Happy Thanksgiving!

On November 25, 1976, the five members of The Band -- Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, and Robbie Robertson - played their last concert together. It was billed as The Last Waltz.

The Thanksgiving Day show (all 5,000 tickleholders were given a full sit-down turkey dinner before the show) was held at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom and was filmed by Martin Scorsese. Besides the official releases, a black and white video of the entire show, filmed from the mixing desk, circulates as a bootleg ("The Lost Waltz") -- and the complete concert is also available. That's what we have here -- from the Mouth of the Beast label. (There does not seem to be any art for the MotB set; there is some here, but it's a different release.) Enjoy the show, Mike!

Disc 1
01 - Up On Cripple Creek
02 - The Shape I'm In
03 - It Makes No Difference
04 - Life Is A Carnival
05 - This Wheel's On Fire
06 - W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
07 - Georgia On My Mind
08 - Ophelia
09 - King Harvest
10 - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
11 - Stage Fright
12 - Rag Mama Rag
13 - Who Do You Love (Ronnie Hawkins)
14 - Such A Night (Dr. John)
 
Disc 2
01 - Down South In New Orleans (Bobby Charles)
02 - Mystery Train (Paul Butterfield)
03 - Caledonia (Muddy Waters)
04 - Mannish Boy (Waters)
05 - All Our Past Times (Eric Clapton)
06 - Further On Up The Road (Clapton)
07 - Helpless (Neil Young)
08 - Four Strong Winds (Young)
09 - Coyote (Joni Mitchell)
10 - Shadows & Light (Mitchell)
11 - Furry Sings The Blues (Mitchell/Young)
 
Disc 3
01 - Dry Your Eyes (Neil Diamond)
02 - Tura Lura Lura (Van Morrison)
03 - Caravan (Morrison)
04 - Acadian Driftwood
05 - Genetic Method
06 - Chest Fever
07 - The Last Waltz
08 - Evangeline
09 - The Weight
10 - Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Bob Dylan)
11 - Hazel (Dylan)
12 - I Don't Believe You (Dylan)
13 - Forever Young (Dylan)
14 - Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Dylan)
 
Disc 4
01 - I Shall Be Released
02 - Jam #1
03 - Jam #2
04 - Don't Do It

So what makes The Last Waltz the best rock and roll film of all time? There are the songs and the musicians, of course, but the key is Scorsese. He decided beforehand how he wanted to shoot every single song -- he storyboarded the entire show. I don't think I have ever seen video footage of a live band that has been shot like The Last Waltz (though it can't be unique). What you usually are given is seemingly random quick cuts between the various cameras, hectic and not timed in any way to the flow of music; any sense of the musicians playing as a group is lost (or maybe wasn't even considered as important). Scorsese framed several of the musicians in many shots, often stayed on one person for quite awhile, and captured subtle gestures and interactions between the musicians.

One great example of the camera work is towards the end of "It Makes No Difference" (why does this have subtitles?). A camera at stage right has a spotlighted Hudson and his sax in the foreground, then he steps back but we stay with that shot, with Robertson, Danko, and Helm further away, towards the middle of the stage, as Robertson solos a little bit. Then the camera pulls slightly back and Hudson steps forward again with his sax. It's one continuous camera angle. Brilliant.

There are so many highlights -- from the interviews (the beginning of the beginning of the end of the beginning ... Marshmallow Overcoat ... an adult dose ... and what's it called?) and the concert (Manuel's jacket, Hawkins fanning Robbie's guitar with his hat, Morrison's jump-suited kicks, a cool Clapton playing rings around Robertson while Robbie sweats and thrashes about) -- but I'll single out my favourite.

I first saw The Last Waltz in 1986, back when Laura and I were still long distance. During one of my weekends in Brooklyn, we rented the movie. I was doing college radio at the time and was a big fan of the American roots rock/cow punk movement, but I was fairly ignorant about Dylan's rootsier rock.Near the end of the film, Dylan and the Band slid into "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" -- and I was floored. It was a revelation. And anytime I have seen it in the nearly 25 years (!) since that night -- including the maybe 10-15 times I either watched the clip or listened to the song while writing this post -- I have never been unfloored. Familiarity has not dulled any of its vitality.

Dylan recorded the traditional folk song way back in 1962 and it was part of his electric set on his infamous 1966 tour with the Band (known then as the Hawks). The song is played at a faster clip in The Last Waltz than it was 10 years earlier -- call it a funky gallop. For all the barbed-wire guitar and Dylan's stupendous vocals (his voice peaked in the mid-70s), the star of the song is Helm. He's doing a ton of shit on the drums -- the fantastic two-beat bump-bump after the main riff that acts like a little kick in the ass, the way he rides his cymbal during the riff, the "god almighty world" lines, and even some of Robbie's bits of solo. He makes the song dance, and never comes anywhere close to cluttering things up.

Watch and listen to this two-song clip. First up is "Forever Young", off Planet Waves, the 1973 album Dylan made with The Band; it did not break any new ground as far as Dylan's canon is concerned, but it's easily one of my Top 5 (maybe Top 3) Bob albums. And then it's into a reprise of BLMFYD, which Dylan had begun his short set with.

Check out Dylan noodling between the two songs at about 4:10. It's one of the best moments in the entire film. Helm is back behind the drums, head cocked, waiting, Robertson's eyes are darting from Dylan's hands to Dylan's face, down to his own hands, Danko is simply staring at Dylan with a fantastic look of anticipation. The final stray notes dissolve into the air, and everyone is watching Dylan -- except us! We have no idea what he is doing. Then Danko starts to slowly smile -- a split-second before the familiar chords start up again. YEAH!



