Spider Wisdom

This Week In Purple: Cause and Effect

2010-07-04T23:46:00.005-04:00

Back in February Prince released a new tune called "Cause and Effect" to Minnesota Public Radio, who in turn streamed it on their website. The song is kind of a mish-mash. Lyrically, it's a bit of an incoherent mess - which is really what I've come to expect from Lil' Purple. Musically, it's a bit of throwing everything against the wall and seeing what sticks. It's a song that is kind of hard for me to have a strong feeling about. It's kind of blah, but not really offensive on too deep of a level. I keep feeling like it's something I should listen to more in order to formulate more of an opinion on, but then I wind up listening to something else. Maybe that says enough about the song. Anyhow, as we are on the verge of a new Prince release I figured maybe "Cause and Effect" needed to be revisited. The song is embedded below; have a listen and tell me what you think about it.

Richard Thompson new album preview!

2010-07-02T16:15:00.003-04:00

Richard Thompson's new album, Dream Attic, is due at the end of August, and the ol' Spider sure is excited about it. The album is set to feature all new material recorded live during a West Coast tour in February of this year. Following that will be a full band tour of the states (as opposed to his frequent acoustic tours). Looks like there will be a special edition of the album available online which will feature an additional disc of demos for the new material. Hot diggity!

Richard is offering a preview of the new album in exchange for your email address. In addition to the preview track, your email address is said to be how one will be notified about just how to receive the special edition version of Dream Attic.

The preview track is entitled "Big Sun Falling In The River". Have at it, if you dare to be so bold...

Is this thing on?

2010-07-02T00:48:00.004-04:00

Has it really been more than two years since my last post? Yowza. Thanks to those who check out this site from time to time and who send me messages to say hello. It's fun to hear from music lovers around the world and to have a chance to take part in the larger conversation that is life.

I have begun a few posts over the last year - concert reviews mostly - which for one reason or another I never completed or decided not to post. Laziness? Perhaps.

I'd like to delve further into music sharing through this site. I have a number of shows that I recorded over the last few years which I would love to get out there. Shudder To Think, Living Colour, Nels Cline, Scott Amendola Band, Big Star, Dinosaur jr, Meat Puppets, Them Crooked Vultures - to name a few. Which would you vote for?

There's also been a Prince release or two that we haven't talked about, and we all know Lil' Purple needs some checking in on from time to time. Word on the skreet is that there's a new Purple release coming very soon. Hmmm...

Here's a glimpse into this week's listening stack:

The Nels Cline Singers - Initiate
Rush - The Spirit of Radio (Greatest Hits 1974-1987)
Richard & Linda Thompson - ...in Concert, November 1975
Louis C.K. - Chewed Up
The Rolling Stones - Live in Ft. Collins, CO 11/7/69 (bootleg)

I'll try to be back before 2012.

Forgotten Influences

2008-04-02T00:08:00.009-04:00

Thinking about influences, speaking as a musician, is a funny thing. When asked, I'm likely to name four or five musicians/bands (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Prince, Nels Cline, Jeff Beck, etc) in a neat, concise summary. The questioner then usually nods his/her head, as if that list has somehow told them something about me. Surely it has told them something, and that something will have to do because the whole story could really never be told. Influences are ever present, and every song and/or record I've ever heard has influenced me in some way - right down to those thoughts that are as simple as "Well, that record is horrible!"

The point is that it's hard to summarize something like one's influences. Looking at my own little list it's clear that I've combined my early inspirations (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Prince) with a few guitar cats whom I currently try to emulate (Nels Cline, Jeff Beck). There's a lot of stuff that came in between then and now, however. There are lots of cracks, and lots of things that have fallen in between those cracks, pushing and expanding over time, etc etc. Forgotten influences, so to speak. Then time will come along and remind you of a particular influence and the reminder can be striking.

The recent death of Jeff Healey served as a particular reminder for me. Jeff's debut record See The Light was released in 1988, when the old Spider was a mere lad of the age 14. Guitar players working a variation of the old minor pentatonic had my attention at the time, and blues/blues-based rock 'n' roll was my lifeblood. I couldn't yet process the higher mechanics of jazz players, but I could already dissect just who was doing what with the ol' minor pentatonic. And boy was Jeff Healey doing something with it!

Jeff's playing was aggressive and inventive. He had speed without speed being the point, and he was able to find that one hot note to grab and squeeze squeals of mercy from. I think his approach to rhythm playing was particularly enlightening for me, as he would fret only fragments of chords at times rather than the entire chord. This is something that I do right up to the present, and that may be a bit of Jeff's influence shining through.

Another artist I was discovering about that time was John Hiatt, so discovering a few of Hiatt's tunes on See The Light was an additional thrill. My band learned Jeff's arrangement of Hiatt's "Confidence Man" and began playing it in our sets during the summer of 1989. Shortly afterwards we added two more tunes from See The Light to our set, "Blue Jean Blues" and "Don't Let Your Chance Go By." I had only heard ZZ Top's original version of "Blue Jean Blues" a few times on classic rock radio at that point. "Don't Let Your Chance Go By" was a Jeff Healey original, and was probably my favorite to play.

Jeff's next two albums were attempts at re-capturing the magic of See The Light but they missed the mark. The production was too glossy, the covers obvious reaches for another "Angel Eyes" type of hit, and the "rawness" was missing. When the fourth album was a straight up all-covers album I took a pass. By this time it was 1995 and I was listening to fewer players from the minor pentatonic playing field. I had heard Nels Cline and Tom Verlaine by that point, and when it did come to blues influenced rock I leaned closer to the Black Crowes and that year's Amorica release, which featured original material with raw production values. Every now and then I would be in a record store and I would pick up Jeff's cover album and think I should buy it, but somehow it never happened.

After that I sort of stopped paying attention to Jeff. I heard at some point he had a radio show where he played his famous collection of 78s, and I heard at another point about him playing in a jazz band. But I never heard of his recent battles with cancer, and his death this year took me quite by surprise. It got me to thinking about how influential he had been on me at one stage in life, and how now, nearly twenty years later(!), he was barely on my field of vision.

So, here's to you Jeff. Thanks for the influence and the great music. I might've forgotten your name on the verbal list through the years, but I guarantee you it's been there in my fingers the entire time.

The "Hot Damn!" Video of the Week

2008-02-28T23:31:00.005-05:00

Check out this ultra-rare and new-to-my-eyes video of the Yardbirds live in France in 1966. This is the only live footage I've ever seen of the band from the brief period during which both Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page were members. You don't really get great shots of either of them, but Page is playing bass and Beck is on lead - both on the righthand side of the stage (stage-left, for all the turkeys out there). Shortly after this period of the band's history Page would switch over to second guitar and the dueling guitars of Page and Beck would place the group briefly on the cutting age. Then Beck quit, and the Yardbirds became a sort of Zeppelin prototype... but that's a story for another day. For now, check out the Yardbirds performing "Train Kept A-Rollin'" live in France circa 1966. Dig the suits!

Today in "Should we have talked about this?"

2007-08-02T01:52:00.000-04:00

I'm sure there are many topics we should've been discussing during the first half of this year, when the ol' Spider was MIA. One of them surely must be the new Wilco record, right? After all, the Spider is a Wilco fan and a Nels Cline fan, so how can I not have anything to say on the matter?

Well, as a Wilco fan I've noticed that each new album the band releases seems to divide the fanbase as it's subjected to extreme levels of scrutiny, and Sky Blue Sky is no different. So, in the "for it" vs "against it" column let's just skip all the scrutiny and put me down as "for it." The record seems to work as both an extension of A Ghost Is Born and as a return to the directness of A.M.. I like it.

The record also works for me as a Nels Cline fan. Nels gets a songwriting credit on "You Are My Face" and drops an absolutely destructive solo into "Side With The Seeds" (Tweedy's best lyric on the disc?). Nels has always displayed chameleon-like abilities in his playing as he's sidemoused with Mike Watt and The Geraldine Fibbers, so there's no surprise that he fits right in here with Wilco. Nels always tailors his playing to suit the artist, the song, and the situation in a way that his presence seems completely natural and his playing seems a logical extension of where that artist was heading anyways. Yet he still manages to always retain his signature sound!

Remember my giddiness upon hearing "Impossible Germany" last year on the Lollapalooza bootleg? Completely justified. Another great Nels solo leads into some great three guitar interplay with Jeff Tweedy and Pat Sansone, and highlights the argument that this line-up is Wilco's best yet.

Push come to shove I might would say you could drop "Please Be Patient With Me" and "Leave Me Like You Found Me" in the name of album flow and album brevity. I like a good 43-45 minute album, and these two tracks subtracted would get us about there. Coincidentally these are the two tracks that hearken back to A.M. most obviously - read into that what you may.

Another thing I'll throw out there is that Sky Blue Sky does not sound like a record that would take three years to come up with (A Ghost Is Born was released in 2004) and it certainly doesn't sound like a record that Wilco needs to support with another three-year long tour. Tour in the Fall and Spring, then back in the studio next summer - OK boys?

P.S. The "bonus" version that comes with a DVD is worth the extra bucks. The DVD contains eight tracks from the record performed live in the Chicago loft where Sky Blue Sky was recorded, interspersed with a Jeff Tweedy interview. I can dig it, baby.

P.S.S. The controversial "Shake It Off"? I dig that one, personally.

So, what are your thoughts?

A Vintage Video Moment

2007-07-30T01:00:00.000-04:00

Ten years ago my summer was pretty heavily dominated by two records, one of which was Butch by The Geraldine Fibbers. I had no TV at the time though, so I missed this little gem (though I wonder how much play this video ever got in the first place). Anywho, for your enjoyment is a song called "California Tuffy." Keep an eye out for Nels...

F**K the Fans! An Open Letter to Henry Rollins (and a Salute to John Densmore)

2007-07-27T18:08:00.000-04:00

When I read the transcript of a recent Henry Rollins Teeing Off rant posted on the ol' interweb, well, let's just say I felt compelled to respond. My response though was a little long winded - at least too long winded for a typical blog comment section! Which brings me here, to the outpost of my musically inclined thoughts, and to you, my people. Reading through Hank's post here, as well as a few of the reader responses, would probably be helpful in making sense of all this. And with that, I present to you my open letter to Henry Rollins:

""Selling out" IS applicable when you're willing to make money off of your fans' positive connections with the music. The use of music in commercials is not saying, "We have arrived!" It's saying, "You know those nice, warm, fuzzy feelings that record gives you? How about transferring that to our product?" I would much rather associate the new Wilco record, for example, to a recent road trip I made - during which I played it for my wife for the first time as we experienced new sights and scenes - than to associate it with one of the several VW commercials the band has licensed the record to be used in. What's ultimately being sold is not the property of the artists - what's being sold is the associations and the emotional connections one has to a song. If you think differently, think again. If you still think differently, talk to someone in advertising - where the psychologies of just this sort of practice are thoroughly researched beforehand.

Another point to consider is these commercials serving as an introduction to an artists' music. I grew up despising the Beach Boys because in the early '80s there was an orange soda commercial that utilized "Good Vibrations." That was my introduction to the group, and the song, and the commercial annoyed me. It took me years and years to wipe that association out of my mind and be able to appreciate "Good Vibrations" for the breakthrough recording that it is - and to do so without thinking of orange soda. How many years will it take for some kid today to realize that Led Zeppelin is much, much more than that band on the Cadillac commercial? Or that Wilco is more than a band that endorses VWs? Which car company will some future teenager associate with "Rise Above" or which soda will introduce somebody to "What I See"? I guess for you Hank the appropriate song from that album should be "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie."

