tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82946456577851831452024-02-02T12:32:16.813-05:00Bootleg Of The WeekA look back at my favorite bootlegs from the past 30 years. From LPs to CDs, some of these are classic and I hope some might be your favorites also.POPMEISTERhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377424578523133182noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294645657785183145.post-58372189969471430442011-11-25T20:44:00.001-05:002011-11-25T21:09:19.511-05:00Royal Albert Hall 1966<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivb_ERlzz5NQCIDfl9KBHA6q-Nu2mm2zTmlwFfvY1AFZq7SYatQt_ytuGc4I6ORwfJodoQh8RjyayQM9SVVf7eOnM-rnVromWvj2bXdm-xl-CMhWh-P-pG1H7d87Zixfq6J_u7Y48CAj0/s1600/Royal_Albert_Hall_Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivb_ERlzz5NQCIDfl9KBHA6q-Nu2mm2zTmlwFfvY1AFZq7SYatQt_ytuGc4I6ORwfJodoQh8RjyayQM9SVVf7eOnM-rnVromWvj2bXdm-xl-CMhWh-P-pG1H7d87Zixfq6J_u7Y48CAj0/s200/Royal_Albert_Hall_Front.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
The 1966 Bob Dylan and Hawks concert tour is legendary. When the Royal Albert Hall concert first started to appear on tape and vinyl in the early 1970’s, it quickly became a fan favorite and a must have recording. In fact, in 1971, music critic Dave Marsh reviewed one of the first bootlegged versions of this concert in Creem magazine and had this to say:<br />
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<i>“If ever you hear, for a minute, that anyone knows where to get a copy of this music, make your move. Kick out all the jams to get it. Perhaps half its value is knowing that Columbia will probably never release it, at least not during Dylan's lifetime, though they possess the master.” </i> </div>
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Misidentified for years as from the Royal Albert Hall (May 26-27, 1966), the recording is actually from Manchester England’s Free Trade Hall (May 17, 1966). Dylan defied his established role as a political/social folk singer and unleashed, with a vengeance, an electric set of eight songs on an audience that’s part appreciative and part hostel. His exchange with the audience is as electrifying as the performance and has been the topic of discussion for many years. Dylan’s conversion to rock’n’roll was complete. </div>
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In January 1989 <b>The Swinging Pig</b> released Bob Dylan & The Band: <i><b>Royal Albert Hall 1966</b></i> (TSP-CD-009). The reputation of this concert had already preceded the release of this CD, but this new version was very special. <b>The Swinging Pig</b> had this to say:</div>
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<i>Using the lowest - generation - possible tapes, carefully remixing them, we’re proud to offer you the best sounding versions of this recording so far. Although the sound is straight mono (a stereo tape is rumored to exist, but most probably just in Dylan’s private archieves…), it is, compared to other 60’s live recordings, technically brilliant. Enjoy it… </i></div>
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Enjoy it I did. As described, the quality of this CD seemed to reveal the magic and the tension of the performance more than ever. This, combined with artwork replicating a copy of a Martin Sharp poster, made it the version to have. The quality of the packaging and recording rivaled any official Dylan CD at the time. <b>The Swinging Pig</b>, along with other quality bootleg labels, forced all the major record labels to take notice of what fans were craving and willing to purchase in the digital age. </div>
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It wasn’t until 1991 that Columbia Records had an official answer to the two decades of Dylan bootleg releases - <i><b>The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991</b></i>. After its release, this official sampling of unreleased recordings spurred rumors that an official version of the 1966 Free Trade Hall show might be in the works. To the dismay of fans, by the end of 1995 there was still no official release. Once again it would still be up to the bootleggers to correct this.</div>
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In early 1996, Dylan bootleg specialist <b>Scorpio </b>shocked fans with the release of <b><i>Guitars Kissing & The Contemporary Fix</i></b> (SIAE 51766A/E). Rumored to be a mix rejected by Dylan for inclusion in Columbia Records’ Bootleg Series, this two CD release contains both the acoustic half and the electric half of the Free Trade Hall concert. The electric set was now in glorious stereo with more detail and presence than <b>The Swinging Pig</b> CD. </div>