More:
Hazel -- from The Lost Waltz bootleg
Cripple Creek, Rockin' Chair, King Harvest and Long Black Veil -- probably from 1970
Time to Kill -- Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, November 1970
Just Another Whistle Stop -- Wembley Stadium, 1974
Highway 61 Revisited -- Dylan/The Band, Isle of Wight, 1969

Off-Day Outtakes: Rolling Stones - Tattoo You

We'll do the same thing with this 1981 Stones album that we did with Some Girls last week.

Again, this may not be complete, but it's a good start. Further complicating the problem of completeness is that this set -- called Tattoo Too -- runs a bit fast, so the 9:39 version of "Slave" here is (I believe) identical to the 10:13 version on Rogue's Tattoo You Sessions. The two songs in italics are from the Rogue release.

There really ought to be a fan project to collect all of the songs for the various late 70s/early 80s albums because so many tracks circulate.

Notes: "Start Me Up" began as a reggae-ish song ("Never Stop") during the Black & Blue sessions. ... "Slave 1" is an instrumental with some amazingly crunchy guitars. This song may rank as the greatest Stones groove of all time. ... "Tops" and "Waiting On A Friend" date all the way back to 1972; guitarist Mick Taylor had to sue the band to get his share of royalties for his contributions to the album.

Disc 1
01  Start Me Up (Munich, 3-4/75)             4:23
02  Start Me Up (Paris, 10/77-3/78)          3:42
03  Hang Fire (Paris, 10/77-3/78)            6:18
04  Hang Fire (Paris, 10/77-3/78)            6:06
05  Hang Fire (Paris, 10/77-3/78)            2:24
06  Hang Fire (Paris, 10/77-3/78)            2:26
07  Slave (Rotterdam, 1-2/75)                6:58
08  Slave (Paris, 6-10/79)                   9:39
09  Slave (New York, 4-6/81)                 8:16
10  Slave                                    8:35
11  Little T&A (Nassau, 1-2/79)              3:40
12  Little T&A (Nassau, 1-2/79)              4:12
13  Black Limousine (Paris, 10/77-3/78)      3:15
14  Black Limousine (Paris, 10/77-3/78)      4:08
15  Black Limousine (Paris, 6-10/79)         3:35
  
Disc 2
01  Black Limousine (Paris, 6-10/79)         4:02
02  Black Limousine                          3:48
03  Neighbors (Nassau, 1-2/79)               3:22
04  Worried About You (Rotterdam, 1-2/75)    7:42
05  Worried About You (Paris, 6-10/79)       7:21
06  Tops (Los Angeles, 11/72)                4:38
07  Tops (Paris, 6-10/79)                    4:03
08  Heaven (Paris, 10/77-3/78)               5:14
09  Heaven (Paris, 10-11/80)                 5:22
10  No Use In Crying (Paris, 6-10/79)        3:33
11  No Use In Crying (Paris, 6-10/79)        4:27
12  No Use In Crying (Paris, 6-10/79)        4:26
13  No Use In Crying (Paris, 6-10/79)        4:24
14  Waiting On A Friend (Kingston, 11-12/72) 4:15 
15  Waiting On A Friend (Paris, 6-10/79)     4:32
16  Waiting On A Friend (Paris, 10/77-3/78)  3:33

Off-Day Outtakes: Rolling Stones - Some Girls

Some Girls is easily my second favourite Stones album, after Exile On Main Street.

A lot of Stones studio recordings from the late 70s circulate on a dizzying amount of overlapping collections, which are cobbled together with little rhyme or reason.

I have gathered the outtakes I have of the album's 10 songs. I'm hesitant to say this set is complete -- especially since I found a few late additions a couple of weekends ago (and some take #s are missing) -- but it's close.

Disc 1
Miss You II                     11:44
Miss You III                     7:27
Miss You IV                      9:24
When The Whip Comes Down I       9:55
When The Whip Comes Down II      7:23
When The Whip Comes Down III    10:31
Just My Imagination I or II      2:45
Just My Imagination III          7:12
Just My Imagination IV           6:51

Disc 2
Some Girls I                     6:29
Some Girls II                    5:14
Lies I                           3:41
Lies II                          4:14
Lies III                         3:49
Far Away Eyes I                  4:36
Far Away Eyes II                 5:33
Respectable I                    3:52
Respectable III                  3:49
Before They Make Me Run I        4:34
Before They Make Me Run IV       3:18
Beast Of Burden I                5:05
Shattered I                      3:23
Shattered II                     3:46
  
Bonus:
Miss You (8-Track/+ :52)         5:40
Far Away Eyes (Single/- :47)     3:37
Beast Of Burden (8-Track/+ :46)  5:11
Shattered (Single/- 1:08)        2:39

The last four are different edits of the LP tracks, which were either released as 45s or included on 8-track. I have noted the approximate differences in time.