One responder above me said, "Selling out means altering your art for the pure purpose of being more attractive to the public and thus inherently more profitable," as an explanation for how this sort of thing is not really "selling out", it's "success". Well, guess what? Putting a song into a commercial IS altering the art, by altering the associations one has to the song, and the purpose is for both the artist and the product to ultimately be "inherently more profitable." Wilco's official statement on their VW commercials had to do with finding a new way to spread their music - spreading the music by the way means finding new fans, IE selling more records, IE becoming "inherently more profitable," IE a sellout - by your own definition.

So, call me holier than thou if you like, but I'm not calling for any boycotts or telling anyone how to live - I'm merely trying to bring some reality to this whole discussion. I mean, if the attitude is, "Gimme the paycheck - f**k the fans, their associations to the music, or what they think," then what really was the whole point of punk, Hank? I thought it was a reaction to the perceived bloatedness and greed of the '70s stadium scene - an attempt to create something more meaningful and immediate that one could relate to. An attempt to bring the music to the fans, an attempt for the fans to make the music, an attempt to break the so-called barriers between the artist and the fan... But, I guess if you didn't make a profit doing so, well then, now's the time! Everything's A-OK! What fans? You mean potential customers, right?!

Really this post just makes me think that Hank got offered a commercial and is trying to justify accepting it. At least you're honest in your rationale Hank, it's all about the benjamins - f**k the fans."

So, that's how I feel about that. Which brings us to John Densmore, a personal hero of mine when it comes to this issue. Densmore has been a continual dissenting voice when it comes to licensing the music of The Doors to any sort of advertising campaign. Mr. Densmore, you're doing the right thing, for the right reasons. And we here at Spider Wisdom salute you!

What better tribute is there than music? After all, the music is the point.

The Soft Parade/Tell All The People (Madison Square Garden, NYC, 1/24/69)

Because The Soft Parade is my favorite Doors album, I'm beginning with an ultra-rare live performance of that album's title track. The Doors began 1969 boldly, opening their first show of the year with three songs in a row from an album that would not be released for another six months. The audience recording misses the first song of the evening ("Touch Me") and begins about a minute into "The Soft Parade", a song performed very few times live by The Doors. For your listening pleasure I've taken the first minute or so of the more famous PBS recording of "The Soft Parade" from April 1969 and spliced it onto the beginning in order to present a complete portrait of this rarity. The band proceeds directly into "Tell All The People" for a sweet little pairing worth sharing here. Tell all the people, indeed.

Wishful Sinful (PBS Studios, 4/28/49)

Another gem from the underrated The Soft Parade. The Doors came hard in this performance for PBS, their first since the now infamous "Miami Incident." In my youth I spent a good number of years in South Florida, and when I was about 16 years old I had a friend who had been at the infamous Doors Miami concert of 3/1/69. In his version of the tale Jim really unleashed the beast. Was my friend a part of the supposed mass halucination purported by Jim? Or did my friend really see Jim yank it out and dance across the stage? Either way, it makes a good story. The Lizard King keeps it firmly in his trousers for this subdued number, have no fear.

Little Red Rooster (1970-06-06 P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver) *with Albert King on guitar

Who Do You Love (1970-06-06 P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver) *with Albert King on guitar

A nice pair of tracks featuring as special guest the great Albert King. I think the other tracks he joined in for at this show have been released officially. By this point in their career The Doors had practically become a blues band, so it's only fitting that they would have Albert join them. If he was your opening act, wouldn't you do the same?

Wild Child (Minneappolis Concert Hall, 11/10/68) *with Tony Glover on Harmonica

Another early preview of the following year's The Soft Parade album, this time with friend Tony Glover sitting in on harmonica. Maybe The Doors were a blues band the whole time?

Get Out Of My Life, Woman (1967-03-07 The Matrix, San Francisco)
The volume's a little lower on this track, so you may have to crank it a bit compared to the others, but I couldn't resist throwing it into the lot. After all, you're my people! I want you to have a chance at the goodies, however rough the sound quality. I've always considered this Allen Toussaint tune to be a "goody", and here's a nice little cover version which The Doors performed in their early days. Crank it up and enjoy!

A Little Night Music

2007-07-22T22:56:00.000-04:00

Presented for your enjoyment, Roy Buchanan live in 1974 at Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, TX:

WECP FM: the Living Colour Edition

2007-07-21T15:38:00.000-04:00

As a way of making peace after my absence I offer up the opening salvo of WECP FM. WECP FM is my attempt to move into the cosmic world of "mp3 blogs". I won't be offering up any commercially released material, but rather jewels from the alternate musical world that is the bootleg-o-sphere, tasty morsels to whet your appetite which may be otherwise unknown to you.

The inaugural offering focuses on Living Colour, a long-time favorite band of mine, and a band that probably a lot of folks don't realize still exists. For the record, Living Colour reunited towards the end of 2000, released a new album (Collideøscope) towards the end of 2003, and are currently reported to be working towards the release of a new album sometime next year. Recent shows have seen the inclusion of at least one song that will probably turn up on the new album, "Bless Those," included here for your sneak-previewing pleasure. Aside from that tune this set focuses on some of the covers they've done in recent years, including covers of music performed originally by the individual members' side projects. The collection is drawn from a number of recordings which circulate within the Living Colour fan community, a practice endorsed recently by LC's resident guitar guru, Vernon Reid.

To download the mp3 files, right click on the link and select "Save Target As..." Enjoy!

WECP FM - The Living Colour Edition

01 Lonely Days Lonely Nights (2001-12-30, Florida)

LC takes on the blues. A Roy Buchanan cover, to the best of my knowledge at least. I know this tune from Roy's Live in Japan album, recorded in 1977. A nice way to kick things off.

02 Looking For Love (2006-08-15, Budapest)

When singer Corey Glover's touring schedule with Jesus Christ Superstar last year overlapped with some Living Colour tour dates, King's X singer/bassist Doug Pinnick stepped in to save the day. Here's a taste of Living Colour with Doug on vocals, taking on a King's X tune called "Looking For Love".

03 Bless Those (2006-12-12, Vienna)

"Bless Those," aka "Either Way," is a new composition by bassist Doug Wimbish, with Doug Wimbish himself on vocals. A contender for the next LC release. You heard it here first, folks!

04 Visions (Jah Rule Groove) (2001-12-30, Florida)

"Visions" originally featured on Pride, a sort-of "greatest hits with previously unreleased material" type of collection released after Living Colour originally disbanded in 1995. Originally recorded during their last sessions together as a band, LC revived "Visions" during a few shows early on in their reunion. The new version was a sort-of "live remix", interpolating a Jah Rule cover - and with a bit of Parliament's "Flashlight" thrown in at the end for good measure.

05 Broken Hearts (2001-05-12, California)

A rare performance of the Vivid classic, with an even rarer Vernon Reid vocal turn and a different arrangement. Quiet, delicate, and worthwhile.

06 American Skin (41 Shots) (2001-07-20, Montreux)

LC's powerful take on a Bruce Springsteen composition that is obviously close to the band's heart.

07 Trance (2001-07-20, Montreux)

Another track from LC's electrifying performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2001, this time a take on a tune by Head>>Fake/ Jungle Funk - a side project comprised of LC bassist Doug Wimbush and LC drummer Will Calhoun. An interesting glimpse at the newly reunited Living Colour exploring each other's outside material in an attempt to come together on new ground.

08 Ugly Face (2001-05-12, California)

Another Jungle Funk cover, this one interpolating John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme".

09 Tomorrow Never Knows/Nova/This Is The Life (2004-08-06, NYC)

This Beatles cover closed out 2003's Collideøscope, segueing into an instrumental called "Nova". LC revives that medley here at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC, rounding things out with a classic from Time's Up.

10 Power Of Soul (2001-05-12, California)

The Band of Gypsys classic. With the power of soul anything is possible...

11 Lost Halo (2001-05-12, California)

At the time of this recording this was a "cover" of a tune from an unreleased Vernon Reid solo project, recorded in the late '90s. LC would go on to record their own version of "Lost Halo" for inclusion on 2003's Collideøscope. A nice way to wind this collection down.

Cream Abdul Babar tour dates!

2007-07-21T01:04:00.000-04:00

Closing out a near three year hiatus, Cream Abdul Babar has announced tour dates for October, along with plans to release a new record in the near future. Fans in the southeast rejoice, as the dates seem to skew in your favor. I hear they have some funky new t-shirt designs in store as well. We've missed ya, boys! Nice to see you back.

Cream Abdul Babar October Tour Dates

Oct 12 2007 9:00P
The Jinx
Savannah, Georgia

Oct 13 2007 9:00P
The Masquerade
Atlanta, Georgia

Oct 14 2007 9:00P
The Milestone
Charlotte, North Carolina

Oct 15 2007 9:00P
Soapbox Laundro-Lounge
Wilmington, North Carolina

Oct 16 2007 9:00P
Cumberlands
Charleston, South Carolina

Oct 17 2007 9:00P
t.b.a.
Jacksonville, Florida

Oct 18 2007 9:00P
Back Booth
Orlando, Florida

Oct 19 2007 9:00P
Crowbar
Tampa, Florida

Oct 20 2007 9:00P
The Beta Bar
Tallahassee, Florida

Summer Listening

2007-07-20T23:25:00.000-04:00

Consider this a "breaking the ice" post - a mere attempt to break the silence. Sorry I've been away. Heard anything good lately? Here's a glimpse at my listening pile:

Ataxia AWII
The Nels Cline Singers Draw Breath
Richard Thompson Sweet Warrior
Roy Buchanan The Prophet (The Unreleased First Polydor Album)
Trio of Doom John McLaughlin/Jaco Pastorius/Tony Williams
Maria McKee Late December

New Year, New Changes

2007-01-09T01:45:00.000-05:00

Just a small note to point out a change for the new year: I added a section on the side for links to music blogs and sites worthy of your attention. Mi casa su casa... so feel free to take a look around.

This was probably an interesting conversation:

Two Thousand Six Encomium

2007-01-03T13:19:00.000-05:00

Right, end of year/looking back type of activity... coming right up. Lists? Sure, if we must. Just before midnight we'll pin our lists to the wall and see which has the biggest cock. So, first some things about the year that was 2006:

Rock album you missed this year but really shouldn't have:
The Darkness One Way Ticket To Hell... And Back
Should have been HUGE in '06. This band made me believe again.

Concert of the Year:
Cactus @ B.B. King Blues Club,
Saturday June 3rd
This show found the fourteen year old boy inside of me, brought him out in the open for a hug, and then proceeded to blow his little mind all over Times Square. Guitarist Jim McCarty is one of my original guitar heroes and he certainly still holds court with much pimpdom. Then later he shook my hand and everything, just like he was one of us mortals... Craziness.

Box Set of the Year:
Richard Thompson The Life and Music of Richard Thompson (Free Reed Records)
Five discs of live, alternate, and unreleased RT, a mail-in card towards a sixth disc for initial purchasers, and a booklet - no, book really, that is easily worth a chunk of the purchase price in itself. This is one of those releases that you just know ahead of time is going to kick ass, and then when it does come out it's so very much better than you ever imagined it could be.

Runner-up for Concert of the Year:
Petra Haden & the Sell Outs @ Tonic, Friday October 27th
Petra is like an angel. This show felt like an event, like you wanted to hold your breath until each song ended.

Laziest Attempt at Creativity: Beck with the artwork for his album The Information Just give the kids some graph paper and some stickers, they'll be fine.

Continually offending the eleven year old inside of me: Prince I know you can still kick ass, I just know it...

