New Album Roundup - Summer 2024, Part 2

New Album Roundup - Summer 2024, Part 2

Here are more great albums that came out over the Summer months (July, August, September) of 2024.

Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks - True

A wonderful, resurgent album from the former lead vocalist (and musical heart) of Yes. Jon's solo output has been a mixed bag, with some really good work, but also some mediocre or lackluster endeavors, and often quite different from the music of Yes. But here he returns (having just turned 80 yrs old!) with one of his absolute best works, and back to a style and sound quite reminiscent of classic Yes through the years. This has been made possible by his collaboration with a top-notch band of exquisite musicians, The Band of Geeks, who started out as somewhat of a Yes Tribute band, playing note for note recreations of classic Yes music, as well as some other Prog band classics. Great musicians, well-versed in the Yes style and sound, and they contribute immensely to the success of this album, much more than just a back-up band, as they are a true band that creates great musical moments in their songs, arrangements and solos. Despite his years, Jon's voice still shines (a bit more frail than previously, but still bright and clear) and this set of songs are great and work beautifully throughout the album. Kicking off with the wonderful True Messenger, we know right away that the classic Yes sound is back, triumphant and going strong. The next song, Shine On, also has the Yes sound, but more of the style of 80's Yes (90125 era), a bit more slick and commercial, but joyously radiant. As the album goes on, there are some ballads and songs more in the style of Jon's other solo work, but elevated by the masterful band and arrangements behind them. There are even a couple of 'epic-length' tracks in Counties and Countries and the album centerpiece highlight, Once Upon a Dream, that are right up there with some of Yes' classic tracks. Altogether, a wonderful, uplifting listen that is bound to put a smile on your face and warmth in your heart, especially if you are a fan of the glory days of Yes. Best Tracks: Once Upon a Dream, True Messenger, Shine On, Realization part2, Counties and Countries, Still a Friend. Rating: 4.5ó 

Pure Reason Revolution - Coming Up to Consciousness

This the 6th album from this British Crossover Prog band, and 3rd since they re-formed in 2018. Very strong album and a solid step forward from their previous album, Above Cirrus (2022), which was not quite as strong as its predecessor, Eupnea (2020).  Wonderful mellow vocals and beautiful melodies leading to darker, heavier rock elements and crossover prog appeal. The album consists of 8 main songs separated by very brief (15-30 sec) instrumental interludes, consisting of moody synth chords. The main songs are good atmospheric melodic prog with strong melodies and vocals. Best Tracks: Betrayal, Useless Animal, The Gallows, As We Disappear, Bend the Earth. Rating: 3.5ó

 

Dilemma - The Purpose Paradox

This progressive rock band from the Netherlands originally formed in the 90's, released one album, then disbanded, but re-formed many years later to release a new album in 2018, Random Acts of Liberation, and now they are back once again with a very strong album in The Purpose Paradox. They blend beautiful vocals and melodies with a heavier prog core. Generally open songs with somewhat mellow vocals, melodies and harmonies, which then often build to much heavier riffs, flirting with but never fully delving into prog metal (which is a good thing). Generally synth-heavy, but also with some really good guitar work, and those great vocals and catchy melodies. Sort of like mixing Toto with Dream Theater, which so happens to work very well. Best Tracks: Sanctuary, Outer Light, Not Enough Now, Thunder, Electra. Rating: 3.5ó

Haven of Echoes - Memento Vivere

This is a relatively new prog band from Germany, and their 2nd album, following 2022's acclaimed The Indifferent Stars. Interesting blend of dreamy pop vocals (somewhat reminiscent of 80's bands such as Tears For Fears, Talk Talk, and Crowded House) and moody atmospheric vibe juxtaposed with darker, heavier rock sections, creating sort of dream vs. nightmare scenarios (best shown in the 14 min It Walks Among Us and the album closer, Assimilation). They take their time letting the songs emerge and play out, consisting of just 4 tracks (each 8-17 mins long). Creates a uniquely beautiful melodic but dark atmosphere and backs it up with some powerful rock elements. Best Tracks: Assimilation, Non Sum - Non Curo, It Walks Among Us. Rating: 3.5ó
 

