List #2: Live Recordings

The second installment of my favorite music. “Just one man’s opinion, but a good man’s at that”.  (Any “Mounties”  remember who said that?)

Tonight I was was supposed to be practicing three new songs for an event we are playing next month. I’ll probably regret not practicing when we rehearse on Sunday, but sometimes it seems that “regret” is my middle name.

In no particular order, with tasting notes and a surprise or two.

Get Yer Ya-Yas Out                        The Rolling Stones  1970 was a very good year. I was ten years old when this record came out. AFter 45 years of listening to it, I think I have it memorized.

**

Be Here Now                                    Steve Forbert  I could not find the album on YT, but here is a show Steve did not too long ago. A great, American singer/storyteller.

**

Deliverin’                                          Poco   I believe this was the first live album I ever bought…back around 6th grade. Not a song on here I don’t like, but “Pickin’ Up The Pieces”  is the best.

**

Live at Last                                       The Good Rats   Another record that is dificult to find in it’s entirety on YT…but here is a show from around the same time.  Look for a mention of  The Good Rats in the upcoming, HBO series Vinyl.

**

Stages                                                 Triumph  I think that if I could ever play like one guitar player, it would be Rik Emmett.  “Lay it on The Line” and  “Fight The Good Fight”

**

Aqualung Live                                   Jethro Tull   A classic, live  rendition of a classic album.  Martin’s guitar solo in the title track  is one of my favorites. 

** 

You Get What You Play For            REO Speedwagon   Just a great, all-around record..special attention to “Son of a Poor Man” and “Ridin’ The Storm Out”, RIP Gary.

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Live at The Filmore East                  Humble Pie   “Are You Ready”, & Four Day Creep”.  Steve had so much energy on stage and I can only imagine what fueled it.

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Frampton Comes Alive                     Peter Frampton  The “Best Selling Record” of 1976. . . and for good reasons.

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Live Live                                              Sister Hazel  Here is the DVD version..watch and listen…”Happy”, Champagne High” and “Life Got In The Way”

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The Compleat Tom Paxton               Tom Paxton  I was not able to find the record in t’s entirety, but found this performance from the same era.  Jimmy Newman is the take-away.

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You Had To Be There                          Jimmy Buffet   “God’s own drunk and a fearless man”.  What is not to like about this record.

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Alive                                                         Kiss    The band that was made to play live. For me, “Detroit Rock City” and “Black Diamond”

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An Evening With John Denver             John Denver  I bet that this one caught a few of you by surprise. Before diving into the deep end of the political and environmental pools and also feeling the pressure to turn out Top-40 songs, he was an excellent songwriter and few people made a 12-string sound better.  “Matthew”, Rhymes and Reasons” and especially, “This Old Guitar”

**

Rush in Rio                                               Rush   The sound track to the DVD of the same name.  I have both. How do you pick the best songs from this record?… “Roll the Bones”, “Resist” and “Limelight”

**

Roadwork                                                  Edgar Winter’s White Trash   I have mentioned this record before. The highlight has to be Derringer’s Rock “n Roll Hoochie Koo, with Johnny Winter sitting in.

**

Some Enchanted Evening                       Blue Oyster Cult   Thanks to Bob Baro and Circus magazine inroducing me to BOC in 8th grade. “Astronomy” is my Karaoke song. I’ve been playing along with that track  since college.

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Allison Krauss & Union Station Live    AKUS  Another surprise, I would think. This s a stellar collection of musicians having lots of fun. “Faraway Land”, The Boy Who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn” and “Take Me For Longing”

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The Final Tour                                        Jim Croce    Jim was a gritty story teller who wrote many, memorable songs. Here are many of them.

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Bring It Back Alive                                 The Outlaws   The anthem, Green Grass and High Tides is dedicated to the Skynyrd boys. Don’t forget, “Hurry Sundown”.  Drivin’ music.

 

Two down and three to go.  Next will be my twenty favorite instrumental albums.