And in the "Are they kidding themselves or what?" area:
The Darkness, or what remains of The Darkness, seem to believe they can still carry on as a group without lead singer Justin Hawkins. Yeah, we'll see you in '07 boys...

Finally, some records I listened to a bunch in '06:

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
Juliana Hatfield - Made in China
Wolfmother - s/t
The Tom Collins - Daylight Tonight
The Darkness - One Way Ticket To Hell... And Back
Joe Kennedy - Van Cortlandt Park
Humbert - Plant The Trees Closer Together
Mr. Rudy Day - Duty
TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain
Tom Verlaine - Songs And Other Things
Jamie Lidell - Multiply
Nutria - Metronome
Richard & Linda Thompson - Pour Down Like Silver (the Island reissue version)
John Frusciante - Inside Of Emptiness and Curtains (not new releases, but never not fresh)
Les Paul - Crazy Rhythms, The Legendary Fred Waring Broadcasts, and California Melodies (Les is the king)

See y'all in the '07...

My What A Good Day For A Walk Outside

2006-10-29T01:16:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, Oct 18th - Red Hot Chili Peppers @
Continental Airlines Arena
East Rutherford, NJ

Intro Jam
Can't Stop
Dani California
Scar Tissue
Charlie *
Fortune Faded
21st Century
Parallel Universe
Hump de Bump **
For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her ^
Snow ((Hey Oh))
Nobody Weird Like Me
Wet Sand
London Calling >
Right On Time
Bass Solo >
Don't Forget Me
Tell Me Baby
Jam >
Californication
By The Way

Encore:

Under The Bridge
You're Gonna Get Yours >
Give It Away >
Jam

* with Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez (The Mars Volta) on congas
** with Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez (The Mars Volta) on bongos
^ John Solo

This Week In Purple: Songs Prince Should No Longer Perform

2006-10-08T02:53:00.000-04:00

Let's Go Crazy

That Still Hot Smoking Gun

2006-10-03T16:40:00.000-04:00

Saturday, Sept 30th - Eric Clapton @ Madison Square Garden

Electric Set:

Pretending >
I Shot The Sheriff >
Got To Get Better In A Little While
Old Love *
Everybody Oughta Make A Change >
Motherless Children

Sit Down, Acoustic/Electric Set:

Back Home
I Am Yours
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
Running On Faith

Electric Set:

After Midnight >
Little Queen Of Spades
Further On Up The Road
Wonderful Tonight
Layla >
Cocaine

Encore:

Crossroads **

Eric Clapton - Guitar, Vocals
Doyle Bramhall II - Guitar, Vocals
Derek Trucks - Guitar
Willie Weeks - Bass
Steve Jordan - Drums
Chris Stainton - Keyboards
Tim Carmon - Keyboards
Michelle John - Backing Vocals
Sharon White - Backing Vocals

Robert Cray - *Guitar; **Guitar, Vocals

There Is None Greater

2006-09-13T03:27:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, Sept 12th - Jeff Beck @ Hammerstein Ballroom

01 Beck's Bolero
02 Stratus
03 You Never Know
04 Cause We've Ended As Lovers
05 You Shook Me *
06 Morning Dew *
07 Behind The Veil
08 Two Rivers
09 Star Cycle
10 Big Block
11 Nadia
12 Angel (Footsteps)
13 Blast From The East
14 I Ain't Superstitious *
15 A Change Is Gonna Come *
16 Scatterbrain
17 Led Boots
18 Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (Intro) >
19 Brush With The Blues
20 Blue Wind

21 Goin' Down *
22 Scottish One

23 Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Jeff Beck: Guitar
Randy Hope-Taylor: Bass
Jason Rebello: Keyboards
Vinnie Colaiuta: Drums
Beth Hart: Vocals *

One Week, Three Guitars (part three)

2006-09-09T23:57:00.000-04:00

Tuesday May 23rd
Nels Cline/Andrea Parkins/Tom Rainey @ Tonic

I know it's crazy to attempt writing in September about a show that took place in May, but it's par for the course around here when you think about it really. The deal is though that I'm about to see Mr. Jeff Beck on Tuesday and I thought it best to finish this past series of reviews whilst I still had my wits about me. This trio is one of guitarist Nels Cline's improvising projects, featuring Andrea Parkins on keyboards & accordian and Tom Rainey on the drums. Improv gigs are always hit or miss affairs for me but put Nels' name on the bill and I'm there. This last part of Spider Wisdom often puts me exactly where I need to be.

I'll keep this review to the point and say that this gig was a good one, probably even the best improv gig I've seen Nels take part in. The set was made up of five or so pieces which resembled composed numbers rather than revealing their true improvised nature. The overall sound was quite cohesive, even as each musician placed their firm stamp on the material. Nels seemed to be the clear leader of the trio, and this could be a clear case of projection but Nels seemed to revel in the freedom of the material. That boy was on fire. Nels has brought quite an interesting edge to Wilco over the past two years, but I do miss instances like these where Nels has free reign to indulge in his fretboard destruction. Hmmm, Nels and his fretboard destruction... Good stuff.

Nels, Andrea and Tom have a cd out of their collective improv magic music called Ash And Tabula which is well worth checking out. Apparently the trio attempts to gig once a year at Tonic here in NYC, though this is the first time I've caught them. Have I been slacking? It seems odd that a Nels Cline gig would slip by the ol' Spider. Hmmm...

All photos on this page were taken by Stefano Giovannini at Tonic in 2003 and stolen from Nel's Gallery. Stop by and see lots and lots of Nels.

Now I'm off to have the ol' brain blown out by Mr. Jeff Beck...

What Becomes Of All The Little Boys Who Run Away From Home

2006-08-17T03:27:00.000-04:00

More Tom Waits recordings? Oh yes... please, and thank you. A little "Johnsburg, Illinois", or perhaps "On The Nickel"? No doubt. Throw in a little Hank Williams Sr. and I think we're talking about a good time here. I ain't allowed in Buzz Fledderjohn's yard.

Shite I heard Wednesday, 8/16/06:

Peter Gabriel - Passion Outtakes (bootleg, studio & field recordings)

Tom Waits - Live @ Kninklijk Theater Carré, Amsterdam 11/21/04 (bootleg, FM broadcast)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium/Mars (album, 2006, disc two)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Live @ the Silver Bowl Sports Complex, Las Vegas, NV 7/2/05 (bootleg, Audience recording)

Tom Waits - Live @ House Of Blues, Cleveland, OH 8/13/06 (bootleg, Audience recording)

We All Said You Would

2006-08-16T03:37:00.000-04:00

Shite I heard Tuesday, 8/15/06:

Richard Thompson - Across A Crowded Room (album, 1985)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Live @ Fliegende Bauten, Hamburg, Germany 4/24/06 (bootleg, FM broadcast)

Wolfmother - s/t (album, 2006)

The Tom Collins - Daylight Tonight (album, 2005)

I Used To Know Just What I Wanted And Just Where To Go

2006-08-15T03:13:00.000-04:00

More than ever I could use a coincidence...

Shite I heard Monday, 8/14/06:

Richard & Linda Thompson - Hokey Pokey (album, 1975)

the Sundays - Live @ Town & Country Club, London, England 12/7/92 (bootleg, Audience recording)

Tom Waits - Live @ Opera House, Detroit, MI 8/11/06 (bootleg, Audience recording)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium/Jupiter (album, 2006, disc one)

I Was Thinking Of Singing This Song For You

2006-08-14T03:20:00.000-04:00

Shite I heard Sunday, 8/13/06:

Tom Waits - Live @ the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA 3/29/98 (bootleg, Audience recording)

Tom Waits - Live @ the Tenco Festival, San Remo, Italy 11/22/86 (bootleg, Audience recording)

Beck - Live @ Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ 9/1/96 (bootleg, Audience recording)

Wilco - "Impossible Germany", "What Light", "Let's Fight", "Walken" (new tunes, Live @ Lollapalooza 2006, bootleg)

Let's Get This Right, Let's Fight

2006-08-13T03:12:00.000-04:00

I haven't paid much mind lately to Wilco. They've just been on tour way too damn long. I was excited when A Ghost Is Born came out. I was excited when the tour started, and was excited about the new line-up of the band. I mean, Nels Cline. Say no more. They came around enough the first year or so of touring this record that I was able to see them four times. Then they kept on touring. Following the bootlegs and setlists got boring. Blah, blah, blah... It's one of the travesties of the modern music age: the two years or so of touring some bands put into a record. You could practically fit the entire career of Cream into the A Ghost Is Born touring period that Wilco has been embarked on. Ridiculous. This week though a few recordings from Lollapalooza have been circulating, including one of Wilco's set from last Sunday that I couldn't help but grab. The setlist looked short and, most importantly, featured four new songs. The second song in the set is a new one called "Impossible Germany". Having not followed the new songs as they've entered the setlists this sucker took me for surprise. I know now the wait will be justified, a new album by Wilco will be very grand indeed. Not that I ever doubted that mind you, I just want them to get to it. Having Brother Nels on board is going to take the whole thing to another level. The guitar interplay on "Impossible Germany" is simply scrumptious. It's great to find these little things from time to time which reignite one's excitement towards something. Play on, Brother Nels, play on... Just promise to use some of that Wilco money to bring the Nels Cline Singers back to NYC. Seriously, I want that promise...

Shite I heard Saturday, 8/12/06:

Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (album, 1974)

the Sundays - Live @ Union Chapel, London, England 12/11/97 (bootleg dvd, Audience recording)

Tom Waits - Live @ the Apollo, London, England 11/23/04 ("Real Gone In London" bootleg dvd, Audience recording)

Tom Waits - Bone Machine (album, 1992)

Wilco - Live @ Lollapalooza, Grant Park/Butler Field, Chicago, IL 8/6/06 (bootleg, Audience recording)

Don't Let Nobody Go There For You

2006-08-12T03:00:00.000-04:00

Friday marked four years of Brooklyn living for the ol' Spider. No deep thoughts on that for the moment, but I do welcome you to submit your thoughts on the matter. I will however offer you a slice of life from my "living off the Q train" days...

A Scene from Urine Nation
The Q train needs no maintenance of its squalor. Its odors are secure and its debris has achieved a sense of permanence that most human relationships merely strive for. Things were as you sometimes find them in the city: a drizzle from the sky, huddled shoulders, twilight scurrying, and crowded subway entrances where most are walking up the down side of the stairs, forcing the impatient throng to stand just that much longer under the grey leaking sky.

The destination was a movie, or a dinner with friends, or possibly even a show. Incidents such as this did not occur with the rarity which makes the details of one particular evening stand out from another. But we were on the Q heading uptown and things seemed both dim and orange. Orange and brown, orange and dirt... the dimness and orange-ness of the scene were pervasive.

It’s easy to ascertain on a train those who are headed “out” and those headed in, homeward bound and work exhausted. The drooping eyelids are a familiar contrast to the bright-eyed excitement and the combination imbibes one with a sense of comfort. It’s easy to ascertain on a train those who are “out” also, the eyelids do not droop but rather fall and the exhaustion is one of a different breed, that of survival.

There was one who was “out” directly across from us on the train. It was hard to discern due to the man’s proximity but the train did somehow manage to maintain its own odor distinct from that of this sleeping individual. His odor was merely a contributing factor, though a strong one, to the ambience of the train car. Not many looked upon him any more than a glance given when boarding the train, most removed themselves to a connecting car immediately. But we didn’t seek to change cars; we held hands as we talked of one thing or another, the eyes of my companion seeming especially bewitching in moments such as this.