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In 1998, Columbia Records finally released the Free Trade Hall concert as <b><i>The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live, 1966: The "Royal Albert Hall Concert"</i></b> with a slightly different mix. But <b><i>Guitars Kissing & The Contemporary Fix</i></b> is still favored by many fans as the definitive version of the "Royal Albert Hall” concert. </div>
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<b>The Swinging Pig’s</b> Bob Dylan & The Band: <b><i>Royal Albert Hall 1966</i></b> has remained my favorite Dylan bootleg and it occupies a special place in my collection. </div>
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<br /></div>POPMEISTERhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377424578523133182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294645657785183145.post-88621297638715372162011-08-29T21:08:00.003-04:002011-08-29T21:17:58.771-04:00Jimi Hendrix Experience Winterland Vol. 1 - 3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TC3QWNvBrQMsaNKs9k0n3ohRauFh6e6jPIm_jILFyLu-QirT5tgGXlHqE7V90pPmFFsF4Q_HQO2aD_dDHfvlcwd6ha6o7cI-qKjOYVLsyEIrfOB_RHJRUXliPaYtnJJaGOpOS97EKxc/s1600/hendrix_winterland_0001.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TC3QWNvBrQMsaNKs9k0n3ohRauFh6e6jPIm_jILFyLu-QirT5tgGXlHqE7V90pPmFFsF4Q_HQO2aD_dDHfvlcwd6ha6o7cI-qKjOYVLsyEIrfOB_RHJRUXliPaYtnJJaGOpOS97EKxc/s200/hendrix_winterland_0001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646451937195119474" border="0" /></a>
<br />Just in time for the 2011 holiday shopping season, Sony Legacy will be releasing a comprehensive CD and LP package of The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s 1968 three night, six show concert event from the Winterland in San Francisco. While I eagerly await this official release, I’ve been listening to the excellent <span style="font-style: italic;">Whoopy Cat</span> soundboard bootlegs from these historic shows.
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<br />By today’s standards these recordings seem crude and amateurish. But what they represent is the modern rock concert in its infancy, along with three nights of amazing showmanship and guitar playing. The six shows were plagued with technical difficulties and rushed, out-of-tune performances. But despite all this and even the boredom of playing the “hit” songs, The Jimi Hendrix Experience did not fail to deliver. There is a wealth of information on the web about these concerts and I recommend anyone interested in Jimi Hendrix take time to explore this period of his life.
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<br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">Whoopy Cat</span> bootlegs were released some time in the 90’s as three individual double CD packages. At the time, they offered the most complete and best sounding recordings from the Winterland shows. Only part of the first show from October 11th is missing due to technical issues. These are my favorite Jimi Hendtix bootlegs and I look forward to hearing the new official release. They’re great concerts and I’ll finally know just how right <span style="font-style: italic;">Whoopy Cat</span> got these.
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<br />Winterland Vol.1 [Whoopy Cat, WKP 0025/26] (58:42, 7 tracks - 69:53, 8 tracks)
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<br />Winterland, San Francisco, First Show, 10 Oct 68
<br />1.Are You Experienced 6:52
<br />2.Voodoo Child (Slight Return) 8:22
<br />3.Red House 15:18
<br />4.Foxy Lady 6:00
<br />5.Like A Rolling Stone 9:53
<br />6.This Is America 5:31
<br />7.Purple Haze 6:46
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<br />Winterland, San Francisco, Second Show, 10 Oct 68
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<br />1.Tax Free 16:34
<br />2.Lover Man 4:02
<br />3.Sunshie Of Your Love 7:23
<br />4.Hear My Train A' Comin' 12:06
<br />5.Killing Floor 9:47
<br />6.Hey Joe 7:08
<br />7.This Is America 7:13
<br />8.Purple Haze 5:40
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<br />Winterland Vol.2 [Whoopy Cat, WKP 0027/28] (67:52, 13 tracks - 72:09, 8 tracks)
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<br />Winterland, San Francisco, First Show, 11 Oct 68 (tracks 1-3)
<br />Civic Opera House, Chicago, 25 Feb 68 (tracks 4-12)
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<br />1.Are You Experienced 16:36