Burton Cummings - A Few Good Moments

This one just came in at the close of Summer (late September). Here's another album from an aging legendary rock vocalist (formerly of The Guess Who) that is also a triumphant, unexpected delight!. Burton Cummings (who is my choice as the greatest rock vocalist of all time), at 76, returns with his first new studio album in 16 years, a surprisingly strong album that shows off not only his still wonderful vocals, but his impressive songwriting as well. Although his voice doesn't have the full richness or power it once had, he still sounds great here, but the real strength of the album is the songwriting and variety of the music presented. Mature, well-crafted songs of varying styles that could only come from a rich lifetime of experiences, as he looks back and explores his life, the changing world around him, and what he has learned along the way. A packed album, with a full 17 songs, including many that would have fit right in with The Guess Who. Though mostly light to medium rock, blues, and ballads, Burton shows he can still rock with the best on several tracks here, and delivers a diversity of pleasing styles. And the songs benefit from the expertise of his long-time back-up band (The Carpet Frogs) with some very tasty arrangements and fills. Its obvious Burton has spent a lot of time crafting these songs and they are just a joy to listen to, masterful melodic pop-rock majesty. Best Tracks: My Rhythm and My Rhyme, A Few Good Moments, Shape I'm In, Heard It On The News, Shoot Me Down, Sanity, Up to the Minute, Market My Letters. Rating: 4ó
 
Here's some quick hits (very brief comments) for a buch more quality albums from this summer that I didn't have time to more fully review, wasn't quite as thrilled with, or didn't have as much to say about, but are all albums worth checking out.

More Quality Prog

SJS - A Sequence of Mistakes

 Australian prog band features a soothing , mellow, and very enjoyable mix of ambient, atmospheric, and new agey prog-lite, with just enough pop and rock vocals and melodies and rhythms to keep things moving and interesting throughout. 3.5ó
Myth of Logic - Light at the End
Primarily the work of U.S. (Florida) multi-instrumentalist-vocalist, Scott G. Davis, this is the finale of his 3-album concept project, Here and There Trilogy. Fine keyboard-oriented classic-style prog, with many stellar moments and playing, but some ups and downs (vocals not that strong). Overall very good. 3.5ó
Trojka - Strobemorke
Modern melodic prog band from Norway. Eclectic mix ranging from tender ballads to intense outbursts, featuring abundant elements of jazz and pop, extended instrumentals and catchy melodies.  3.5ó
Kalandra - A Frame of Mind
Norwegian alternative folk band delivers atmospheric melodies with beautiful female vocals, some darker, powerful, and melancholic moments, and eerie musical landscapes. Some similarities to Exploring Birdsong, but less keyboard-driven. 3.5ó

Others

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Flight b741

Fun album of blues-rock with elements of southern, country, and folk rock rom this chameleon band (never know what they're gonns do. Very enjoyable, but I get the impression they're just playing with genres rather than being fully invested in the music. Rating: 3.5ó

 

Motorpsycho - Neigh!

Compilation album of leftover tracks of various recording sessions from this versatile band. But as is common with these types of albums, it is a mixed bag featuring a variety of styles, with some really good songs, others just OK (Can't match their other recent albums). Rating: 3ó

 
Old Pros
Focus - 12

Current reformation of this classic 70's prog band from the Netherlands. This is mostly instrumental jazz-rock with classically-inspired solo piano interludes. Excellent musicianship, but somewhat routine jazz fusion. 3ó
Deep Purple - =1
Solid, if somewhat generic, rock album from this legendary band. Nothing new or essential here, but nice to hear that they can still rock competently. 3ó
Nektar - Mission to Mars
Latest regrouping of classic prog band (bassist Mo Moore only original member left). More straight rock than prog at this point, but still some nice prog in the extended instrumental sections. Enjoyable, but can't touch the classic era. 3ó
Nick Lowe - Indoor Safari
Consummate songwriter and entertainer, Lowe's albums are always enjoyable, and here he's ably backed by Los Straitjackets. Lowe's crooning soft rock set over Los Straitjacket's early 60's surf rock style. 3.5ó

Disappointing?
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Wild God
Nick's talk-singing over a gospel-tinged chorus and arrangements doesn't do much for me, but others may appreciate his lyrics. 2.5ó
Jack White - No Name
White gets back to garage rock, blues rock, and punk blues on this uneven album, which many acclaim for coming back to a sound closer to the White Stripes, but just seemed OK to me. 2.5ó 

Several more interesting prog-related releases. Competent, well-played, but didn't stand out. 