Within the span of seconds our “out” fellow passenger went from a state of deep unconcerned sleep, sprawled out across two-thirds of the bench with one leg hanging off cutting into the aisle, to a sudden sitting up position, looking as though a mighty alarm had just sounded and he had been expecting it. Without making eye contact with any passengers or assessing his exact whereabouts the man stood unsteadily and walked over to the doors of the car and leaned in against them for support. My immediate thought was that he was going to step off at the next stop and leave all of his possessions, two Key Food shopping bags of indeterminate appropriation, aboard the train, and I kept an eye on the man to see if his actions would meet my prediction.

The arms of the man could be seen in motion from my position behind him and a new thought ran though me suddenly, seemingly at the same moment that a similar realization occurred to my companion, who turned her head into my shoulder and murmured muted words. The man’s purpose was revealed as urine splashed against the subway door and back onto the man’s legs, forming in a puddle at his feet before coursing down the aisle of the train in accord with the train’s motions. His duty done the man then returned to his seat across from us, still withholding any semblance of eye contact with any fellow passenger. He reclined on the bench, aiming to restore his previous state of comfort, as my companion and I immediately rose and entered the next subway car.

Shite I heard Friday, 8/11/06:

Tom Waits - Live @ the Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL 8/9/06 (bootleg, Audience recording, 1st source)

Tom Waits - Tales From The Underground, Volumes 1 & 2 (bootleg compilation: various collaboration, compilation, out of print, & live tracks)

All The While My Fortune Faded

2006-08-11T02:52:00.000-04:00

As if to really add an explanation point to my last ramble, today two different recordings of last night's Tom Waits show in Chicago entered into circulation. How's that for lag time?? Additionally, a recording of Sunday night's Red Hot Chili Pepper set from Lollapalooza popped up today. Brother John Frusicante is out there killing it. Hoist one for the tapers tonight, the heroes of the underground...

Shite I heard Thursday, 8/10/06:

the Black Crowes - Live @ Deer Creek Amphitheater, Noblesville, IN 7/22/97 (bootleg, Audience recording)

Richard Thompson - Henry The Human Fly (album, 1972)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL 8/6/06 (bootleg, Audience recording)

Young RT

Make It Rain

2006-08-10T02:34:00.000-04:00

Well, some tapes from the recent Tom Waits tour are starting to circulate and I just have to say, what took so long? I mean, I had to wait until a week after the tour started to hear the shows? Slack mofos, I tell ya. It's just not like the old days anymore. In my day we had to wait months, and sometimes longer, for some sort of record show to come around in order to track down bootlegs. Or we would scour the back of Goldmine magazine looking for the good stuff among the classified ads. It was a rarified atmosphere. Most people I knew didn't even know what a bootleg was until I introduced them to the concept. So, those of us that did saved, waited for a record show to come around, and then maybe got lucky in scoring one or two boots to bring home and cherish. Unless the sound quality absolutely sucked, then we cursed ourselves for spending $25 bucks on a single crappy sounding cd.

My particular favorite character from those golden days was a vendor known affectionately by my posse as "Stanky". Stanky was a big, sweaty guy who usually circulated through the South Florida record show circuit, unshowered, selling cassette copies of vinyl and cd bootlegs for 5 or 8 bucks a pop, depending on the quality of the blank tape you were purchasing. You just couldn't beat those prices. And Stanky eventually started bringing a little tape deck along so you could sample the merch before making those hard purchasing decisions. For a while I used this kind of gameplan for the record shows: make the rounds and scope the bounty to potentially be had, select one or two of the pricier original bootleg artifacts (it could be $25 for a bootleg cd/$20 or so for bootleg vinyl, depending on the circumstance), and spend the rest on cassettes from good ol' Stanky. I still have a box full of those Stanky-made cassettes... good listening, good times.

Yes, it was a struggle in my day. And we had to walk twenty miles in the snow each way to get there and back as well. Nowadays it's a click here, a click there, and kazow, there you are listening to not one but two Tom Waits shows which occurred within the very last week! From a tour taking place miles from where you live, in towns which you have no wheels to ride to! Damn. So, days like today are nifty. Tom Waits is one of the kings among kings, an epic fellow, and always worth the money, effort, and travel time to see in concert. And for those of us who could not take part in the flesh this time around there are recordings like the following. Thank you tapers, developers of the high speed modem, developers of the lossless sound file, and inventors of the cd-r. Come to think of it, I don't miss those record shows too much at all...

Sound is better on the Nashville recording than on the Asheville tape. Alternate tunes in the setlist make both essential though. Hopefully more tapes will surface from this brief, glorious tour. I mean, really, what's taking so long?

Shite I heard Wednesday, 8/9/06:

Tom Waits - Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN 8/5/06 (bootleg, Audience recording)

Tom Waits - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville, NC 8/2/06 (bootleg, Audience recording)

I Get Lonesome

2006-08-09T02:06:00.000-04:00

Shite I heard Tuesday, 8/8/06:

Beck - Live at the El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, CA 12/16/97 (bootleg, Soundboard recording)

Radiohead - OK Computer (album, 1997)

Shudder To Think - Ten Spot (album, 1990)

Shudder To Think - Funeral At The Movies (album, 1991)

Shudder To Think - Get Your Goat (album, 1992)

Once Is Enough

2006-08-08T02:54:00.000-04:00

Shite I heard Monday, 8/7/06:

Radiohead - Live Et Al Redux (m.d.b. compilation/live & b-sides)

Maria McKee - Live @ Dingwalls, London, England 9/16/98 (bootleg, Audience recording)

Lyle Lovett - He's Got Lights In His Fingers (bootleg, alternate takes & demos for the first 3 albums)

If I Ever Get Lucky

2006-08-07T02:31:00.000-04:00

Shite I heard Sunday, 8/6/06:

Watched/heard some of the following bands over the Lollapalooza webcast today:

The Redwalls *not bad
She Wants Revenge
Andrew Bird

Robert Plant - Live @ Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles, CA 11/1/90 (bootleg, Soundboard recording)

Teenage Cancer Trust Benefit (Robert Plant & the Strange Sensations, Jimmy Page with the Paul Weller Band) - Royal Albert Hall, London, England 2/9/02 (bootleg, Audience recording)

Robert Plant with Jools Holland - Live on BBC Radio 2, London, England 12/1/03 (bootleg, Broadcast recording, 2 songs)

Noah's Ark Might Confuse You

2006-08-06T03:29:00.000-04:00

It just might, you never know...

Shite I heard Saturday, 8/5/06:

Jimmy Page with Solid Ground - Cristal Bay Club, Reno, NV 5/29/91 ("Up In Smoke" bootleg, Soundboard recording)

Richard Thompson Band - Live on Scottish TV 8/16/99 (bootleg .mpeg, TV broadcast)

Richard & Linda Thompson - Live @ Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, England 4/25/75 (bootleg, Audience recording)

Beat The Retreat - Songs By Richard Thompson (tribute album, 1994)

I Gotta Tell You You Been Wasting My Time

2006-08-05T03:40:00.000-04:00

I don't know how many people I could get behind me on this one, but I really think there needs to be some kind of rally... some kind of effort to convince Jimmy Page to write some new material. For much of the past decade Jimmy has been focused mainly on being a family man, with a few archive Zep releases and some charity work to round out the picture. That's cool. But this man has a certain something that the rest of us need, which is the music. He has a certain way with the guitar that is genuine and unique. It would be great to see a new album along the pattern of 1988's Outrider (a mixture of instrumental and vocal numbers) followed by a tour which encompassed his entire career (incidently, as the tour for Outrider did). I've been fortunate enough to see ol' James Patrick three times in concert, and I'll just say this much: when Page is on you simply cannot deny him. So, please Jimmy, pick up your guitar, work out the rustiness, work up some material, put together a band, and bring it to the people. We need it. Well, I do at least, and everyone else just hasn't realized yet that they do too. But when it hits, they'll know. Oh, they'll know...

Shite I heard Friday, 8/4/06:

Bob Dylan - Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue (official live album, "The Bootleg Series Vol. 5", 2002)

Tom Waits - Real Gone (album, 2004)

Ween - Peel Sessions, February 1992 (bootleg, FM broadcast)

Jimmy Page - Live @ Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX 9/14/88 (bootleg, Audience recording)

Richard & Linda Thompson - "Night Come In" (song, studio & live versions, Pour Down Like Silver reissue w/ bonus tracks, 1975/2004)

I Am Your Little Tin Soldier

2006-08-04T02:11:00.000-04:00

No spiel, just the facts...

Shite I heard Thursday, 8/3/06:

Dinosaur Jr - Live @ the Orpheum Theater, Boston, MA 10/29/94 ("Monsters Eat Orpheum" bootleg, audience recording)

Jamie Lidell - Multiply (album, 2005) *twice

Foamfoot - Live @ the Troubadore, Hollywood, CA 1/8/94 (bootleg, Soundboard recording)

People On The Street There Are Many Many

2006-08-03T02:17:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to pick up Jamie Lidell's Multiply for awhile now, but when I finally crawled out of the Spider lair to make the effort it turned out that not too many stores seemed to have it. OK, really I found it at the second store I went to, just over the Brooklyn Bridge in ol' Mannahatta. Turns out Multiply has a little bit of everything on it: a little soul, a little funk, a little experimentation, and even a few bona fide "singles". I'm not sure about some of it, but so far I'm digging most of it. There's a nice homemade feel to the album, missed notes and all. Very worthwhile. Still didn't keep me from giving Pour Down Like Silver another spin though...

Shite I heard Wednesday, 8/2/06:

Jamie Lidell - Multiply (album, 2005)

Richard & Linda Thompson - Pour Down Like Silver (album, 1975)

Jamie Lidell - Multiply (album, 2005) *3 more times...

All Of My Friends Don't Comprehend Me

2006-08-02T01:03:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I get these strange sensations when certain bands break-up. Being somewhat of a failed guitarist/songwriter myself, at times I get from these things a strange sense of solace even as my little fanboy heart is breaking. It's the solace of, "Well, if that band can't get enough attention and encouragement to survive, and they're that much better than what I do musically, than no wonder I've had such luck." The current band bringing this about is The Tom Collins, who in recent months seem to have broken up. The Tom Collins kick so much ass, and their recent Daylight Tonight kicks so much ass, it really came as a surprise to hear that they had broken up. I was expecting them to begin taking over the world with this record. I was waiting for a NYC show. Alas, it's not to be. But when a band like The Tom Collins can't survive how could I be surprised at the failure of my own projects? I'd rather have the band to listen to than the kind of solace I'm talking about, believe me there. Shite, I promised to myself I wouldn't use the Spider page to talk about my own manipulations. Oh well, file this one under "rant".

Shite I heard Tuesday, 8/1/06:

The Tom Collins - Live @ Criminal Records, Atlanta, GA 10/2/05 (bootleg, Audience recording) *Everytime I put this on I seem to listen to it about two or three times in a row - it's both a hot set and a short one. Today I think I listened to it about three times in a row...

Ani DiFranco (with Prince) - "Providence" (song, 1999)

Ducknapped! featuring The Richard Thompson Band Live! (official live record, recorded Spring 2003)

Richard Thompson Band Live! - Semi-Detached Mock Tudor (official live record, recorded November 1999)

Richard & Linda Thompson - "For Shame Of Doing Wrong" (song, version from the "Hard Luck Stories" bootleg, live in '82 @ the Bottom Line)

Richard & Linda Thompson - Shoot Out The Lights (album, 1982)

I'm No Good

2006-08-01T03:51:00.000-04:00

It seems at times that I haven't learned much in this life, but I'll tell you one thing I know for sure: doing too much genealogical research in a day will cause you to see census tables in your sleep. It's true. Really.