<br />2.Voodoo Child (Slight Return) 9:57
<br />3.Red House 11:01
<br />4.Sgt Pepper's 1:44
<br />5.Fire 2:26
<br />6.The Wind Cries Mary 3:29
<br />7.Foxy Lady 3:18
<br />8.I Don't Live Today 3:35
<br />9.Hey Joe 4:28
<br />10.Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window 3:13
<br />11.Manic Depression 4:07
<br />12.Like A Rolling Stone 1:30
<br />13.Purple Haze 2:28
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<br />Winterland, San Francisco, Second Show, 11 Oct 68
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<br />1.Tax Free 22:11
<br />2.Spanish Castle Magic 10:32
<br />3.Like A Rolling Stone 12:14
<br />4.Lover Man 5:34
<br />5.Hey Joe 5:32
<br />6.Fire 4:56
<br />7.Foxy Lady 5:20
<br />8.Purple Haze 5:50
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<br />Winterland Vol.3 [Whoopy Cat, WKP 0029/30] (63:02, 8 tracks - 68:45, 9 tracks)
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<br />Winterland, San Francisco, First Show, 12 Oct 68
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<br />1.Fire 5:28
<br />2.Lover Man 4:49
<br />3.Like A Rolling Stone 11:59
<br />4.Foxy Lady 7:23
<br />5.Jam/Tax Free 19:18
<br />6.Hey Joe 6:44
<br />7.Purple Haze 3:41
<br />8.Wild Thing 3:39
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<br />Winterland, San Francisco, Second Show, 12 Oct 68
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<br />1.Foxy Lady 8:25
<br />2.Manic Depression 7:08
<br />3.Sunshine Of Your Love 8:50
<br />4.Little Wing 4:57
<br />5.Spanish Castel Magic 7:47
<br />6.Red House 11:35
<br />7.Voodoo Child (Slight Return) 7:21
<br />8.This Is America 4:57
<br />9.Purple Haze 7:45
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<br />POPMEISTERhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377424578523133182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294645657785183145.post-89380407026728697102011-06-26T20:56:00.007-04:002013-03-16T17:09:49.958-04:00Paul McCartney & Wings Live In Tokyo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBzZfA6rIlRdoevVvLo5i9RSHiC2_P8hiraOKFb7CO4xwWyYubyXy_vohXExeDr5dlXIZpfiYttPXHFeUlryHw_3Ej41DuNwBb_RVPuSk4vA2twWz7YTR6qZmSwQwo5cVHTadNQeLeMA/s1600/wings_japan_front_web.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 198px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBzZfA6rIlRdoevVvLo5i9RSHiC2_P8hiraOKFb7CO4xwWyYubyXy_vohXExeDr5dlXIZpfiYttPXHFeUlryHw_3Ej41DuNwBb_RVPuSk4vA2twWz7YTR6qZmSwQwo5cVHTadNQeLeMA/s200/wings_japan_front_web.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622699411680729330" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeskcsmNC8UK1Jo2uxhZ9McUE7bUQcqgQ27S6PZ3vgvAmLiKAfh_WaI-9APyfTdjxSyvWjJcz_vPBBLeFYaTVJAMDn1jw3poX3XBAD1-_o0WhMJkkvgxWmnKAutmj9-m0_tvmywcrJzDM/s1600/wings_japan_back_web.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeskcsmNC8UK1Jo2uxhZ9McUE7bUQcqgQ27S6PZ3vgvAmLiKAfh_WaI-9APyfTdjxSyvWjJcz_vPBBLeFYaTVJAMDn1jw3poX3XBAD1-_o0WhMJkkvgxWmnKAutmj9-m0_tvmywcrJzDM/s200/wings_japan_back_web.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622699411902972642" /></a><div style="text-align: bottom;">There’s nothing particularly exciting about this bootleg. Though from a great show, it’s only an average quality audience recording. So what made me select this one? First the title caught my eye. At the release of this bootleg, Wings had never even performed live in Japan - not that they didn’t try. In 1980 Paul was detained at airport customs due to a small issue of one half pound of pot. After spending nine days in jail, the Japan tour was canceled and it would 10 years later before he would return to Japan. And the second reason I chose this bootleg? The picture of Paul in handcuffs on the back cover!</div>POPMEISTERhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377424578523133182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294645657785183145.post-42325403694328849782010-12-26T18:41:00.004-05:002010-12-26T19:01:50.846-05:00Garden State 78<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIkXdKzsEbWOI9kz0DAKEuwTyih4cy0WoNbEXLRqDpoeYkhe00cvX6xxuvffkZewOoRUc4-Urm4ZFi9jIcpNmTlxHdBe-oJtWZCQJA4pln8RL2-drHk2tWx815a16BpgiHkZQcKXBs_M/s1600/rs_2_front.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIkXdKzsEbWOI9kz0DAKEuwTyih4cy0WoNbEXLRqDpoeYkhe00cvX6xxuvffkZewOoRUc4-Urm4ZFi9jIcpNmTlxHdBe-oJtWZCQJA4pln8RL2-drHk2tWx815a16BpgiHkZQcKXBs_M/s200/rs_2_front.