Karfagen - Land of Chameleons 3

Maya - Fading Tomorrow 3

The Windmill - Mindscapes 3

Hourglass - Voids & Visions 3

Rendezvous Point - Dream Chaser 3

Ice - Man in the Moon 3

Bent Knee - Twenty Pills Without Water

klark.sound - What is Music 3

BB’s Rating scale:

1ó – Terrible, torturous to have to listen to

1.5ó - Poor, not worth your time

2 ó – Fair, maybe a couple half-way decent songs, but sub-par overall

2.5ó – Average, OK, meh, not bad but not that good either

3ó – Good, solid album, several good songs, but not spectacular. Certainly worthy, but may not be something you come back to very often

3.5ó – Very good album. Some stellar tracks, very enjoyable overall

4ó – Great album, filled with great songs, one that you will want to come back to over and over again

4.5ó – Excellent album, beyond great, superb in every way, just short of a masterpiece 

5ó – A Masterpiece, among the greatest albums of its type, and has stood the test of time

That's about it for now. It was a busy summer, lots of great music. And the fall is already looking great too, as many cool new albums have already come out in October, with more coming November. Will probably do another of these roundups next month, before I do the year-end wrap-ups in December.Let me know what have been some of your favorite albums of the past few months.

 

The Guess Who - 1975-04-15 - Winnipeg Playhouse Theater, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (Plus Bonus)

The Guess Who

1975-04-15
Winnipeg Playhouse Theater
Winnipeg, Canada
FM Broadcast Recording, very good quality
Mp3 @ 320 kbps

Here's another one I've been meaning to post for awhile, but haven't gotten to it, as I have tried to feature as many Guess Who shows as possible (as there just aren't very many high quality recordings available). And this is a fine one, a complete show from their hometown in 1975 (and one of their last shows) just a few months before Burton Cummings pulled the plug on the band to go solo. This definitely shows the more jazzy direction taken by the band after jazz guitarist Dominic Troiano came on board, as particularly demonstrated with the extended 'Those Show Biz Shoes' with a jazz guitar solo running about 10 minutes, as well as in 'Straighten Out'. This tour was in support of their last album, Power in the Music, so features several songs from that, but they also included plenty of their hits as well. A fine show that shows a bit of a different side to the band. But this new form of the band didn't last long (and it has been reported that Burton was not that keen on the jazz direction taken). But they still sound great and are always worth hearing in a live show (There is a bit of a problem with the mix in the early songs, but it gets much better as the show goes on). 

Tracklist:
01. Down And Out Woman
02. Dirty
03. Hand Me Down World
04. Albert Flasher
05. Diggin` Yourself
06. Star Baby
07. Those Show Biz Shoes
08. Straighten Out
09. Seems Like I Can't Live With You
10. Clap For The Wolfman
11. The Way We Were >Lauhging > These Eyes > Undun > Hang On To Your Life > American Woman
12. Roseanne
13. When the Band Was Singing
14. Long Gone
15. No Time
16. Dancing Fool
17. Instrumental Interlude
18. Orly > DJ Talking

THE BAND
Burton Cummings - vocals keyboards
Garry Peterson - Drum backing vocals
Domenic Troiano - Guitars backing vocals
Bill Wallace - Bass backing vocals

Guess Who_1975-04-15_Winnipeg.rar

BONUS Guess Who Set!