Shite I heard Monday, 7/31/06:

Richard & Linda Thompson - Live @ Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, England 5/1/77 ("The Madness Of Love" bootleg, Audience recording)

Richard & Linda Thompson - Live @ the Bottom Line, NYC 5/17/82 ("Hard Luck Stories" bootleg, Soundboard recording)

Richard Thompson Band - Park West, Chicago, IL 10/17/86 & BBC Radio One 2/1/88 ("Straws In The Wind" bootleg, Soundboard recording)

I Wish I Was A Fool For You Again

2006-07-31T16:25:00.000-04:00

Out and about on Sunday, so no new spiels for the site here, and not too much listening to tunes time. And what I did listen to was on repeat! Oh well...

Shite I heard Sunday, 7/30/06:

Richard and Linda Thompson - Pour Down Like Silver (album, 1975) *2 or 3 spins

Jamie Lidell - "What's The Use" (song, 2005) *2 or 3 spins

The Charlie Daniels Band - "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" (song, 1979)

Here's Where The Story Ends

2006-07-30T01:43:00.000-04:00

Mellow day in the Spider's lair, reviewing the new Richard & Linda Thompson purchases and letting "Pour Down Like Silver" thoroughly kick my ass. Finally got the cat to take its medicine, now I can sleep...

Shite I heard Saturday, 7/29/06:

Richard and Linda Thompson - Pour Down Like Silver (album, 1975)

Richard and Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (album, 1974)

Richard and Linda Thompson - Hokey Pokey (album, 1975)

The Sundays - Live in Ventura, CA 6/3/93 (bootleg, Audience recording)

Richard and Linda Thompson - Pour Down Like Silver (album, 1975) *yes, again

Night Comes In

2006-07-29T04:09:00.000-04:00

Running errands in the old 'hood Friday I stopped in at ye olde wrecka stow, hoping to pick up a certain record I'd been meaning to grab. Well, no luck for the old Spider on that account, but they did have all three of the 2004 Universal Island Richard Thompson reissues at an extremely cheap price. Joy! So that pretty much determined the course of my day. That, and finding the bakery that sold the best black and white cookies around had been turned into a bright and shiny children's toy store. Dammit! I wanted some kick ass black and white cookies. If Oscar's Pizza closes I'll never go to that neighborhood again.

Shite I heard Friday, 7/28/06:

Richard and Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (album, 1974)

Richard and Linda Thompson - Hokey Pokey (album, 1975)

Richard and Linda Thompson - Pour Down Like Silver (album, 1975)

Richard Thompson - Henry The Human Fly (album, 1972)

Richard and Linda Thompson - Lancaster University, Lancaster, England 10/24/79 (bootleg, Audience recording)

It's So Easy

2006-07-28T02:16:00.000-04:00

Not the largest selection on today's menu, but this is what I got into today. Man, Brother John Frusciante is in a good place right now. That boy makes for some good listening...

Shite I heard Thursday, 7/27/06:

Beck - El Cid, Los Angeles, CA 5/5/05 (bootleg, "Cinco de Becko" 106.7 KROQ FM broadcast)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Live at Bercy, Paris, France 6/9/06 (bootleg, Audience recording)

Paul Westerberg - Stereo (album, 2002)

Short Attention Span Theatre

2006-07-27T13:45:00.000-04:00

So, we've all seen by now that the ol' Spider just isn't that quick with the postings around here. There are concerts attended and albums bought needing to be reviewed. I'll get to it all soon enough, hopefully. For now though, in an effort to say hello to the world and post something, here's one of those "this is what I've listened to today" type of posts. Only, I haven't actually listened to anything yet today so it's actually a "this is what I listened to yesterday" type of post. So, have at it. I'll get to workin' on that Nels Cline review...

Shite I heard Wednesday, 7/26/06:

Bad Company - Capital Center, Landover MD 6/29/79 (bootleg/Stereo FM Broadcast)

Trio - Live in der Waldbuehne, Berlin 6/4/82 (bootleg, supposedly their last show)

Ian Hunter Band with Mick Ronson - The Roxy, Los Angeles, CA 5/20/80 (bootleg/FM Broadcast)

Fantomas - Suspended Animation (album, 2005)

Minutemen - The Punch Line (album, 1981)

Minutemen - What Makes A Man Start Fires? (album, 1982)

Minutemen - Project: Mersh (EP, 1985)

Prince - 1999 (album, 1982)

One Week, Three Guitars (part two)

2006-06-10T03:15:00.000-04:00

Thursday May 18th,
Tom Verlaine @ the Bowery Ballroom

Two nights later, eardrums still slightly sore, I set out for the Lower East Side to catch another rare sensation: a solo gig by Mr. Tom Verlaine. Living in the NYC a few years now I've had a few fortunate opportunities to catch Television in action at Irving Plaza, but Verlaine's last solo gig went down about a year before I arrived. Recent years have been relatively good for Tom Verlaine fans, with reissues of select solo albums (but not all of them, dammit), live appearances with Patti Smith and Television, and in April the release of not one but two new solo albums on Thrill Jockey Records. May brought the first Tom Verlaine solo gigs in five years to promote the new albums, and this was show #3 on the short tour. Accompanying Verlaine were long time partners in crime Fred Smith and Jimmy Ripp (on bass and guitar, respectively) along with newcomer Louie Appel on drums. That dude is a shitkicker who provided a solid foundation for the proceedings, which soon proved to be in need of a solid foundation of some sort.

From the start there was an air of hesitancy coming from the stage. Within a few tunes it was clear that no-one in the band could hear anything that was going on, and the band had a few in-between song conferences on the matter. The interesting thing on this point was that no-one in the band attempted to say anything to the sound crew about it at first. The band was obviously unhappy and many comments were traded amongst themselves about the matter, but for several tunes they simply carried on while the sound crew sat idly on the side of the stage watching the show in full view of the audience. Eventually Mr. Verlaine got on with matters, simply turning his amp up and digging in for a workout on "Kingdom Come". The sound was fine from the audience's perspective throughout the night, so it was a struggle that was watched but not completely understood at first. As Tom kneeled over his pedals mumbling "Fuck", seemingly stalling for time, the sound struggles did become apparent however.

The setlist was largely focused on Songs And Other Things, with a few tunes from Verlaine's earlier solo albums thrown in for good measure. The sparse and delicate "The Scientist Writes A Letter" was nice to hear, despite Tom's tendency to mumble and whisper the lyrics as he went along. Throughout the evening he came across at best like he was slightly afraid of the microphone and at worst like he didn't want to be there at all. At times it was hard to feel like Verlaine was invested in the proceedings at all. Don't get me wrong, it was a good show. But there was a certain energy lacking from the center of the storm. I don't know, I haven't quite figured it out myself. Maybe Mr. Verlaine has some inner turmoil to work out concerning live performance (a vibe I never quite picked up at a Television gig) or maybe it was purely in relation to the sound troubles. Whatever it was, it contributed to a weird vibe overhanging this entire gig.

Now having said that, let's also say that this was still a pretty damn good gig and an interesting one on several levels. Verlaine's solo band has always served as a sort of alternate version of the blueprint laid out in Television (solid drums, Fred Smith laying it down on bass, dual guitar interplay, etc) so it was interesting to check out that dynamic in person. Much has been written on the Tom Verlaine/Richard Lloyd guitar team but probably not so much has been written about the Verlaine/Jimmy Ripp axis. Comparing the two I'd say that Jimmy Ripp's role is much more in the supportive vein, while Richard Lloyd's role is much more aggressive and provocative. In Television the two guitars poke and prod each other as much as they intertwine. Solo, Verlaine has Ripp lay down more of a rhythmic and supportive background so that he can play or not play at his leisure. At times Verlaine would stop playing altogether, pushing his arms out behind his back as he inched onto the tips of his toes towards the microphone while singing. It was this aspect that provided the most interest throughout the evening, allowing Verlaine to be at his minimalist best, picking which notes he wanted to play and when, digging in when he wanted to and pulling back as it suited him. Verlaine's playing demonstrated an awareness of what Ripp was laying down, even if he couldn't hear just what exactly that was!

Some might grumble at the setlist, but I was happy to hear so much of the new album performed live. "From Her Fingers" in particular is one of my favorites and was a treat to hear. The expected calls for "Marquee Moon" were ignored, though "Persia" was offered up for those in the crowd with Television appetites . "Persia" has been played in recent years at Television gigs and has been speculated to be among the tunes that would appear on a new Television record, should one appear. "Clear It Away" hit some sweet spots as well. I was kind of hoping for a tune or two off of Verlaine's other new release, the all instrumental Around, but that didn't happen.

Overall this was a good show with some great playing. Verlaine seems to go out of his way to avoid anything related to the pentatonic scale in his playing, and I think he managed to go without bending any strings at all until the encore! His whole technique seems at times to be a study in modular playing. This kind of shite interests ol' Spider to no end. When the band was able to overcome the monitor situation and dig into the songs the energy level rose accordingly, and by the end of the gig I was sorely wishing I was able to make it to the next night's show at the same venue, so that should tell you something. Weird vibe and all, this was still a good one.

Tidbits:

This was the closest I've ever been able to get to the stage when seeing Verlaine. The crowds at the Television gigs I've seen were quite dense and hard to cut through. The crowd at this gig was pretty thin, and I was able to walk right up to the stage during the opening act and pick out a prime spot.

Yes, "Kingdom Come" is the tune you've probably heard through David Bowie's cover on Scary Monsters. Yes, Tom Verlaine's version is better.

Verlaine's influence on guitarist Nels Cline has been noticeable for years, so it was interesting when at one point Tom picked a butter knife up off of his amp and took it to town on his guitar neck. I don't think Nels got his tendency towards such behavior (with egg whisks and such) from Verlaine, but apparently select guitar wizards enjoy the application of various kitchen implements to their amplified and slightly distorted guitars.

The photo at the top is of course of Mr. Tom Verlaine himself, taken I believe at a Television show back in 2002. He looks much the same these days. The photo below is of Tom and his fellow guitarist-in-crime, Mr. Jimmy Ripp. I am not the photographer of either picture. My talents are more along the lines of finding such photos online and saving them to my hard drive. We all have our skills.

Setlist:

Souvenir From A Dream/ Heavenly Charm/ Orbit/ Documentary/ The Earth Is In The Sky/ Kingdom Come/ The Scientist Writes A Letter/ Shingaling/ Words From The Front/ Nice Actress/ Clear It Away/ Persia

Encores:

Pillow/ From Her Fingers/ All Weirded Out

Up next: Nels Cline in NYC!!!

One Week, Three Guitars (part one)

2006-05-28T23:53:00.000-04:00

It's craziness, I swear. Months go by without a show that gets me off my ass and onto the F train and then there are five within a two week period that I just can't make myself miss. How does that happen? So here I am, eardrums beaten and broken, to tell you what you missed...

Tuesday May 16th, Uli Jon Roth @ B.B. King's Blues Club

So you don't know who Uli is, that's ok. Ol' Spider's here to tell you. Before there was the mediocre "Rock You Like A Hurricane" Scorpions of the '80s there was the very much rocking "Virgin Killer" Scorpions of the '70s. Uli Jon Roth was their Hendrix-meets-Vivaldi inspired lead guitar player during those happenin' years (roughly '74 through '78), and the Scorpions albums from that period secured Uli a spot in the "big four" of guitar players (along with Ritchie Blackmore, Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads) who shaped the state of guitar playing in the '80s and into the '90s even. After the Scorps, Uli continued in his bluesy rock and roll direction for a few albums as Electric Sun (while the Scorps steered towards the middle of the road, and hence a hit single, but that's another story) before venturing further down the classical path. And there he's been, doing his own thing, removed from the spotlight, for a number of years now.