Off-Day Outtakes: Rolling Stones

Place Pigalle - 1971-1981

Disc 1
01  Drift Away
02  Slow Down And Stop
03  Living In The Heart Of Love
04  Fast Talking
05  Separately
06  Waiting On A Friend
07  You Should Have Seen Her Ass
08  Save Me
09  Wind Call
10  Tops
11  I Got A Letter
12  Act Together
13  Slave
14  Do You Really Think I Care
15  Black Limousine
16  Everlasting Is My Love
17  I Need You
  
Disc 2
01  Everlasting My Love
02  No Spare Parts
03  Hang Fire
04  Black Limousine
05  Everlasting Is My Love
06  So Young
07  Some People Tell Me
08  When You're Gone
09  Munich Hilton
10  You Don't Have To Go
11  Shame Shame Shame
12  After Hours
13  Armpit Blues
14  You Win Again
15  Do You Get Enough
16  Sheep Dip Blues
17  Worried About You
  
Disc 3
01  Everything Is Turning To Gold
02  Fuji Jim
03  Light Up
04  What Gives You The Right
05  Los Trios Guitaros
06  Stay Where You Are
07  Dancing Girls
08  Broken Head Blues
09  Up Against The Wall
10  Broken Toe
11  Golden Caddy
12  Golden Caddy
13  Dancing Girls
14  Disco Muzic
15  Still In Love
16  The Way She Held Me Tight
17  It's A Lie
18  Never Make Me Cry
  
Disc 4
01  Piano Instrumental
02  Linda Lou
03  Sweet Home Chicago
04  Dancing Girls
05  Muck Spreading Dub
06  Petrol Gang
07  Never Let Her Go
08  Guitar Lesson
09  Never Make Me Cry
10  It's All Wrong
11  Never Too Into
12  It's Cold Down There
13  It's Cold Down There
14  Guess I Should Know
15  Heaven
16  Neighbours
17  Slave
18  Waiting On A Friend

Off-Day Outtakes: Bob Dylan

Infidels was the first Bob Dylan album I bought in "real time".

I was 15 when Slow Train Coming was on the radio in 1979 and while I liked the title song, I avoided his Christian albums completely. Four years later, Infidels -- which featured guitarists Mark Knopfler and Mick Taylor, bassist Robbie Shakespeare and drummer Sly Dunbar -- was hailed as a return to more secular themes (though it has plenty of Biblical and religious references).

Infidels is controversial, in that Dylan decided late in the process to remove two of the strongest songs -- "Blind Willie McTell" and "Foot Of Pride" -- and substitute the far weaker "Union Sundown". (He also had left several amazing songs off his previous album, 1981's Shot Of Love.)

The album was released in October 1983. It closed the door on a decade of brilliant songwriting and performing (beginning with Planet Waves) that I find more compelling and fascinating than Dylan's first decade of work. I'm looking forward to when FoJoS Tony Ling gets to this era on his Every Bob Dylan Song blog (he's wrasslin' with 1970's Self-Portrait right now.)

Notes: Each track is not a unique take; some are different mixes of a previous track. The tracks in italics are the official versions of the songs and are not included here. "Blind Willie McTell", "Foot Of Pride", "Lord Protect My Child" and "Tell Me" were released on The Bootleg Series: Volumes 1-3. Song details are in this text file (notes not written by me).

The Complete Infidels Sessions

Disk 1
01  Angel Falling Too Close To The Ground
02  Angel Falling Too Close To The Ground
03  Angel Falling Too Close To The Ground
04  Blind Willie McTell
05  Blind Willie McTell
06  Blind Willie McTell
07  Neigbourhood Bully
08  Neigbourhood Bully
09  Neigbourhood Bully
10  Neigbourhood Bully
11  Neigbourhood Bully
12  Neigbourhood Bully
13  Clean Cut Kid
14  Dark Groove
15  Dark Groove
16  Don't Fly Unless It's Safe
17  Don't Fly Unless It's Safe
  
Disk 2
01  Death Is Not The End
02  Death Is Not The End
03  Death Is Not The End
04  Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight
05  Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight
06  Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight
07  Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight
08  Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight
09  Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight
10  Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight
11  Foot Of Pride
12  Foot Of Pride
13  Julius & Ethel
14  Julius & Ethel
  
Disk 3
01  I & I
02  I & I
03  I & I
04  I & I
05  I & I
06  Jokerman
07  Jokerman
08  Jokerman
09  Jokerman
10  Jokerman
11  License To Kill
12  License To Kill
13  License To Kill
14  License To Kill
15  License To Kill
  
Disk 4
01  Lord Protect My Child
02  Lord Protect My Child
03  Man Of Peace
04  Man Of Peace
05  Man Of Peace
06  Man Of Peace
07  Man Of Peace
08  Someone's Got A Hold Of My Heart
09  Someone's Got A Hold Of My Heart
10  Sweetheart Like You
11  Sweetheart Like You
12  Sweetheart Like You
13  Sweetheart Like You
14  Sweetheart Like You
  
Disk 5
01  Tell Me
02  Tell Me
03  This Was My Love
04  This Was My Love
05  Union Sundown
06  Union Sundown
07  Union Sundown
08  Union Sundown
09  Union Sundown
  
Disk 6
01  Sweetheart Like You (Rehearsals 1)
02  Sweetheart Like You (Rehearsals 2)
  
Disk 7
Sweetheart Like You (Rehearsals 3)

In March 1984, Dylan appeared on the David Letterman show with a trio of punky musicians from Los Angeles. They had rehearsed for a couple of days, but when they hit the stage, Dylan (being Dylan) called out for a Sonny Boy Williamson song -- which had never even been mentioned at rehearsal! This performance of "Jokerman" is superb, complete with harmonica eff-up.



More from that show here.