The Guess Who
1970-08-05
Gaelic Park
Manhattan College
New York, NY
Soundboard Recording
320 kbps

Here's a Bonus short set from The Guess Who, from 1970, thus with dual guitarists Kurt Winter and Greg Leskiw on board. A great time for the band, and a soundboard recording (even if a bit rough). However, it's only 4 songs, but does include a rousing 'American Woman', 'No Time', and 'Hand Me Down World'. A nice addition to the available shows, but not enough to warrant a separate post just for this brief set. But as I will post any and all Guess Who Shows I get my hands on, this is a nice bonus set.

01. Key
02. Hand Me Down World
03. American Woman
04. No Time
Total 25:24

Burton Cummings: keyboards, vocals
Jim Kale: bass
Garry Peterson: drums
Greg Leskiw: guitar
Kurt Winter: guitar

Guess Who_1970-08-05_NYC.rar

 

 

Burton Cummings & Randy Bachman - 1978 (unknown date) - PBS Soundstage TV Show, Chicago, IL

Burton Cummings & Randy Bachman
1978 - (Unknown Date)
Soundstage (PBS TV Show), WTTW Studios, Chicago, IL, USA
FM Broadcast Recording (WXRT-93 FM Simulcast), very good quality
Available in both Lossless (FLAC) and Mp3 (320 kbps) versions

Following on the heels of the recent Guess Who post, here's a broadcast recording from the legendary PBS Soundstage concert TV show from 1978 featuring Burton Cummings & Randy Bachman, together again for the first time since they both left The Guess Who. Of course, Randy infamously left The Guess Who in 1970, shortly after the band scored their biggest success with 'American Woman', whereas Burton stayed to guide the band into the rollicking hitmakers and great Rock 'n Roll Band they were throughout the early '70's. By 1975, after several personnel changes and declining record sales, Burton left and folded up the band, to start a solo career. And Burton's solo career was also very successful (and as with the band itself, especially in Canada), releasing the platinum-selling albums, Burton Cummings (1976), My Own Way to Rock (1977), and Dream of a Child (1978) in rapid succession, as well as hit singles such as, 'Stand Tall', 'I'm Scared', and 'Break it to Them Gently'. This show followed the release of Dream of a Child, which became his biggest-selling album. Thus, at this show, he is at the height of his solo career, and it is clear that he is looking forward and not back to his Guess Who days. In fact, the only Guess Who songs included here are shoehorned into an extended medley of early hits combined with interview segments about the early days of the band. So, it's a very interesting show, especially if you are not that familiar with Burton's solo work. As for Randy, after leaving The Guess Who, he formed Brave Belt, which evolved into Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and a slew of hits of his own through the mid-'70'. But Randy left BTO in 1977, thus at this time, both Burton and Randy were solo, and got together for this combined show (at a time when the other remnants of The Guess Who were also re-forming, but without Cummings and Bachman, who were not interested at the time). But this did not lead directly to further reunion shows, as each went back to their solo careers, but several years later they did get back together for brief Guess Who reunions (most notably, 1983, 1999-2003), as well as further teamings together as The Bachman-Cummings Band and/or Bachman & Cummings (2006-2009). Beyond these get-togethers, Burton has also continued to perform as a solo act, and Bachman has been involved in various BTO reunions. But here check out the combined talents of Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman, still in their prime, in the late '70's.

Tracklist:
01. Your Back Yard
02. Never Had A Lady Before
03. Guess Who medley (Laughing - These Eyes - Undun - American Woman - No Time)
04. Bachman medley (Let It Ride - Lookin' Out For #1 - Hey You)
05. You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet
06. dialogue
07. My Own Way To Rock
08. Framed
09. Stand Tall
10. Charlemagne
11. Takin' Care Of Business

mp3 - Burton Cummings & Randy Bachman_1978_PBS Soundstage_Chicago_mp3.rar

FLAC - Burton Cummings & Randy Bachman_1978_PBS Soundstage_Chicago_FLAC.rar

The Guess Who - 1973-11-10 - Ontario Motor Speedway, Ontario, CA

The Guess Who
1973-11-10
Ontario Motor Speedway, Ontario, CA
Audience recording, good quality
Available in both Lossless (FLAC) and Mp3 (320 kbps) versions