Then last year ol' Uli got up on stage with the Scorps for the first time in twenty-seven years. It must've set off the bug because by year's end Uli had announced a new rock 'n' roll band and tour, set to include Scorpions' bass player between '74 and '90, Francis Buchholz. And yes, the setlist would include vintage Scorpions tunes. Fans rejoiced, er, at least some of them did. You see, remember that whole "removed from the spotlight" thing I was muttering about? Well, the downside of quitting a band before they have their breakthrough hit to arrange Vivaldi's Four Seasons for guitar is that when you decide to do a rock and roll tour twenty-something years later there's no audience waiting for you. Or so a promoter would tell you, and as Uli must've been told, since Uli's U.S. tour wound up consisting of only five or six cities. So if you knew who Uli was, and you lived near one of those few cities, it was all you could do to check out one of those shows. So there I was...

Upon arrival it was easy to see this was your standard "guitar player" crowd, predominately male with the early birds all standing on one particular side of the stage (the side with the backline of Marshall stacks). When Uli emerged to the strains of his "Sky Overture" it wasn't completely unlike Dr. Who stepping out of his time travelling phone booth, oblivious to time and space, same little outfit no matter what the decade of destination. The first half of the show was devoted to material from his Electric Sun days as well as his solo records recorded since then, including "Land Of Dawn", "Firewind", and "Why?". Uli got an early rise out of the crowd by slipping "We'll Burn The Sky" and "I've Got To Be Free" into this early part of the set, two cuts from his days as a Scorp. This first section of the show was closed by a scorching version of Uli's epic "Enola Gay Hiroshima Today", featuring lots of that Hendrix-drenched sonic overload that we all love so much.

After a little mid-set keyboard/drums/bass/keyboard-player-playing-slide-guitar solo/jam thing it was officially time for the hammer to drop. Uli emerged from backstage, gave the keyboard player the nod, and they were off into "The Sails Of Charon". Yup, it was Scorpions time, baby. I'm not sure whether it was due to the timing in the set one way (Uli being warmed up by now) or the other (Uli being rested due to the mid-set break) but it was on, ya'll. Uli proceeded through "Virgin Killer", "Polar Nights", and finally "Dark Lady", really hitting some sweet spots along the way. "Polar Nights" and "Dark Lady" were given extended workouts with Uli descending (ascending?) at one point into Hendrix's "Third Stone From The Sun". Uli's one of those cats who'll light into some complicated and speedy territory while maintaining a look of ease and total comfort the entire time. Bastid.

For the encore the band laid out ferocious versions of "Pictured Life" and "Catch Your Train". I was especially stoked to hear "Catch Your Train", as it was one of the first songs to break through the staunch anti-Scorpions bias that I had developed growing up in the '80s and open my eyes to the wonders of Uli. The night closed with an epic "Fly To The Rainbow" before Uli was off, back to his phone booth. Our eardrums were dull and defeated, but our hearts were satisfied.

Other details...

Uli played through two Marshall stacks and one smaller Fender-looking amp stack. One of his pedals was a three-way selector, enabling him to switch back and forth between the three different stacks. Most of the times when I looked down at that pedal, all three stacks were engaged.

Uli's opening number was "Sky Overture". He introduced the band as "the Sky Band". He played a one of a kind guitar called the "Sky" guitar. The neck pickup of the "Sky" guitar is designed to look like, and function as, an extension of the guitar neck, enabling Uli to hit some sick high notes and harmonics.

I don't know what bassist Francis Buchholz has been up to since he left the Scorpions in the early '90s, but he looked happy as hell to be there.

I spotted the Ghetto Fighters, aka the Allen Brothers, in the crowd. The Ghetto Fighters sang back-up on some later day Hendrix tracks. They looked just like they do in every Hendrix documentary I've ever seen them appear in.

Afterwards Uli came out and held a meet and greet for those who had lingered, and Francis eventually joined him. They graciously posed for pictures, shook hands, and signed album covers, t shirts and ticket stubs for their fans, seeming genuinely appreciative. Uli's a little dude.

Uli confirmed to Spider Wisdom that he would indeed be joining the Scorpions again this summer at a festival in Germany which will be a sort of "Scorpions Celebration" event. Uli also said that talks about recording again with the Scorpions had taken place but that it probably wouldn't happen. Damn it Uli, we were hoping you could help the Scorpions to rock once more.

Openers were called The Lizards, one of the most cliche pile of craps that the ol' Spider's seen in quite a while. I'm talking fringed leather pants, mirror rehearsed moves and a fucking six string bass. Fuck. The drummer was Bobby Rondinelli, who's played with Rainbow, Scorpions, and Black Sabbath at various points of his career. When I was a younger spider I used to watch the crap out of the Rainbow video "Live Between The Eyes", a concert from the Bobby Rondinelli era of the band. I always thought his drum solo was boring, but that the rest of that show rocked. Blackmore is a lunatic. Well, there was Bobby Rondinelli opening for Uli, and I'll let you in on something, a little bit of Spider Wisdom for ya... Even if you have played with Rainbow, the Scorpions, and Black Sabbath, if you are now playing in a band that is the opening act you are not entitled to a drum solo! Opening acts do not get drum solos, got it?! Isn't that written down somewhere? Opening acts do not get drum solos. Headlining acts barely get away with that shit. Anyways, The Lizards were bad, folks, bad and a huge cliche at every turn. Avoid them if you can.

Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter in guitardedness... Mr. Tom Verlaine @ the Bowery Ballroom.

This Week In Purple: 3121

2006-04-30T00:27:00.000-04:00

You knew we'd have to talk about the new Prince record sooner or later. It's no use putting it off any further. This could take awhile, I do go on sometimes, so for those of you who want to cut to the quick I'll give the short version first, and then I'll really get into it. Essentially, 3121 is the sound of Prince pandering. He's made the Prince record that the music industry and the general listening public thought they wanted from him, and boy has it paid off. The record entered the charts at #1. The critics have decreed, "Prince is back!" The public has been largely receptive. The problem? Well, they've all been had.

At best the record is merely okay, a collection of familiar Prince sounds and gimmicks designed to elicit an "I remember when Prince made records that sounded like this" response from the listener. Too bad Lil' Purple spent more time making this collection sound like a "Prince record" than he did working on the actual songs that make up the disc. Not that it's all bad. Two tracks did slip through that are actually worthwhile, the guitar driven "Fury" and the simmering "The Dance". The rest is a mixed bag, so proceed at your own risk. If you really have to throw a few bucks in Prince's direction do this: stop by his NPG Music Club and download the tracks "Glasscutter" and "Silver Tongue". You don't have to be a member, and they'll cost you 99 cents each. These non-album tracks are where you'll find the real proof that Prince is still a creative, talented mofo. "Glasscutter" is an uptempo number with a seriously searing guitar solo, and boy does he get into it. "Silver Tongue" is the opposite side of Lil' P, a sparse piano driven number that delicately hits home. If you still have another 99 cents after that to throw in Prince's direction then you're in luck, because the next single from 3121 is the album's best track, "Fury", and it'll be available to download at Prince's site beginning Monday, May 8th. If he releases "The Dance" as the next single then you'll really have no need for 3121. One could only hope.

"Why," I hear you asking, "Why must you be so harsh? I thought you loved Prince." I do folks, I do. You know the Spider is Prince fan #1. And as such I've listened to the turkey enough to know when he's really delivering the goods. 3121 just isn't it. 3121 is more the result of a fascinating cultural phenomenon wherein the music industry and the general public seem to really want for Prince to be so-called "back". And Prince himself really seems to want to be "back". Hopefully now that everyone has been satiated Lil' Purple can go back to being daring and inventive. But to be fair I will go through this sucka track by track with you, dear seekers of Spider Wisdom, and go over the good, the bad, and the ugly. Be brave, it's not all pretty from here on out.

01) 3121 - The title track reads like a microcosm of the album at large, i.e. much of what is wrong with this track holds true for much of the album. 3121 (the track) is slightly underdeveloped both musically and lyrically, more groove than song really, though to its credit what a groove it is. For this track Prince brought back the rhythm section from the greatest version of the N.P.G., Michael Bland on drums and Sonny Thompson on bass, to lay it down. And lay it down they do, but I can't help but feel that they're wasted on this track. Their presence is greatly appreciated, but even they can't save this track. The groove never develops into a real tune, serving more as a general invite from Prince into his present musical landscape. He's brought back his legendary Camille voice for 3121, so you know Prince really is trying to please ya. He does manage a scorching guitar solo, but that and the mighty original N.P.G. still fail to raise the tired groove into something substantial. The lyrics are the worst part, and as with the Camille appearance, another revelation of where Prince is ultimately coming from here. The lyrics are an invite to come party at Prince's rented L.A. mansion, origin of the 3121 address. Unfortunately he manages to both paraphrase The Eagles' "Hotel California" for one refrain and reference the fall of the Berlin Wall in another. And I quote, "It's going down, people/Like the wall of Berlin". Um, you mean like it went down 15 or so years ago? Yeah, I gathered by the Camille voice. Jeez...

02) Lolita - Things take a turn for the worse with the this track, an attempt at the sort of bouncy synth driven pop that he achieved on tracks like "Soft And Wet" in the past. Too bad he forgot to finish the tune, as the song lacks any real chorus or bridge. Not to mention that thematically Prince already covered this topic (in a much better manner, I might add) with "What Do U Want Me 2 Do?" on Musicology. Moving on...

03) Te Amo Corazon - Alright, if you've been to Spider Wisdom before then you're aware I reviewed this track (and not positively) when it was released as the first single off of 3121. In the context of the actual album though Te Amo Corazon actually works much better, standing as one of the few tracks with a "band" feel to it on the album. The lyrics are a bit trite though ("At once when I first laid eyes on you/I saw heaven and earth anew/Everyone else saw my brown eyes no longer blue") ultimately rendering the track a bit sophomoric. Relatively though the track is essentially a harmless little love song with a nice little guitar solo. Nothing too substantial, but not too damaging either.

04) Black Sweat - Here Prince harkens back to the minimalist sound of his earlier hit "Kiss". All drum machine, synth, and vocals, Prince extols you here to work up a black sweat while at the same time letting you know that ultimately you'll be "screaming like a white lady". Huh? I don't know either, but this track is pretty harmless and a little fun. I don't love it, but it's an alright track and the lyrics do contain the best in-joke/old school reference on the disc. If you have to ask, you'll never know.

05) Incense And Candles - An obvious attempt to sound contemporary and competitive, here Prince mainly comes off sounding confused. On one hand he wants you to know that "one scent alone make it worth your while/the price of Prince's candle", but then he says "I know you want to take off all your clothes/but please don't do it". Have your religious convictions turned you all tease on us Prince? The melody on the verse is kind of promising, but ultimately wasted here. And the early '90s Cher vocoder on the vocals? Come on P, you're killing me.

06) Love - I like this track a good deal. One of the better tracks here. A nice expression of familiar Prince themes over a synth driven uptempo track, with additional vocals from his most recent prodigy, Tamar Davis. The end-section devolves into a groove in much the way that many tracks on the 1979 Prince album do, invoking a disco dance floor-like sensation around the listener. I don't love it, but it's not bad either. In this company though it stands tall.