Off-Day Outtakes: Hüsker Dü

Hüsker Dü -- bassist Greg Norton, drummer Grant Hart and guitarist Bob Mould (L-R) -- was one of the most influential (and prolific) rock bands of the 1980s. Beginning in July 1984, they released five albums (two of them double albums!) in 2½ years. I was lucky enough to see them in Providence on May 4, 1985 and in New York City on March 27, 1987. The band broke up later that year. (wiki)

Early Demos (1979-1980)
01  Nuclear Nightmare
02  Do The Bee
03  Uncle Ron
04  Don't Try To Call
05  Sex Dolls
06  MTC
07  Picture Of You
08  Can't See You Anymore
09  The Truth Hurts
10  Sore Eyes
11  All Tensed Up
12  Writer's Cramp
13  All I've Got To Lose Is You
14  Writer's Cramp

Metal Circus - Original Mixes (12/1982)
01  Real World
02  Deadly Skies
03  Today's The Day
04  You Think I'm Scared
05  First Of The Last Calls
06  Won't Change
07  Out On A Limb
08  Standing By The Sea
09  Diane
10  It's Not Funny Anymore
11  Lifeline

Metal Circus - Outtakes (12/1982)
01  Today's The Day
02  You Think I'm Scared
03  Standing By The Sea

Zen Arcade - Complete Outtakes (10/1983)
Disc 1
01  Something I Learned Today
02  Broken Home, Broken Heart
03  Chartered Trips
04  Hare Krsna
05  Indecision Time
06  I'll Never Forget You
07  Beyond the Threshold
08  The Biggest Lie
09  Pride
10  What's Going On
11  Masochism World
12  Standing By The Sea
13  Somewhere
14  Pink Turns To Blue
15  Dozen Beats Eleven
16  Turn On The News
17  Newest Industry
18  Whatever
19  Eight Miles High
20  The Tooth Fairy And The Princess
  
Disc 2
01  Reoccurring Dreams
02  Chartered Trips
03  Hare Krsna
04  One Step At A Time
05  Monday Will Never Be The Same
06  [untitled piano piece aka Granted]
07  Never Talking To You Again
08  Somewhere
09  One Step At A Time
10  Pink Turns to Blue
11  Newest Industry
12  Monday Will Never Be The Same
13  Whatever
14  Something I Learned Today
15  Broken Home, Broken Heart
16  Chartered Trips
17  Indecision Time
18  I'll Never Forget You
19  Beyond The Threshold
20  The Biggest Lie
21  Pride
  
Disc 3
01  What's Going On
02  Masochism World
03  Standing By The Sea
04  Somewhere
05  One Step At A Time
06  Pink Turns To Blue
07  Some Kind Of Fun
08  Turn On The News
09  Newest Industry
10  Monday Will Never Be The Same
11  Whatever
12  Eight Miles High
Rehearsals (October 1983)
13  Whatever (3 takes)
14  Indecision Time
15  Somewhere
16  Dozen Beats Eleven

New Day Rising - Rehearsals (07/1984 - instrumentals)
01  New Day Rising
02  Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill
03  I Apologize
04  Folklore
05  If I Told You
06  Celebrated Summer
07  Listen
08  Terms Of Psychic Warfare
09  59 Times The Pain
10  Erase Today
11  I Don't Know What You're Talking About
12  Books About UFOs
13  How To Skin A Cat
14  Whatcha Drinkin'
15  Plans I Make

New Day Rising - Rough Mixes/Practices (07/1984)
01  I Apologize #1
02  I Apologize #2
03  Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill
04  If I Told You #1
05  If I Told You #2
06  Books About UFOs

Candy Apple Grey - Demos (11/1985)
01  Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely
02  Crystal (instrumental)
03  Sorry Somehow
04  I Don't Know For Sure (instrumental)
05  Hardly Getting Over It
06  All Work And No Play (instrumental)
07  Dead Set On Destruction
08  Eiffel Tower High
09  Misty Modern Day (instrumental)
10  All This I've Done For You
11  Just Be (instrumental)
12  Hardly Getting Over It (instrumental)
13  I Don't Know For Sure

Warehouse: Songs and Stories -

Rehearsal/Rough Mixes (08/1986)
01  These Important Years
02  Charity, Chastity, Prudence And Hope
03  Standing In The Rain
04  Tell You Why Tomorrow
05  Ice Cold Ice
06  You're A Soldier
07  Could You Be The One? 
08  Actual Condition
09  It's Not Peculiar
10  Too Much Spice
11  Visionary
12  She Floated Away
13  Friend, You've Got To Fall
14  Back From Somewhere
15  Bed Of Nails
16  You Can Live At Home (semi-instrumental)
17  Turn It Around
18  [Police investigate noise complaint]
19  You Can Live At Home
20  Tell You Why Tomorrow
21  Charity, Chastity, Prudence And Hope
22  She's A Woman (And Now He Is A Man) (instrumental)

01-18: August 5, 1986 Rehearsal
19-22: 1986 rough mixes

VIDEO -- May 14, 1985 -- Camden Palace, London

New Day Rising / It's Not Funny Anymore

Everything Falls Apart / Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill

I Apologize / If I Told You / Folklore

Terms Of Psychic Warfare / Powerline / Books About UFOs

Chartered Trips

Diane

Celebrated Summer

Every Everything / Makes No Sense At All / Pink Turns To Blue / Ticket To Ride

Plus: Eight Miles High from the 1987 Pink Pop Festival and an appearance on the Joan Rivers Show (?!?).

Off-Day Outtakes: Van Halen

Fact: The only Van Halen albums worth listening to are the first four -- I, II, Women And Children First, Fair Warning -- though I'll admit Diver Down has its moments. I'm amazed at how many songs from their first six albums these guys had written before they were even signed.