Here's another great old Guess Who show that I've only recently acquired in good quality. This was from still in their prime, 1973, while guitarists Kurt Winter and Donnie MacDougall were still with the band, on the tour supporting their 1973 albums (Artificial Paradise and #10), but also featuring a couple new songs that would appear on their subsequent (Road Food-1974) album. By this time, the band was no longer churning out hit singles, but still had solid albums, and their live shows were consistently great, with songs from throughout their career, and featuring the greatest rock vocalist of all time, Burton Cummings, in all his glory.
As I've said before, any decent quality recording of this great band (and there aren't very many) is worth having, sharing, and celebrating, and this one includes a couple songs not heard in many other shows.  Although certainly not a great recording, it's actually pretty good for an audience recording of that time, and certainly very listenable, and the band's performance is a joy. 

Tracklist:
01 - Just Let Me Sing
02 - Bus Rider
03 - Albert Flasher
04 - Undun
05 - Bye Bye Babe
06 - Glamour Boy
07 - Straighten Out
08 - Orly
09 - These Eyes
10 - Star Baby
11 - American Woman
12 - Truckin' Off Across The Sky I
13 - No Sugar Tonight
14 - Truckin' Off Across The Sky II

Burton Cummings - vocals, piano
Kurt Winter - lead guitar
Bill Wallace - bass guitar, vocals
Garry Peterson - drums
Donnie McDougall - guitar, vocals

FLAC - The Guess Who_1973-11-10_Ontario CA_FLAC.rar

mp3 - The Guess Who_1973-11-10_Ontario CA_mp3.rar
New Links! Updated 08/31/21

The Guess Who - 1974-08-31 - CNE, Toronto, ON

The Guess Who
August 31st, 1974
Canadian National Exhibition Place, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Soundboard recording, decent sound quality
Available in both lossless (FLAC) and mp3 (320 kbps) versions

Here's one more Guess Who show. This one comes from their 1974 Flavours tour and features a nice mix of songs from their then-recent albums (Flavours, Road Food) and their older classics. Although this show is sourced from a soundboard recording, it appears to come from an old low-quality cassette recording, as several limitations and artefacts from a deteriorating cassette tape are apparent in the sound quality, so it has decent, but not great sound. However, it's well-worth checking out, as it's a very good performance and contains a few different songs from other shows from this period (1974-75) previously featured. So, once again, since there are so few good quality live boots of classic Guess Who available out there, I feel compelled and obligated to pass along any and all decent Guess Who recordings so that they will be available to all. So, here again are The Guess Who in fine form in 1974.


Tracklist
Disc One
01. Bus Rider
02. Dirty
03. Albert Flasher
04. Hand Me Down World
05. Star Baby
06. Glamour Boy
07. Undun
08. Those Show Biz Shoes

Disc Two
01. (cut) Straighten Out
02. These Eyes
03. Clap For The Wolfman
04. American Woman (cut)
05. Dancing Fool
06. No Time
07. Orly
08. Long Gone (cut)

Link updated 08/31/21)
MP3 - Guess Who - 1974-08-31 - Toronto mp3

FLAC - Guess Who - 1974-08-31 - Toronto FLAC-disc1
    Guess Who - 1974-08-31 - Toronto FLAC-disc2

The Guess Who - 1983-05-27 - Reunion Rehearsal - Vancouver, BC

The Guess Who
1983-05-27
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Reunion rehearsal for their celebrated "Together Again" tour in 1983.
Soundboard recording, very good quality
mp3 @ 320 Kbps