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555145359429410162" /></a><br /><div>In June of 1978, the Rolling Stones released the excellent <b><i>Some Girls</i></b> LP which marked a return to a more back-to-basics rock album. Not since <i><b>Exile On Main Street</b></i> had the Stones delivered such a raw, stripped down sound. Not long after the <i><b>Some Girls</b></i> release, I stumbled upon the exceptional bootleg – <b><i>Garden State 78</i></b>. This concert was recorded on June 14th on the third stop of the ’78 tour in the intimate setting of the Capitol Theatre in Passaic NJ, before the Stones hit the big stadiums. Some reviewers of the time considered many of the ’78 shows to be sloppy and short; but this recording captures all of the raw power of <i><b>Some Girls</b></i>. The obvious influence of punk music from this time period worked well for the Rolling Stones and the mixture of classic and new songs made this bootleg a wonderful complement to the <b><i>Some Girls</i></b> LP. Time has been kind to the Rolling Stones and many fans now consider the ’78 tour to be the band’s finest.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><b><i>Garden State 78</i></b> was released by the infamous <b>Smilin’ Dork Records</b> (SD 3957) on two LPs and is a superb stereo soundboard recording. The high quality black and white jacket matches the look and attitude of <i><b>Some Girls</b></i>, which along with its excellent sound, made this a very high quality package for its time. There was another release from this show on <b>Lurch Records</b> called <b><i>Out On Bail</i></b>―a reference to Keith Richards’ arrest in 1978. Hot Wacks added the boast, <i>“It’ll blow your socks off for its sound quality.”</i> This was a single LP packaged in a plain white jacket with a paper insert and included a bonus orange vinyl 45. This show was re-released in the digital era numerous times, the most notable release being The <b>Swinging Pig’s</b> aptly named <i><b>Out On Bail</b></i> (TSP 064 2).</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>There were no official live releases from this tour. Maybe their record label knew they couldn’t compete and left it to the bootleggers to document the tour. I highly recommend this bootleg for any fan of the Rolling Stones―if you had only one live recording, this would be the one to own. For music fans that have yet to discover the 1978 era Rolling Stones, this is proof that they are the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band. You will not be disappointed if you manage to find it! I know I listened to this show at least a hundred times! I never left home without it―it fit perfectly on a 90-minute cassette tape.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Let me know what your favorite Rolling Stones bootleg is.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Song list:</div><div><br /></div><div>Let It Rock</div><div>All Down The Line</div><div>Honky Tonk Women</div><div>Star Star</div><div>When The Whip Comes Down</div><div>Miss You</div><div>Imagination</div><div>Lies</div><div>Beast of Burden</div><div>Respectable</div><div>Far Away Eyes</div><div>Love In Vain</div><div>Shattered</div><div>Sweet Little 16</div><div>Tumbling Dice</div><div>Happy</div><div>Brown Sugar</div><div>Jumpin' Jack Flash</div><div>Street Fighting Man</div></div><div><br /></div>POPMEISTERhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377424578523133182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294645657785183145.post-8153753297982855562010-05-16T21:07:00.005-04:002010-05-16T21:19:43.283-04:00Live In The Promised Land<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkMeU4h4xmUmKwdQZLdUJ9ijbhjYGZHVJboYw0DwvacP8Rtn26nKuFgFSICeqfp100b7Za5HPU6pzqSEyZ7sRWlzaGcLIvBaXhLK85snz5hUkF-5SqjStO_gJxs7fykmwKA2Wcau_SuQ/s1600/Bruce_PL_front.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkMeU4h4xmUmKwdQZLdUJ9ijbhjYGZHVJboYw0DwvacP8Rtn26nKuFgFSICeqfp100b7Za5HPU6pzqSEyZ7sRWlzaGcLIvBaXhLK85snz5hUkF-5SqjStO_gJxs7fykmwKA2Wcau_SuQ/s200/Bruce_PL_front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472039635989110850" border="0" /></a><br />This may have been the first bootleg I ever purchased and was definitely the first Bruce Springsteen LP I purchased. A friend once told me that to fully appreciate Springsteen, you simply had to hear him live. Well with one listen to this gem, I was hooked on both The Boss <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> the live experience. Though not perfect, the sound quality on this three LP set was great. The recording was taken from a live FM broadcast at Winterland in San Francisco on December 15, 1978.