Not a lot of time to write today, so this week’s TT is gonna by live. WE’LL DO IT LIVE. Well, sort of. Actually, not really, but as close as I can get.
If you’ve ever been to a concert, you know that no live recording can ever capture the experience of actually being there, in the thick of it. The crowds, the screaming, the picnics, the weather, the little jokes by the band. Not to mention the glorious sound and thunderous acoustics. Just like no picture can truly ever capture everything about a moment, neither can a live recording at a concert. But pictures are awesome, and so are live recordings. QED.
But really. There are some bands out there that are no longer, and it makes me sad to think that they’ll never make another song. And that’s where live music comes in. Even if they’re singing a song you know, live recordings always have-a-somethin shiny and new about them. They’re never quite like the original, and sometimes I’ll find myself playing the live version over the mastered version. It’s nice hearing the applause, the foot thumping, and the occasional (one-sided) conversation between the artist and the audience. Check out some of my favorite live recordings:
ZIP or individually below:
MP3: “Welcome (#7)” – Wynton Marsalis Septet
MP3: “In The Sweet Embrace of Life” – Wynton Marsalis Septet (62 mb, 54:43)
[^^These two go together, the first is the introduction to the song that follows. Listen for the coughs and tinkling of wine glasses.]
MP3: “The Dangling Conversation (live)” – Simon & Garfunkel
MP3: “Desperado (live)” – Eagles
MP3: “Knife (live)” – Grizzly Bear
MP3: “No Woman No Cry (live) – Bob Marley
MP3: “Dark Matter (live)” – Andrew Bird
MP3: “Love of My Life (live)” – Queen [listen for the audience singing a verse]
MP3: “”39 (live)” – Queen [fun fact: this song is about time dilation]
MP3: “Familiar Terrain (live)” – Bobby Birdman
Also, check out this awesome NPR recording of Chris Thile and Michael Daves that one of my friends showed me. Be warned, it’s bluegrass, and it’s awesome. Chris Daves (with glasses) looks the part of a bluegrass fella, but he can wail on guitar. And I have it on good word that Chris Thile is the greatest mandolin player ever:
patrick