More Guess Who! As most know, The Guess Who disbanded in late 1975, when lead singer/songwriter Burton Cummings folded the group to pursue his solo career. However, various forms of The Guess Who have continued on over the years. In 1977, the CBC tried to get the classic lineup of the group to re-unite for series of concerts, but neither Randy Bachman nor Burton Cummings were interested, as they had their own successful careers. However, original members Jim Kale (bass) and Garry Petersen (drums), along with former guitarists Kurt Winter and Don McDougall, were very interested, and with the blessing of Bachman and Cummings used the Guess Who name for their reunion. At this time Kale found that the name "The Guess Who" had never been officially registered, which he then did, and has had legal control of the band name ever since. This Kale-led version of the band put out new albums from 1978-1981 (Guess Who's Back, All This For a Song, and Now and Not Then), but were generally dismissed by critics and fans alike. But then in 1983, the original 'classic' lineup (Bachman, Cumminga, Kale, Petersen) did briefly re-unite for a limited series of concerts in Canada, which resulted in the release of a live album (Together Again) and video. This was the first time Bachman and Cummings had been together in the band since Bachman left in 1970. For these reunion concerts, the band sounded great and apparently had a great time, as several commented that they had never been better musically. That reunion was short-lived, however, as Bachman and Cummings went right back to their solo careers after the brief tour, and Jim Kale went back to fronting various different 'pseudo' versions of The Guess Who over the next several years. In 1997, Bachman and Cummings reunited with the band for a special one-time performance for a flood disaster relief benefit in their hometown of Winnipeg. Then, in 1999, the original quartet once again reunited, at the personal request from the Premier of Manitoba, at the closing ceremionies of the Pan American Games in Winnipeg. Following this the original band lineup remained together (with the addition of Don McDougall once again) for a full-scale tour through Canada in 2000 (resulting in another live album and video - Running Back through Canada), and continued to play live dates through 2003, including playing to the largest ticketed audience in Canadian history, an estimated 450,000, at the Toronto SARS benefit concert. By 2004, Cummings and Bachman had left again, but Kale and Petersen continued on with their version of the band, with various singers and lineups, right up to the present day. Over the last several years, Bachman and Cummings have joined together in their own band (Bachman-Cummings Band), which is basically their version of The Guess Who, but without the name (which Kale owns). By most accounts, the 1983 reunion was by far the most successful, productive, and musically close to the 'old' Guess Who of all the various reunion attempts. So, what we have here is a rehearsal session in preparation for the 1983 concerts, held in Vancouver a few days before their first show. The recording is very good quality, and the song versions presented are generally complete and pretty good, too, as they run through their concert preparations. There are some lags, gaps, discussion, and banter between songs (including a breakdown of what they will do in their next (last?) rehearsal at the end), but generally they just go right through the songs with no stops or problems. So, here is a unique look at the band in rehearsal for their big reunion show.
 
Tracklist
01. Shakin' All Over (incomplete)
02. Bus Rider
03. Albert Flasher
04. Undun
05. Laughing
06. Clap For The Wolfman
07. Hand Me Down World
08. Whats Going To Happen To The Kids?
09. No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature
10. Takin' Care Of Business
11. MyOwn Way To Rock
12. These Eyes
13. No Time
14. American Woman
15. Flying On The Ground Is Wrong
16. You Ain't Seen Nothin'Yet
17. Let It Ride (false start)
18. Orly
19. Heartbroken Bopper
20. FollowYour Daughter Home
21. Rain Dance
22. Runnin' Back To Sakatoon
23. talk-rehearsal planning

Burton Cummings - vocals, keyboards
Randy Bachman - vocals, guitar
Jim Kale - bass
Garry Peterson - drums

Guess Who - 1983-05-27 - Reunion Rehearsal - Vancouver

The Guess Who - 1970-10-10 - Kansas State Fair (Late Show)

 The Guess Who
1970-10-10 (Late Show)
Kansas State Fair, Hutchinson, KS
Audience recording, Fair quality (from cassette)