Cherokee Demos (1974)

01  Angel Eyes 
02  Believe Me 
03  Simple Rhyme
04  Take Your Whiskey Home

Hound Dog Demos (1975-1976)

01  Guitar Instrumental (w/Somebody Get Me A Doctor riffs)
02  (Studio Talk)
03  Babe Don't Leave Me Alone
04  Fools
05  Ice Cream Man
06  She's The Woman
07  Woman In Love

Zero (1976 -- Produced: Gene Simmons/Remastered: thir13en)

01  On Fire
02  Woman In Love
03  House Of Pain
04  Runnin' With the Devil
05  She's the Woman (used in Mean Streets)
06  Let's Get Rockin'
07  Big Trouble
08  Somebody Get Me a Doctor
09  Babe, Don't Leave Me Alone
10  Put Out the Lights

Warner Brothers Demo (1977)

Disc 1
01  Feel Your Love Tonight
02  I'm The One
03  Runnin' With The Devil
04  Voodoo Queen (evolved into Mean Streets)
05  Little Dreamer
06  Last Night (evolved into Hang 'Em High)
07  Somebody Get Me A Doctor
08  Light In The Sky
09  Get The Show On The Road
10  Babe Don't Leave Me Alone
11  Big Trouble
12  On Fire
  
Disc 2
01  She's The Woman (used in Mean Streets)
02  I Wanna Be Your Lover
03  Bring On The Girls (aka Beautiful Girls)
04  We Die Bold
05  Young And Wild
06  Let's Get Rockin'
07  Put Out The Lights
08  House Of Pain
09  In A Simple Rhyme
10  You Really Got Me
11  Happy Trails
12  Gonna Take A Lotta Drugs

Women And Children First sessions

01  And The Cradle Will Rock ...
02  Romeo Delight
03  (Instrumental) (aka Act Like It Hurts, aka Tora! Tora!)
04  Everybody Wants Some
05  Loss Of Control
06  Take Your Whiskey Home
07  Fools
08  In A Simple Rhyme
09  Take Your Whiskey Home (intro only)

(samples at 192, downloads at 256)

Off-Day Outtakes: George Harrison

George Harrison
The Art Of Dying
The Complete All Things Must Pass Demos Sessions & Remixes
Silent Sea Productions - 5 CD

Disc 1
Tracks 1-3    All Things Must Pass
Tracks 4-16   Apple Scruffs
Track 17      Apple Scruffs/Mama You Been On My Mind
Tracks 18-24  Apple Scruffs
  
Disc 2
Tracks 1-6   Art Of Dying
Tracks 7-10  Awaiting On You All
Track 11     Everybody Nobody
Track 12     Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
Track 13     Beautiful Girl
Tracks 14-15 Behind That Locked Door
Tracks 18-21 Beware Of Darkness
  
Disc 3
Track 1      Cosmic Empire
Track 2      Dera Duhn
Track 3      Down To The River
Track 4      Get Back
Track 5      Going Down To Golders Green
Track 6      Gopala Krishna
Tracks 7-10  Hear Me Lord
Tracks 11-12 I Dig Love
Track 13     I Don't Want To Do It
Tracks 14-15 I Live For You
Tracks 16-17 I'd Have You Anytime
Tracks 18-20 If Not For You
  
Disc 4
Tracks 1-3   I'll Still Love You
Tracks 4-5   Isn't It A Pity
Track 6      It's Johnny's Birthday
Tracks 7-13  Let It Down
Track 14     Mother Divine
Tracks 15-17 My Sweet Lord
  
Disc 5
Tracks 1-2   Nowhere To Go
Tracks 3-4   Pete Drake's Talking Steel Guitar
Tracks 5-6   Plug Me In
Tracks 7-12  Run Of The Mill
Track 13     Tell Me What Has Happened To You
Tracks 14-16 Wah Wah
Tracks 17-21 What Is Life
Track 22     Window Window

Download more track info here.

Off-Day Outtakes: Canada Day!

On July 1, 1867, Canada became a self-governing dominion of Great Britain and a federation of four provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec. The anniversary was originally known as Dominion Day, but the name was officially changed in 1983 to Canada Day.

We have 100% Canadian Content on this off-day (the day after Canada Day).

Neil Young
Times Square - 1989 Acetate

01  Eldorado
02  Someday
03  Sixty To Zero (aka Crime In The City)
04  Boxcar
05  Don't Cry
06  Heavy Love
07  Wrecking Ball
08  Cocaine Eyes
09  On Broadway

This album was scrapped and Freedom was recorded and released in its place. According to this set's notes: "As good as Freedom was, it's really just a user-friendly version of the challenging Times Square."

Lucky Seventeen

01  This Is Knowhere
02  Country Girl
03  Everybody's Alone
04  Bad Fog Of Loneliness
05  Bad Fog Of Loneliness
06  Don't Say Your Win Or Lose
07  Traces
08  Falling Down
09  Stringman
10  Give Me Strength
11  If You Got Love
12  Silver And Gold
13  Interstate
14  Box Car
15  Born To Rock
16  Everything's Broken
17  Mansion On The Hill

This is a collection of random studio and live stuff. 16 is a Dylan cover. 15 and 17 are Ragged Glory Outtakes. I uploaded more RG OTs last year.

