clapped out Volkswagen
Journey to the adrenalin rush of windsurfing the ice cold Ponds in the desert heat.

When you arrive at that Jurrasic  stage of your life all the young fillies seem mere ghosts of days past .
Adel reminds me of Alison Moyet & her brilliance - the latter gifted with a touch more eloquence perhaps.
Queen may have stolen the show at Live Aid but when Moyet hit the stage in Melbourne with Paul Young the seas parted.
Another trooper still out there gigging.Catch her if you can.

Interview - promo for release of VOICE

Such small ale -Now
Love resurrection - Zen
All Cried Out



Come take my hand - I'll show you colours you never thought to understand
AcestralGroove
Now landed to all platforms


Christine Perfect before she was McVied  t.L.I.P.
Crazy 'Bout You Baby
TitBit : I believe Fleetwood & co had to stump up & help her out with a solo project in order to release her
to join their merry band of vagabonds and triumphant success.

The 4 th - Doin' the hippie shake ; For all our sakes .


& gettin Yer Ya Ya on

HonkeyTonk Women

BigEars says ; Lou Reed live vibe check it
TitBit : Stellar band he had on stage with him in this Bowie era .New Yorks a Go Go.
I understand he was wrapped in glad wrap for the shoot of the cover ; which has to go down as
one of the landmarks of the 70's decade . Sexual tension & questionable drug abuse , Warhol
& that Bowie Kiss captured in one album cover.
Recorded in a New York theatre in December of 73 - the only glitch in the recording process
was a failed mike on the audience ,The producer & the engineer turned to a rather unlikely source as a solution.
A John Denver concert - the first live can they discovered stored in the RCA studio vault .
Reed was never informed.
Some context on how important this album actually was for Reed's career.
His debut Transformer had rendered the anthem walk on the wildside .FM stations weren't about to give
air time to heroin tracks so his follow up Berlin tanked & the critics were viscous .It's brilliance only coming to be
recognised retrospectively .Chrissie Hynde in her brief stint as a journalist for NME took a razor to his live performance .
The record label lost sight of any potential so the pressure was on.
Reed's performances were notoriously hit & miss drug addled affairs & on one European show
he had to leave the stage only after half an hour - the band filling the gaps.
On advice from some of his muso mates the conscious decision had been made to harden the edge of the Velvet Underground
stage of his career & re package it to a wider audience that was oblivious to the underground ; a process which spawned the :
ROCK 'N'ROLL ANIMAL
Saviour
Hence the release of the follow up Live album .A unique move following a live album with another live album.
All be it a 1 year gap with the release of Sally Can't Dance between them.
They had enough material in the can for a double LP when they  recorded R&R


 
Sweet Jane
Paris show in  74 - morphed intro;  1 axeman & heavy on the keys
Sweet Jane Video & Lyric to 73 album cut
2 axemen on stage & a subtler keys performance in New York.
The overture that no one has been able to touch since .
They wanted a piece to bring Lou on stage to much like James Brown was infamous for in that prize fighter tradition.
The brainchild of one of the guitarists  which he had re worked over many incarnations.
Ultimately pressured into giving up the publication rights for the album release .
Back inthe day the vinyl got butchered at parties as everyone attempted to skip the intro .
The change in contour of the grooves marked the spot & if you were really on to it you would turn
the volume down on the needle drop & crank it over the top for the track.
Scratch wasn't a thing then.
As a footnote the fingerprints of these two guitarists are all over the place in the early 70's
They gained a rep as fix it men dropping in on Alice Cooper's opus -Billion Dollar Babies  in 73
Aerosmith's Get Your Wings and even joining Cooper on his Welcome to My Nightmare tour  rescuing his band implosion.
When you check the footage out the band members don't seem to be visually in sync with Reed.
Musicians first & foremost .I know one of them has even made the comment about how ridiculous he thought Lou
looked as his speed freak character  . It was their chops that enabled Reed to play out whatever he liked on stage.
Frankly I'm hearing Mick Ronson - the spider from mars in their work.
     
Publicity hounds on the scent all the way.
QueenBitch - the spiders from mars
Rebel Rebel the flip side to this single release - an ode to Reed.
Made it on to the 74 LP release of Diamond Dogs
Jean Genie



theManu - dropping to all platforms August 16th

BigEars says : Elkie Brooks one of those pearls shining on the shore of  life's beach ; that you stumble across .  
TitBit : Always rated her vocal signature among the greats .Wore the grooves out of Two Days Away back in 77.
The release that spawned a number of charting singles. Keep your eyes peeled she is still gigging .
Giving Tina a run for her money back in the day :


Then - BBC gig
Now -Pearl's a Singer



AcestralGroove dropping to all platforms July 12th



Just a tude

 Bizarro : John Lee Hookers hand .Always had a fascination with a musicians hands .All that dexterity
turns them into a freak of nature .Clapton's , Richard's ............
Great idea for a coffee table book .Must get Kramer on to it .

Hands across the water





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