NEW upgrade! Now available in Lossless (FLAC) as well as mp3 @ 320 kbps

I just recently obtained this vintage 1970 show from The Guess Who (thanks to mdm3 at G101 Forum!), and it is a great show and performance, so I wanted to pass it along here, since there are very few shows available from this period from this great band. This  show features the band near their peak, at the end of their US Tour to support possibly their best album, and their first without Randy Bachman, Share The Land, and they prominently feature their TWO new ace guitarists, Kurt Winter and Greg Leskiw. Burton Cummings (my choice as the greatest rock vocalist ever) is in full force mode here, and in full charge of HIS band now. Unfortunately, like most of the available GW shows, it is NOT a high quality recording, it's not very good at all really (I rated it 'fair'), with very limited dynamic range (old, low quality cassette source), uneven sound, and the usual audience-taped problems. However, it is certainly no worse than most of the other available recordings from this period, and actually quite a bit better than many. Although not 'good' sounding, it is eminently listenable, is relatively 'clear'-sounding compared to many murky, muddy-sounding recordings. Anyway, the performance, however, is well worth the listen, as this show contains many highlights and marvels. First, it is a much longer, fuller show than the previously offered 1970 show (1970-8-26 - Wash.DC), with several additional songs included here, such as the rarely played 'We're Coming to Dinner', 'Do You Miss Me Darlin'', and 'Hang On To Your Life', as well as a totally unexpected dose of country twang with a cover of 'Close Up the Honky Tonks' (as immortalized by Gram Parsons' Flying Burrito Brothers). The band is in great spirits and puts on a great show. They do even longer, extended versions of 'Money Bag/Humpty's Blues' and 'American Woman' than was their norm. The resulting Jam off of American Woman is particularly notable for it's extended solos and the jams emanating from the insertion of 'Do Wah Diddy' into the festivities (obligatory keyboard, guitar, drum, vocal, and even flute solos are abundant here, the drum solo alone goes on for 7 minutes) which is different from any other live version I have heard previously, and lasts a full 27 minutes. All this in addition to classics like the combined 'No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature', 'No Time', 'These Eyes', 'Hand Me Down World', and 'Undun', make for a very memorable show, just be forewarned that it is not a good recording, but still very much worth your time.

Tracklist
01 - Bus Rider
02 - Undun
03 - We're Coming To Dinner
04 - No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature
05 - Do You Miss Me Darlin'
06 - Comin' Down Off The Money Bag/Humpty's Blues/Money Bag ending
07 - Hang On To Your Life
08 - Close Up The Honky Tonks
09 - These Eyes
10 - Hand Me Down World
11 - American Woman/Solos/Do Wah Diddy/She Come Walkin' Jam
12 - No Time

New Updated links! (07/27/2021)
FLAC - Guess Who_1970-10-10_Hutchinson KS_FLAC.rar

mp3 - Guess_Who_1970-10-10_KS-late.rar

The Guess Who - 1975-01-14 - Bottom Line, NY

The Guess Who
January 1975
The Bottom Line, New York City
(exact date uncertain - appeared at Bottom Line 13th-15th)
FM Broadcast, Very good quality
mp3 @ 320

I ran across this fine Guess Who FM Broadcast show a couple months ago, and finding any quality show from this band is an event worth celebrating, as there are so few decent recordings of this great band available. Thus, this is a nice addition to the shows already posted. This is from around the same time (and similar quality) as the previously posted Electric Ladyland radio broadcast, from January 1975 (thus, this is the Dominic Troiano era, final year of the band). But what sets this show apart from that previous show, is that this one is much longer, including several hits ('Albert Flasher', 'Hand Me Down World', 'Star Baby', and 'No Time') and some extended songs/jams ('Those Showbiz Shoes', 'Long Gone') that were not included in the EL broadcast (A full 75 minutes!). Thus we get to hear more rants, scats, croons, and shouts from Burton Cummings, the greatest rock vocalist of all time (yeah, that's right - It's my blog and that's my stand), as well as some mighty-fine keyboard (Burton - for example,  check out the extended jazzy piano intro to 'No Time') and guitar work (Troiano). And they show that they can still do the full-fledged space-out hippie jam fest in their overly extended 'Showbiz Shoes' (at over 18 minutes long, when apparently even the radio station had had enough and faded out the song while the guitar solos were still continuing). At the very least, these extended jams serve to dispel the notion that this later stage of the band was a slicker and more pop-oriented version of the band - they still can rock-out with the best of 'em.  This show was around the time of the release of Flavours, from which they play several songs. They would record one more album, Power in the Music, later that year, before Burton would decide to pull the plug and leave to go solo.  Note: There was a cut/tape flip about 1:30 into 'Straighten Out', so I spliced in the missing section (about 10 seconds worth) from the EL show (and fairly seamlessly, I might add) to restore the full song. So, this is a slightly improved version over others available elsewhere. So, once again, although near the end of their run, it is still great to hear Burton and these guys play these classic tunes as only The Guess Who can. Enjoy!