The Complex Sessions - October 3-4, 1994
(25 minutes of Crazy Horse sessions filmed by Jonathan Demme)

01  My Heart
02  Prime Of Life
03  Change Your Mind
04  Piece of Crap

***

Gordon Lightfoot
Warner Brothers Publishing Demos: 1964-1966

01  River Gal
02  The Martyred Children
03  Anything My Woman Does
04  Too Much Too Lose
05  The Lost Children
06  When Spring Is O'er The Land
07  Echoes Of Heroes
08  A Love That's True
09  Things They Say
10  A Ring And A Secret
11  Try To Count The Tears
12  That Innocent Look
13  Two Kids From Cabbage Town
14  Somebody Told A Lie
15  Yes I Will
16  Red Roses And You
17  Betty Mae's A Good Time Gal
18  A Few Moments Ago
19  Rosey And Me
20  The General Store
21  Sands Of Time
22  Prettiest Time Of Her Life
23  Sweet Temptation
24  New Day
25  The Last Hand
26  Don't Be Sorry
27  Roll On
28  An Old Friend
29  Fox Fire
30  It's Better That Way
31  Weep Not For Me
32  Crossroads

***

The Tragically Hip
Fully Completely Demos (circa 1992)

01  Fifty Mission Cap 
02  At The Hundredth Meridian
03  Locked In The Trunk Of A Car
04  The Wherewithal 
05  Tremolo (aka Emperor Penguin)
06  Eldorado 
07  So Hard Done By 
08  Fully Completely 
09  We'll Go Too 
10  Pigeon Camera 
11  Lionized 
12  Looking For A Place To Happen 
13  Blonde Solid
14  You See Details
15  Radio Show

***

And if you missed Joni Mitchell's demos for The Hissing Of Summer Lawns, they are here.

Off-Day Outtakes: Nirvana

Nevermind - Outtakes

01  In Bloom
02  Breed
03  Stay Away (Pay To Play)
04  Polly
05  Dive
06  Lithium
07  Sappy
08  Here She Comes Now
09  Aneurysm
10  Drain You
11  Endless Nameless
  
AND:
a   Lithium
b   Something In The Way
c   Smells Like Teen Spirit
d   Territorial Pissings
e   New Wave [Polly]
f   New Wave [Polly Speed Mix]

***

In Utero - Original Steve Albini Mix
(with Additional OT/Demos)

01  Serve The Servants
02  Scentless Apprentice
03  Heart-Shaped Box
04  Rape Me
05  Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle
06  Dumb
07  Very Ape
08  Milk It
09  Pennyroyal Tea
10  Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
11  tourette's
12  All Apologies
Source: Remastered German Universal LP (#424-536-1)
  
BONUS TRACKS:
13  Marigold
14  Sappy
15  I Hate Myself And Want To Die
16  Moist Vagina
  
OTHER DEMOS:
02  Untitled Demo
07  Into The Dirt
13  Marijuana
14  I Want It All
15  Happy
16  Untitled Demo

These last songs come from a set that included poor quality versions of the Albini tracks.

Off-Day Outtakes: Guns N' Roses, AC-DC

Guns N' Roses
Appetite for Outtakes

Disc 1
[Hollywood Rose 1981 Demos; Axl/Izzy]
01  Shadow Of Your Love
02  My Way - Your Way (aka Anything Goes)
03  Wreckless (aka Reckless Life)
04  Unknown Song #1
[1986 Early Studio Demos]
05  Welcome To The Jungle #1  
06  Out Ta Get Me
07  Anything Goes
08  Ain't Goin' Down (aka Meet & Beer Jam)
09  Don't Cry
10  Back Off Bitch
11  Shadow Of Your Love
12  Welcome To The Jungle #2
13  Fucking Crazy (aka You're Crazy)
14  November Rain (acoustic guitar version)
15  November Rain (piano version)
[Appetite For Destruction Rehearsals 1986-87]
16  Reckless Life  
17  Move To The City
  
Disc 2
01  Ain't Goin' Down (aka Meet & Beer Jam)
02  Welcome To The Jungle
03  Nightrain
04  Paradise City
05  My Michelle
06  Think About You
07  You're Crazy
08  Anything Goes
09  Rocket Queen #1
10  Rocket Queen #2
11  Don't Cry
12  Back Off Bitch
13  Move To The City (acoustic)
14  Jumpin' Jack Flash (acoustic)
15  Heartbreak Hotel
16  Mama Kin
17  Jumpin' Jack Flash (electric)
  
Disc 3
["Live Like A Suicide" Recording Sessions;
Original Version Without Audience Noise]
01  Reckless Life  
02  Nice Boys  
03  Move To The City  
04  Mama Kin  
05  Shadow Of Your Love
06  Heartbreak Hotel  
07  Jumpin' Jack Flash
[Use Your Illusion: Early Demos]
08  Bad Obsession
09  Too Much Too Soon  
10  Sentimental Movie  
11  Crash Diet
12  Unknown Demo #1  
13  The Garden  
14  Just Another Sunday
15  Bring It Back Home  
16  Unknown Demo #2  
17  Yesterdays
18  Crash Diet

***AC/DC
Blow Up Your Video - 1987 Demos

01  That's The Way I Wanna Rock And Roll
02  Heatseeker
03  Let It Loose
04  Alright Tonight
05  She's My Babe

The last three tracks have never appeared on an AC-DC album in any form. Track 5 from Ballbreaker sessions (1995).

Off-Day Outtakes: Dictators & Sonic Youth

The Dictators
Demos & Rare Tracks 1973-1976

Miami Steve Van Zandt calls the Dictators "the connective tissue between the eras of The MC5, Stooges, New York Dolls, and the punk explosion of the mid to late 1970's".