<br /><br />In 1989 this three LP <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Piste Disques</span> release was brought over to the digital age by <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Great Dane Records</span> on three CDs. It included two additional tracks from the broadcast not found on the LP plus another bonus track from a different show. Later this show was released by the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Crystal Cat</span> label from a different source – a tape that was mixed by the Springsteen camp for a later broadcast on <span style="font-weight: bold;">KSAN-FM</span>. Included are seven additional tracks from two different 1978 concerts. Also a three CD release, this is the best available recording of this show and probably the best Bruce Springsteen show ever. I finally did buy some official Springsteen LPs, but I still agree with my friend - his concerts run circles around his studio recordings.POPMEISTERhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377424578523133182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294645657785183145.post-26942551015879094822010-01-18T19:11:00.006-05:002010-01-18T19:35:34.228-05:00Not Forever, Just For Now<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JCyUHKD649w-ZrmNmjzFGVGpVUZCuDCwpd5bfaTZOHXKPa60FtAQBDh24hgzfdi44NjRc6WIfAqtDml35mbnNJj0WZkmNEUmA3ddXLb3FQRS-851wKn3z2BCQ0SKY-TTgaM1gAPi0WM/s1600-h/ut1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 191px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JCyUHKD649w-ZrmNmjzFGVGpVUZCuDCwpd5bfaTZOHXKPa60FtAQBDh24hgzfdi44NjRc6WIfAqtDml35mbnNJj0WZkmNEUmA3ddXLb3FQRS-851wKn3z2BCQ0SKY-TTgaM1gAPi0WM/s320/ut1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428240176917397938" /></a><br />The first 22 songs on this package were recorded on May 1, 1994 at Mississippi Nights in St. Louis which would be the final live show for Uncle Tupelo. The sound quality of this show is not perfect but what a set of songs. Any Uncle Tupelo fan should have this recording and if you are new to the band, this would be a good place to start. This is alt-country at its finest. When the remastered versions of the band's studio CD's were released, it was reported that an official version of this show would be released. To date that has not happened, but I understand there is a better version of the show out there - possibly from the original soundboard source tapes. I'm still trying to locate a copy.<br /><br />I was disappointed when the band split, but now we have two great bands to carry on - Son Volt and Wilco.POPMEISTERhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377424578523133182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294645657785183145.post-19777991674836277382009-04-24T20:45:00.003-04:002010-01-18T19:33:41.554-05:00Bedspring Symphony: A Box Lunch And Meat Whistle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi23KweZ0dFWw6b6k3LZEjDifFGXiREzbxHe-5V958Y3qGM9kFO93kxfkQ7g48FnRVg4kVijvnHl1wO2gn5GIb6EAlMEwLyMaK8AzpnCxiKsSAtE7Ix-ZIfzSn9F6IyIu2a0dI48xe5l8/s1600-h/bbs+3+copy.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi23KweZ0dFWw6b6k3LZEjDifFGXiREzbxHe-5V958Y3qGM9kFO93kxfkQ7g48FnRVg4kVijvnHl1wO2gn5GIb6EAlMEwLyMaK8AzpnCxiKsSAtE7Ix-ZIfzSn9F6IyIu2a0dI48xe5l8/s200/bbs+3+copy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428242561997539730" /></a><br />Back in the seventies there were no shortages of live bootleg recordings from the Rolling Stones, but this vinyl gem has always been my favorite. With its suggestive title and the mysteriously blurry high contrast photo of the Stones on the front cover, you just knew you had to give it a listen. The addition of the history of the imaginary record label and recording engineer on the back cover made it an artifact to be shown to all of my friends.<br /><br />Once you dropped the needle on the lead-in groove, you were treated to more Kornyfone history on the improvements to sound quality followed by a full throttled performance of <span style="font-style: italic;">Gimme Shelter</span> in amazing and perfect stereo. At the time of its release, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bed Spring Symphony</span> was the best live Rolling Stones recording period, either official or unofficial, with the exception of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!</span> Over the years there have been many other great Rolling Stones live shows made available by the bootleggers. But <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bed Spring Symphony</span> has withstood the test of time and captured the Stones at their peak in 1973.