07) Satisfied - A soul ballad seeking to expand on the longstanding genre of "Ladies, I will rock you in the sack" type of Prince song, only this time Lil' P tries to claim that he "ain't talkin' about nothing physical". Umm, right. Prince definitely comes across conflicted on 3121. He wants to sex you in the old-school way, or at least he's aware that that's what you want as the listener here. But Prince is too old for that, he's married, he's a Jehovah's Witness, so somehow it's not too proper. This conflict renders tracks like this impotent, even though musically speaking the track isn't too bad. It's just that he covered this territory much better on Musicology with "Call My Name" and "On The Couch". If you ignore the lyrics and don't think too deeply about it though, this track will go down smooth and easy.

08) Fury - Fury is the real meat on this bone. This is the track that shocked you on SNL back in February, with Prince laying down all that killer guitar. Here the track is more synth driven, but there's still plenty of guitar here. I can't help but wish he had brought in Michael B. and Sonny T. on Fury though. That might've elevated this track to Chaos And Disorder status. As it is though this is the album's most happening, and most genuinely "Prince", moment. Interesting lyrics and I'll say it again, all that killer guitar. Fury at some points recalls an Electric Ladyland-like tone in the guitar work, and that's not a bad thing. Prince is at his best when he lets his guitar steer the ship, and that's what you get here. This track is what it's ultimately about with Prince, and it's what you as a listener are ultimately looking for. Good stuff. Check it...

09) The Word - And then he descends into evangelical mode, and the album really starts to sink. I mean, "Get up, come on, let's do something/Don't you wanna go get saved?" Are you kidding me? Musically The Word is fairly harmless and nondescript, and the guitar is once again fabulous, but ultimately what sinks it are the lyrics. "We gotta safeguard against the forked tongue and the treachery of the wicked one," anyone? Um, no thanks.

10) Beautiful, Loved And Blessed (Duet with Tamar Davis) - Continuing on with the God theme, this track almost works at surface level. A non-descript soul duet featuring Prince's lastest protege, musically this is a actually a pretty pleasant track. But then you catch a whiff of the lyrics. "All I needed was the potter's hand/And the blood on Calvary," anyone?? Um, no thanks. Some nice subtle guitar work from Lil' P towards the end of this one... Essentially a harmless tune at surface level. Just tune out the lyrics and you'll be fine!

11) The Dance - This one is built in the simmer and build mode of past tracks like "The Beautiful Ones". The Dance doesn't necessarily take the model to the next level, but the track works extremely well. One of the few tracks on 3121 featuring Prince's piano playing (most of the album is synth city, baby) The Dance also features classic Clare Fischer orchestration and Prince playfully bouncing his own vocals off himself. Deserves much better than to be burried in the bottom third of this album. Hope he releases this one as the next single. "If I can't be your lover I don't wanna be friends, no". Amen brother. After "Fury", the best track on the album.

12) Get On The Boat - Another of the few band cuts on the album, here Prince gets the best out his new rhythm section, Joshua & Cora Coleman Dunham (yes, they're married) on bass and drums respectively. This track is uptempo and funky, with nice percussion work from Sheila E. and horn from none other than Maceo Parker, but again the lyrics are quite the buzzkill. More religious evangelism from Lil' P, and really there's been enough of that already, both on this album and in the larger sense of the last ten years of his career. With more clever lyrics this could've been a fun track. As it is, it's not a boat I wanna get on anytime soon.

So there you have it. I thought there might be something deep and poetic I could say about all of this, but I guess not. Here's hoping the tour is outstanding. Remember, when in doubt just check it out for yourself. Or just peep the tracks I highlighted. Either way is good, because really a little new Prince is good for all of us. Ain't that the truth, Ruth? Shut up already, damn! Alright then...

Les in the City

2006-02-25T16:34:00.000-05:00

When I first visited NYC at the tail end of August 2001 I had only one thing on my "to do" list: seek out Les Paul and watch him play that magical guitar of his. I found him at the Iridium, an upscale jazz club near Times Square, where he was holding court as he does every Monday night: in good humor and with dazzling style. It certainly was a heady introduction to the big city just being in the same room with such a cat as Les, let alone getting to see him do his thing and then shake his hand and say "Thanks" afterwards. As great as the evening was though it's taken me years to get back to see Les, and I'm embarrassed to admit it. It's a combination of a certain New York City syndrome, where living in such a town you begin to take what it offers you for granted, with the pure ecomonics of it, I think. I mean, it certainly isn't cheap to pop in at the Iridium. One can hardly make a casual evening of it. But it's Les Paul, man. Shouldn't we all be there every week? Fortunately I have a woman both wise and cool enough to drag me out of my fog and back down to the Iridium a few weeks back for some birthday celebrating with good ol' Les.

One thing about Les Paul is that humor seems to pore from him. Les has always maintained a playful nature within his guitar style, and over the course of a set with Les one picks up on the fact that his approach to the music is simply an extension of his personality. The man is hilarious. His between song banter is peppered with jokes, and he delights in dropping one-liners and quips into a tune in order to break the concentration of his bandmates. At Les' side as always were Lou Pallo on rhythm guitar and Nicki Parrott on double bass. Les' band was rounded out by John Colianni on piano, which brought an interesting element to the evening's music. The first time around seeing Les he had another guitarist in the band, Frank Vignola, instead of a piano player. That cat had a tough gig, as Les would tell him to take a solo and then just sit there and watch. Les would just stop playing and turn his eyes to the fella's fingers, you know, no pressure or anything! But Frank was up to it, and tonight in turn John Colianni was often on the receiving end of things. John's presence helped the band achieve a sound which at times brought to mind Les' trio of the '40s, especially when they reached back to that Decca era and reprised singles like "Begin The Beguine" and a very nicely played "Blue Skies".

For a guy who once changed the entire way that music is recorded in order to achieve his famous "New Sound" it certainly impresses one watching Les play just how much of his trademark sound is actually in his fingers and in his phrasing. He is one of those few players who can hit just one note and let you know it's them. This distinctiveness is achieved not only in his playing but also in his arrangements, which are often tinged with that playfulness spoken about before along with a sense of drama and flair. And when Les lights into "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" you know the evening is drawing to a close. Les has adapted this tune as one of his signature pieces and this night's version seemed especially sweet and tender. An encore of "How High The Moon" and we were off into the Times Square evening, once again reminded of the magical possibilities of this crazy city. Life when seized can be delicious, my friends. And Les Paul on a Monday night in the city is quite tasty as well. Thanks, cute stuff...

Indie or not Indie? That is the question...

2006-02-09T01:00:00.000-05:00

Spider Wisdom is an outgrowth of several music orientated rants that I posted over in the realm of MySpace. Hopefully it will grow into a forum for more serious forms of music-based writing, but as of today I'm still ranting. The topic is one of importance to Spider Wisdom though (independent music), so I thought I would cross post it over here. Happy reading, my spider friends.

Death of a genre...

Going so long without a rant is making me itchy... and not the good kind of itchy either. So let's talk genre. I don't need to talk down to you, we all know what a genre is, right? OK. Perhaps you've run into one of these two types of people: the type who claims only to listen to "indie" music, or the type who speaks of "indie" like they might speak of a root canal. Both types have a common fallacy: mistaking the term "indie" for a genre. Unfortunately for them "indie" as a genre does not exist. The term "indie" is actually short for "independent". The tag serves to differentiate bands that either form their own labels or who sign with a small label from those who sign with a major label. I don't know how many major labels there are at this point, but once looked into you can essentially trace things back to about five or six corporations who own the whole she-bang. Literally. There is a monopoly on mass culture at its every outlet and to exist successfully outside the system is tough, these days more than ever. Thus the distinction "indie". If you're talking about DIY bands you are talking about the same thing. It's a term to describe the means of creation and distribution of the music you are taking in, whether the process is being carried out independent of the dominating forces that be or not.

Somewhere along the way however people began throwing around the term in an attempt to get a handle on something. Something had to be defined so that something could be sold. Once upon a time they sold you "alternative" music, now they'll sell you ""indie" music. It's marketing. It's management. It works though, because eventually you see that people begin to view this "thing" that has been defined for them. They'll buy an "indie" cd. It becomes a definable demographic. And you begin to see the term "indie" thrown around incorrectly left and right. It's a type of band one person will only listen to. It's a type of band another person will never listen to. It is a thing, to accept or reject. Most folk who throw the term around will invariably follow the term with a couple of examples, and usually at least two of these examples are really a part of the major label system, but somehow perceived as "indie".

Look, there are really only two genres: good music and bad music. Beyond that I think the basic genre classifications are sufficient (jazz, rock, blues, etc). These days though everyone wants to be seen as different from what has come before. Not for any innovative reasons mind you, merely difference for the sake of being different. So let's straighten this whole "indie" thing out. There's no such thing as "indie" or "indie rock". Indie is that band playing somewhere in your town tonight, busting their ass to keep their band together while working low wage jobs in order to fund their next recording session. Indie is anything without ties to a major label. The term is inclusive of every genre. Here in Brooklyn there seems to be quite a bit of indie hip hop, for example. The term describes the process. I've seen folks who claim they only listen to "indie rock" and I've seen musicians who want to play "rock, but not indie rock". These people have all been misled. Just smile kindly at them and let them go on their way. It's not really their fault, and come on, they're really only harmful to themselves aren't they?

Here are some examples of real "indie" music, great bands or musicians existing outside of the major label system who most likely would love your interest. In a little nod to the MySpace world this feature is on bands with a MySpace page to peruse. Right now there are tons of "indie" musicians in a wide variety of genres putting up their music on MySpace. Check out their tunes, go to their gigs, and buy their cds. It has an importance these days beyond what I can convey. We live in dire times, folks. These are a few of the artists/bands from which I draw inspiration:

Humbert

These guys are based in South Florida, a particularly harsh musical landscape, where they create dark, melodic pop rife with harmonies and splashed with a dash of rock. I'll have more to say about them when their new cd finally arrives (Hello Humbert, I'm talking to you. Fernie? Hello?). Humbert grew out of a band called I Don't Know, one of the best bands of the South Florida scene in the early nineties.

Mr. Rudy Day

Mr. Rudy Day is a band, not an individual. They are based out of Chicago and they may be one of the best things happening out there. Mr. Rudy Day's music is funky (not in the negative way), rock-ish, sensitive, and silly... but it ain't no joke, fo' sure. Guitar/Bass/Drums/Vocals. Their new cd Duty is one of the main things I'm listening to these days. My words are inadequate. Hear them now, thank me later.

Troy Von Balthazar

Troy was/is the frontman for a band you've never heard of called Chokebore. They simply are/were one of the best bands ever. As in, of all time. Originally based in Los Angeles (by way of Hawaii), they were so good they had to leave this country for foreign shores. Then they were so good they had to break up. Does this make sense to you? It's an unjust world. Now Troy has a solo project out, and if you can find it, get it. One of the few lyricists who could be called a poet without it being an insult.

The Tom Collins

These guys are a rare commodity these days, a genuine rock and roll (and not in the negative sense) band. The Tom Collins make my big toe shoot up in my boot. Riffs, drums, guitars, yes!! Another band I listen to all the time lately. Based out of the Atlanta/Athens area and soon to take over the world. Don't miss out.

Nutria

Another band from the Athens scene. Nutria sprang from the late great band The Possibilities, which is quite a legacy to attempt moving on from. They aspire to create pop/rock on the level of classic '60s and '70s pop. Think harmonies, keyboards, guitars and hooks, baby. Their debut disc Metronome is rock solid. Great songs, great production, and all-around recommended.