01  Weekend
02  Backseat Boogie
03  Master Race Rock
04  California Sun
05  Fireman's Friend
06  Interstellar Overdrive
07  Tits to You
08  Too Much Fun
09  Dogs (Rock And Roll Made A Man Out Of Me)
10  America the Beautiful
11  Sleepin' With the TV On I
12  Heartache
13  Search & Destroy
14  Disease
15  Sleepin' With the TV On II
16  Exposed
17  Smash That Faggot's Head
18  Radio Ad

Video Bonus: The Dictators play "New York, New York" at CBGBs on October 13, 2006:



Makes me a bit homesick (sniffle ...)

***

Sonic Youth
Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star - Early Rough Mixes

01  Bull In The Heather
02  Starfield Road
03  Skink
04  Screaming Skull
05  Screaming Skull (Rap Damage)
06  Self-Obsessed And Sexxee
07  Bone
08  Bone Remix
09  Androgynous Mind
10  Sweet Shine
11  Waiste Away
12  Doctor's Orders Part 1
13  Doctor's Orders Part 2
14  In The Mind Of The Bourgeois Reader

This set has a horrifically low bit rate (80 kbps!), but after poking around online, I think this is all there is.

***

Also check out Daytrotter:

Daytrotter is a recording studio with a website. We invite musicians to our studio, record their songs, and give (give, as in "for free, no strings attached") them to you, from our website. Simple.

I will confess to having heard of maybe 1.7% of the bands listed on the sessions archives, so feel free to recommend one or four.

Off-Day Outtakes: Jayhawks; Talking Heads

Hollywood Town Hall is a superb album of country/folk/roots-rock released in 1992 by the Jayhawks, a Minneapolis band led by Mark Olson and Gary Louris.

The Jayhawks: Hollywood Town Hall Demos

01 - Sister Cry                            4:03
02 - Pray For Me                           3:08
03 - Little Nightshade                     5:20
04 - Take Me With You When You Go          4:43
05 - Worn Out Cotton Dress                 2:14
06 - Nevada California                     3:17
07 - Won't Be Coming Home                  3:24
08 - Precious Time                         3:33
09 - Wichita                               3:55
10 - Bloody Hands                          3:14
11 - Cold Dark Night                       4:31
12 - Waiting For The Sun                   3:21
13 - Waiting For The Sun                   4:18
14 - Keith And Quentin                     3:16
15 - Clouds                                3:32
16 - Mother Trust You To Walk To The Store 3:54
17 - Survival                              5:07
18 - Cool Cool Water                       3:17
19 - Settled Down Like Rain                2:49
20 - Take Me Down To The Water             2:40

***

Roughly half of the 15 tracks on the full set of 1975 Talking Heads demos can be found on expanded versions of their first two albums and/or the Sand In The Vaseline compilation. I'm pretty sure these eight tracks remain unreleased.

CBS Demos (1975)

06 - The Girls Want To Be With The Girls 3:03
07 - Who Is It                           2:18
08 - With Our Love                       4:08
09 - Stay Hungry                         4:29
10 - Tentative Decisions                 2:42
11 - Warning Sign                        3:33
13 - The Book I Read                     2:55
15 - No Compassion                       3:40

Finally, here are demos recorded by David Byrne at his apartment in New York City, songs that appeared on Little Creatures (1985) and True Stories (1986).

True Creatures Demos (1984)

01 - Wild Wild Life                      4:25
02 - Puzzlin Evidence                    4:39
03 - Love For Sale                       5:17
04 - Lady Don't Mind                     4:37
05 - Hey Now                             2:55
06 - Road To Nowhere                     4:01
07 - Instrumental (Hey)                  5:18
08 - Papa Legba                          3:48
09 - People Like Us                      4:55
10 - City Of Dreams                      5:33
11 - Radio Head                          5:17
12 - Give Me Back My Name                4:07

Offday Outtakes - Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell - The Hissing of Summer Lawns (Demos)

01. Harry's House
02. Edith and the Kingpin
03. In France They Kiss on Main Street
04. Sweet Bird 
05. Shades of Scarlett Conquering
06. Shadows and Light
07. Dreamland
08. Boho Dance
09. Hunter (The Good Samaritan)

These songs were recorded in the spring of 1975.

***

Fans of The Jam should check out what TUBE has uploaded in the past few weeks. ... And click here for a session featuring Burt "Boy Wonder" Ward and Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention from 1966.

Offday Outtakes: Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams's 1988 self-titled album isn't perfect, but it's damn close. When it was released, I wrote:

"There is rarely a false note or insincere moment on Lucinda Williams. ... [Her] wonderful voice, both soaring and rock-steady, at times suggests early Bonnie Raitt. [There is a] relaxed confidence [to] the music, a hearty mixture of country, blues, rock and folk ... honest emotions and simply-stated dialogue ..."

The first seven tracks here are demos Williams recorded for that album in 1986. The rest of the set was recorded circa 1991-92, during the many sessions for Sweet Old World.

01  I Just Wanted To See You So Bad
02  The Night's Too Long
03  Like A Rose
04  Crescent City
05  Sidewalks Of The City
06  Passionate Kisses
07  Sundays
08  Six Blocks Away
09  Something About What Happens When We Talk
10  Sidewalks Of The City
11  Hot Blood
12  Little Angel, Little Brother
13  What You Don't Know
14  Sweet Old World
15  Prove My Love
16  Drivin' On A Dead-End Street
17  Lines Around Your Eyes
18  Pineola
19  Which Will (Nick Drake cover)

Enjoy!