<br /><br />For a detailed history of this recording visit <a href="http://www.rollingstonesnet.com/Brussels.htm">rollingstonesnet.com</a>.POPMEISTERhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377424578523133182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294645657785183145.post-65116128248875319412009-04-14T19:47:00.007-04:002010-05-29T22:00:35.426-04:00Ultra Rare Trax Vols. 1 & 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfR7ZH9n-3p16WKQlryyM559Vhh9QZ-uiBv6UkHNoxhwSdjlLONJzHX3eAbk1R98_A9WrH4hnnqYeIVwiQ9zJwe1ce0-M-9YhxtdySz_KR4fBB8vJ-ydE1VDD1IX-IZiN2FgPYUaig0t4/s1600-h/ultra-rare-one-front-jpeg.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfR7ZH9n-3p16WKQlryyM559Vhh9QZ-uiBv6UkHNoxhwSdjlLONJzHX3eAbk1R98_A9WrH4hnnqYeIVwiQ9zJwe1ce0-M-9YhxtdySz_KR4fBB8vJ-ydE1VDD1IX-IZiN2FgPYUaig0t4/s200/ultra-rare-one-front-jpeg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428242173036493234" border="0" /></a><br />This week’s featured bootleg is actually three releases from 1988. Bootleg CDs were not very common then. Vinyl was still king. Sometime in October 1988, a friend and a big Beatle fan showed me the current issue of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">ICE</span> (International CD Exchange) newsletter. On the front page was the headline “Master Quality Beatles Bootleg CDs Surface.” The following is from the <span style="font-weight: bold;">ICE</span> article:<br /><br />“These are of unbelievable quality, right from the masters,” one Beatles authority told <span style="font-weight: bold;">ICE</span>. “I played them next to my Capitol CDs and <span style="font-style: italic;">Can’t Buy Me Love</span> is ten times better – and I mean ten, not one or two. The sound quality is that extraordinary.”<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ultra Rare Trax Vols. 1 and 2</span> ushered in a new era of high quality and yet to be heard recordings for hungry fans of bootlegs. Maybe they weren’t ‘master’ quality, but the bar had definitely been raised and even EMI Records took notice. According to markings on the disc and the packaging, they were mastered by Sony’s DADC plant in Austria and distributed by The Swinging Pig Records, Luxembourg. The packaging was rather lackluster but they did contain detailed notes for each track. If you were lucky enough to find these gems when they were released, you are holding a piece of history. The originals quickly became ‘ultra rare,’ which brings me to the third CD – <span style="font-style: italic;">BACKTRACK</span>.<br /><br />If you could not find the <span style="font-style: italic;">Ultra Rare Trax</span> CDs, <span style="font-style: italic;">BACKTRACK</span> was a reasonable substitute, combining the two discs on one CD and adding a couple of additional tracks. <span style="font-style: italic;">BACKTRACK</span> was of the same sound quality with different, but also uninspiring packaging and was manufactured in Korea. It was also easier to find after the appearance of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">ICE</span> article.<br /><br />These were favorites not because they were the harbinger of things to come, but for the great music they contained. I believe we would have never seen the release of the official Beatles <span style="font-style: italic;">Anthology</span> or the Bob Dylan <span style="font-style: italic;">Bootleg Series</span> if not for the appearance of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Ultra Rare Trax Vols. 1 and 2. </span> They laid the ground work for all of the official releases of live and rare studio recordings we all enjoy today.POPMEISTERhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377424578523133182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8294645657785183145.post-71233743835634687332009-04-13T19:56:00.000-04:002009-04-13T20:09:35.296-04:00Introduction<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After hearing the news for the release of the newly remastered Beatles' recordings in both stereo and mono, I started reminiscing about bygone days of visiting my local record store and listening to those ultra rare recordings called "bootlegs." I have always wanted to write about my favorites among these special lps and cds. I plan to pick one per week and give some details about the recording and why it's one of my favorites. Maybe you'll see one of your favorites in a future post.<br /></span></span>POPMEISTERhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06377424578523133182noreply@blogger.com0