Joe Kennedy

Joe Kennedy creates pop in the classic Brian Wilson/Beach Boys mode. He's made a living playing behind folks like Pete Yorn, and his debut album came out last year on a European label. More good music having to go overseas to find an outlet! Look for a more detailed review in the near future here at Spider Wisdom.

Carla Bozulich

Carla fronted one of my favorite bands of the '90s, The Geraldine Fibbers. She has a new record coming out soon which will mark her first release of original music since the Scarnella record with Nels Cline back in '99. Carla always brings the passion and the fury. And it's always worth checking out what she's up to.

Southern Bitch

It's hard for me to get out of here without mentioning at least one more Athens band. The Athens scene is a rich one and I could easily go on about a bunch of bands from that area, but that's for another day. For now, there's Southern Bitch. Rock. Southern Rock (but not in a Lynyrd Skynyrd kind of way). Good stuff. On tour in February, check their page for the dates.

The Witnesses

And I couldn't get out of here without mentioning a New York band, seeing as I'm writing from the heart of Brooklyn. The Witnesses make rock and roll in an old school kind of way. Obvious comparisons would be the Stones or the Black Crowes (before they went psychedelic). One of the few New York bands I've heard since moving here that doesn't suck. Souful, with swagger.

I could go on and on, and I feel genuinely bad for excluding any bands escaping my pen at the moment. But this should provide you with a place to start. Genuinely "indie" bands. Great music. And now you know.

Introducing the "Jam of the Week"

2006-01-27T18:33:00.000-05:00

If you know me at all then you know that usually there's a particular tune carrying me through my day's daze, and perhaps at some point you've found yourself on the business end of my speakers having said tune played for you (most likely more than once). I know, you just wanted to stop by for a pre-show drink, or sexual favor perhaps, but that's just how things are in my world. If you don't know me, and therefore can't stop by so easily, just pretend that Spider Wisdom is my living room and kick back while I tell you about the Jam of the Week. Just remember, here that's not my carpet you're spilling your drink on, it's your keyboard.

"Pass Thru" by Mr. Rudy Day

Andy Hopkins is smarter than the rest of us. We all knew that back in the days of Flap. But the music of Mr. Rudy Day, Hopkins' current Chicago-based outfit, is never over-intellectualized. Mostly it seems just right. It's an indefinable quality really. Mr. Rudy Day followed up their first release Juzzle with a collection of live tracks, remixes, and rarities known as the Astro Pop Dance Mix Tape. Closing out the disc is a short breath of fresh air called "Pass Thru". It's a song that lacks any sign of heavy labor, with a feel like the song just dripped off the author's tongue one hazy Sunday morning and onto the recorder. Yet if you tried to write a song like this you'd find the simplicity deceptive, and the feel hard to attain. The music and vocals cascade and bubble along, with a refrain intoning, "I hope that I get to see you when you pass thru." It's nice. The song is just right, yet I always feel that it's never long enough as the song demands multiple plays time and time again. That's when you know it's the jam of the week folks. Astro Pop is out of print, so you may have a hard time tracking this one down. But you can go to the Mr. Rudy Day MySpace page and check out a few tunes from their new cd Duty. That's where I stole this picture of the band from. Tell 'em Spider Wisdom sent you.

Squeeze toy, extinguished by rain...

2006-01-18T22:58:00.000-05:00

Well, hello there. Prepare yourself for a little of the Spider Wisdom. Come on in from the storm and warm up a bit. I've been waiting for you. Where've you been? Lay it on me now, give me the straight story. No? Fine, then I'll just go on about some of the stuff I've been listening to lately. Jump in at any time...

The self-titled Les Paul Trio disc on Laserlight turns out to be a smokin' collection of radio transcriptions from 1947, shortly before Les unleashed his "new sound" unto an unsuspecting world. Often touted either for those sound-on-sound breakthroughs of 1948 or for his roll in the development of the electric guitar, his importance as a guitarist is usually overlooked. These 1947 recordings capture Les live on the radio with his band, sans overdubs or Mary Ford, and show what a formidable force Les had become on his instrument. Les and his band display a hand-in-glove tightness and earn what I believe is an old world distinction, "shit-hot". This disc goes well with another disc called Les Paul Trio that is out on Collectors' Choice containing Les' V-Disc recordings from 1945. You don't find many groups with the fluidity and tightness of Les' trios from the '40s. Pushing the tempos at times to a near-breaking point these recordings possess a sense of urgency which leaves the listener breathless before providing a tender release, usually on the very next track. Les in the '40s was a bomb in the way that Jimi was in the '60s. Craters were left smoking. These recordings are a fragment of the evidence.

Acoustic Guitar Trio, recorded by and consisting of Nels Cline/Rod Poole/Jim McAuley, is a disc I've been looking for for quite some time and it turns out it was right under my nose the whole time. Well, now that I've gotten my grubby paws on it was it worth the wait? you might ask. Yes, yes it was. While often seen these days torturing a Jazzmaster with an egg whisk or waging a mighty war with his effect racks, Nels Cline emerged primarily with an acoustic guitar in his hands with the Los Angeles group Quartet Music in the '80s. Then he heard Sonic Youth, and the rest is history. This set was recorded in September of 2000 in a largely improvised manner, and the disc presents the three guitarists panned center/left/right respectively so that each remains distinctive in the mix. It makes for a sweet listening experience. That is, if acoustic microtonal explorations are your thing. And really aren't they everybody's kind of thing? This one's a keeper. Guitarists Poole & McAuley are new to my ears but they prove to be suitable foils for ol' Nels. I hear there are two more Acoustic Guitar Trio discs recorded and waiting to be released. Dammit Nels! You're hard to keep up with, boy...

Two releases of a bit more recent vintage also feature Nels, and due to the proximity of the recordings they make for an interesting side-by-side listen. Immolation/Immersion is a guitar/sax/drums improv feast featuring Nels Cline, Wally Shoup and Chris Corsano recorded in April of 2005. This one comes at you screaming, and definitely is not for the timid. Improv discs can be hit or miss, often providing glimpses of divine interaction before dissolving without resolution. But these same qualities also render these sessions with a sense of poetry, reflecting as they do the nature of our own volitile, fleeting relationships in this crazy world - brief moments of divine interaction that often dissolve without perfect resolution. Recorded the following month, Wilco's Kicking Television, Live in Chicago features Nels playing within a more concrete compositional framework to stunning results. This record will most likely go down as one of the live records, capturing as it does the "new" line-up of the band firing on all cylinders during the "A Ghost Is Born" tour, a clear highwater mark for the Wilco brand so far. I always thought Tweedy wrote some damn good songs, but I withheld the term "genius" from him until I heard that he had invited Nels Cline to join the group (after a brief period of disbelief, of course). Perfected over a year on the road, "Kicking Television" presents Tweedy's new vision of Wilco to his fans in a blaze of sonic glory. It's kind of interesting to think that this release will be many folk's first platter of Nels, those lucky bastards. Nels has been too long underground. In the context of Wilco Nels bends all of his tricks and sorcery into the confines of Tweedy's songs, bringing the entire proceeding to new heights. Playing with Nels seems to have made Tweedy a bit more bold with his own guitar, and the next Wilco record could be quite interesting. Nels is a player of such breadth that he must truly need the extreme release of a record like "Immolation/Immersion" to counteract the tailored coloring featured on "Kicking Television". Now that the Wilco tour is over, let's all hold our collective breath that he uses some of that Wilco money to fund a tour of the Nels Cline Singers. They haven't been on the east coast since 2002, dammit! That's too long, Brother Nels.

Neil Diamond's 12 Songs is another relatively new release, and a nice one at that. Producer Rick Rubin puts the focus back on Neil as a songwriter and a guitar player and the results are spectacular. This record maintains a casual feel to it, with Rubin's characteristic earthiness in place, despite the "names" backing up Neil's guitar and voice. There are a few Heartbreakers, a Smokey (Hormel, not Robinson), and sixth Beatle Billy Preston, yet the focus is thoroughly on Neil and his tunes. And the tunes are good. Yes, yes they are. Only on the deluxe version (two extra tracks) does one of the guests get a little rambunctious, in the form of Brian Wilson and his wall of vocal coloring on a redux of "Delirious Love". It's a good bit of fun to close out a nice listening experience. Good on ya, Rick. Well done, Neil.

Also in the "Are they still relevant?" department are new single releases by Prince and the Black Crowes. Te Amo Corazon is the new single from Prince's upcoming album, tentatively titled "3121" and... Well, first maybe I should qualify myself before I go much futher. I'm a Prince fan. There aren't many of them these days. Prince's last decade and a half has been a confounding journey for those trying to follow ol' P. I'm the type who will still buy a Prince record sight unseen, on day one. He has that kind of credit with me. And I've followed enough to know that for every "New Power Soul" there's a "N.E.W.S." out there to be found. And I've been a Prince fan long enough (read: I'm getting to be an old fuck) to remember when Prince came hard with his singles, "Raspberry Beret" heralding Around the World in a Day for example, or "Sign of the Times" heralding the album of the same name. Then at some point Prince began what has apparently become an ongoing trend with him, the releasing of a particular ballad as the way to "re-introduce" himself to the general public. Think "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World", "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold", or "The One" if you don't know just what I mean. It never works. Despite their popularity with the female segment of P's listening audience the ballads have never been Prince's strong suit. For every success he's had with the genre (the spectacular "The Beautiful Ones", or "Condition of the Heart" maybe) there are five misfires. So now Prince has a new album to drop finally (he's few and far between lately) and the first single is the ballad "Te Amo Corazon". "Te Amo..." is a mostly lackluster affair featuring string sounds that will be familiar to any fans of "Graffitti Bridge" vintage, an obvious ploy to recall former glories and a red flag at the get-go. P does throw in a little guitar solo to brighten things up, but that's about as far as it goes. Mostly the tune comes and goes without too much of its own volition, playing it straight all the way to the finish line. He's said recently that the single isn't representative of the album, and we can all only hope so. There has been enough evidence among the scattered releases of recent years to discern a light still flickering in Prince's creative house, and the band on his last couple of tours was his hottest since the '93/'94 version of the N.P.G. Too often these days though ol' P tends to aim for the charts and commercial acceptance rather than focusing on pure musical expression. I guess we'll see. The new single is safe and pleasant, but not so exciting. You can still hear the new single here.

The Black Crowes spent 2005 quietly reuniting and regrouping, putting back together the core version of the band and touring throughout the year. Set lists were rotated, Gormans were found, and Marc Ford never looked better. No interviews or press releases have been given out, no mission statement or intent to "comeback" have been expressed. There have been just the shows and the internet gossip. Then in December the band released the first new Black Crowes recording since 2001's "Lions", a timely cover of the chestnut Back Door Santa. Again without statement, the tune was released on the band's official website for free, a reminder of the days of Taller and Christmas releases such as the Gorman led "I Wanna Be Your Man". So where do we find the Crowes as 2006 dawns? Well, in a good place, relatively speaking. Chris' voice betrays the wear and tear of the years slightly, and the recording is a little "Ford-lite", but overall there's nothing here to be too unhappy about. It's a nice sort of "Hello" from band to fan and fuels hopes of further new Crowes recordings. I really dug the Rich Robinson solo release Paper, and he is the main musical motivator within the Crowes, so that portends well for a new BC endeavor. Overall it was a nice little treat for the holidays, and don't we all love treats for the holidays?

Alright, I see you growing cold there, adrift in bored expression... The bargain remains: the straight story or a scintillating, lascivious tale. What shall it be then? Well, the captain of this shipwreck is heading off for now. Perhaps you'll wake me when the words come...

Men are so easy...