Offday Outtakes: U2 - Achtung Baby Sessions

U2 - The Axtung Beibi Outtakes (3 CD)
Recorded December 1990 - Early 1991, Hansa Ton Studios, Berlin, Germany

Disc 1 (65:22):
 1. Salome (Version 1) (5:57)
 2. Where Did it All Go Wrong (Version 1) (4:03)
 3. Where Did it All Go Wrong (Version 2) (3:42)
 4. Heaven and Hell (6:44)
 5. Doctor Doctor (2:35)
 6. Jitterbug Baby (3:55)
 7. Got to Get Together (9:14)
 8. Salome (Version 2) (5:28)
 9. Here Comes The Sunset/Chances Away (14:57)
10. Chances Away (Short Segment) (1:40)
11. I Feel Free (Version 1) (6:35)
 
Disc 2 (68:05):
 1. I Feel Free (Version 2) (4:31)
 2. Sweet Baby Jane (2:02)
 3. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Version 1) (5:35)
 4. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Version 2) (4:00)
 5. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Version 3) (4:09)
 6. Take Today (Instrumental) (5:31)
 7. Even Better Than The Real Thing (Instrumental) (6:29)
 8. Blow Your House Down (Version 1) (4:51)
 9. Blow Your House Down (Version 2) (7:44)
10. Laughing In the Face of Love/So Cruel (Version 1) (7:38)
11. Wake Up Dead Man/Blow Your House Down (Version 1) (5:33)
12. Take Today (Vocals) (6:32)
 
Disc 3 (73:56):
 1. Calling Out to Someone (1:05)
 2. Laughing In the Face of Love/So Cruel (Version 2) (3:11)
 3. Acrobat (4:19)
 4. Salome (Version 3) (5:56)
 5. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Version 4) (5:09)
 6. Wake Up Dead Man (Mix Version)
 7. Unnamed Instrumental (5:35)
 8. Salome (Version 4) (3:50)
 9. Salome (Version 5) (13:06)
10. Salome (Version 6) (5:58)
11. Salome (Version 7) (8:04)
12. Salome (Version 8) (12:03)

****

From "The Origins and History of Salome" by Sira Vista:

In the winter of 1990, U2 were hard at work in Hansa Ton recording studios in Berlin, Germany. The ultimate result of this effort would be the November 1991 release of their next album, Achtung Baby. However, in December 1990 that album was a great ways off, because U2 (unlike most other bands) entered the studio with very few lyric or song ideas.

Instead, U2 came into the studio to create as well as record. Here they sought inspirations for songs from playing together. They would etch out ideas while improvising around some basic idea, or riff. Since all this jamming was taking place in a recording studio, even the simplest of ideas was captured on tape. The highlights of these tapes were then edited down and compiled into "working tapes" recorded onto DAT (Digital Audio Tape) cassettes. Tapes of this nature were used to hold possible song ideas, as well as a means for Brian Eno (and others) to hear the band's progress and make suggestions about the music.

In April of 1991, it was announced that the tapes had found their way into the hand's of bootleggers. ... The title (Salome) is believed to have been a working title used during the Achtung Baby sessions, but it's not clear which song it was referring to. ...

Regardless of the superior polish of the finished material released as Achtung Baby, the material found on the bootlegs is fascinating in and of itself. The most compelling aspect of the bootleged material is that, rather than offering slightly alternative versions of tracks found on the finished record, they instead reveal the songwriting process itself. Familiar solos, bass lines, bridges and riffs abound, and there is also a host of interesting songs that didn't find their way onto Achtung Baby.

As you can see from the back cover (art and notes are included with Disc 1), none of these tracks are named. The person putting this set together gave them titles, trying "to reflect the song's contents as best I could".

Enjoy!

Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On

People!

Whatcha doin'?



1976 - Houston




February 2, 1979 - D.C.

***

Grab 3 CDs of unreleased P-Funk (circa 1973) here.

W-L Contest: Last Call

This weekend is your last chance to enter the W-L contest.

Prize: A mini Pedro Martinez DVD library.

Where else are you going to get a copy of Pedro's near-no-hitter against the Devil Rays in 2000 (on a night when several Tampa pitchers took target practice at Brian Daubauch's head)? Only here, that's where.

And what about his 17-strikeout performance against the Yankees in 1999, when none of his last 52 pitches were hit into fair territory? Yep. Here.

There are other classics: The Sunday night duel with Fat Billy that Trot Nixon decided with a two-run dong, his nine perfect innings against San Diego for the Expos way back in 1995, those days when he seemingly rolled out of bed and tossed up a 9-4-0-1-14 line...

At least six games will be included. I'm going to try to nail down exactly which ones by Monday. But make no mistake: They will all kick ass.

***

So email me with your W-L guess (along with the two tiebreakers: Ellsbury's SB and Varitek's OBP) before 9 PM on Sunday. It's free.

As I said before, all entries must be emailed to me. There are two people out there who believe they have entered the contest, but they have not. Any entries that were posted only as a comment will not be considered. I repeat: If you did not send me an email, you are not entered.

***

Starting on April 7, and continuing on every day during the season the Red Sox do not have a game scheduled, I will emerge from the JoS Cave of Musical Delights for some Off Day Outtakes. This will be similar to last year's "Something Else" series, but this time it's studio demos, alternate versions and unreleased material. I'll take requests, but make no promises.