01 Dirty
02 Albert Flasher
03 Hand Me Down World
04 Star Baby
05 No Time
06 Sour Suite
07 Those Show Biz Shoes / Jam (18+ minutes!)
08 Straighten Out (cut/tape flip in middle - spliced/restored w/Electric Ladyland excerpt)
09 Hoe Down Time
10 Diggin' Yourself
11 Long Gone

New Link! (Updated 08/31/21)      
Guess_Who_1975-01_BottomlineNY-FM.rar

Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band - 1992-07-13 - Montreux

Ringo Starr And His All-Starr Band
1992-07-13
Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux, Switzerland
Complete Show (reconstructed)
SBD or FM, very good quality recording
mp3 @ 224 kbps

Last week's John Lennon post got me thinking about possible other Beatle-related offerings. Although I am a big Beatles fan, I have generally avoided posting any Beatles stuff because there is just so much already available at countless other places, that there just isn't much point posting it here. The same goes for anything by John, Paul, & George. Not so much for Ringo. Perhaps not surprisingly, there is much less demand, and thus much less Ringo stuff available. So, here is an excellent show from Ringo and his All-Starr Band from 1992, the 2nd incarnation of the ASB, and I think the best overall line-up, featuring such rock icons (and BB Chronicle favorites) as Burton Cummings, Dave Edmunds, Todd Rundgren, Nils Lofgren, and Joe Walsh, yet there have been very few recordings from this tour featuring this stellar lineup. The 1st All-Starr group (1989) also featured some top names (Levon Helm & Rick Danko from The Band, Dr. John, Billy Preston, Clarence Clemons, and Lofgren & Walsh) ) but I like the '92 group the best, and this was also the year that I saw the show, so it has special significance to me. BTW, I think that the All-Starr Band concept was a brilliant idea and marketing plan for Ringo. Combining Ringo with several other rock icons from the '70's and '80's, each of whom have a following, but also probably unable to draw big crowds on their own, was just a great idea. That way Ringo could perform some of his best-known songs, and each of the All-Starrs get a chance to lead and play a couple of their big hits, and everyone is happy. Essentially, they took Ringo, who for many would be considered a somewhat marginal concert act (Hey, I love Ringo, but can you really see paying big bucks to see a 1-1/2 to 2 hr concert consisting of only Ringo songs?), and made his tour into a must-see concert event. This concept has kept Ringo viable as a concert act for decades. Over the years, Ringo has toured with 11 different All-Starr Bands, right up to 2010. Granted, some of the more recent lineups haven't been quite as stellar (Mark Farner? Simon Kirke? Eric Carmen? Gary Wright?), although they still have featured some A-list icons, such as Gary Brooker (of Procol Harum), Greg Lake, and Roger Hodgson. 
This show, from the Montreux Jazz Fest, comes primarily from an Italian boot (Resurrection), which had very good sound, but unfortunately only included 16 of the 25 songs played at the show. Through various other sources (including some of the same songs from different shows), I have cobbled together a reasonable reconstruction of the complete show (all 25 songs). When I saw this (very similar) show in '92, it was great. It was not only an opportunity to see Ringo live, but also Cummings, Edmunds, Rundgren, and Lofgren, some favorites of mine that I never got to see in their prime years. And here we get Cummings doing 'No Time' and 'American Woman', Edmunds doing 'Girls Talk' and 'I Hear You Knocking', along with Ringo's songs and goofy charm (although why Walsh does 'Desperado'-which is not even his song, and on piano yet, is very strange indeed). So here is Ringo & his All-Starr Band.
 
tracklist
01 - I'm The Greatest
02 - The No No Song
03 - No Time (Cummings)
04 - Girl Talk (Edmunds)
05 - Rocky Mountain Way (Walsh)
06 - I Can't Tell You Why (Schmit)
07 - Shine Silently (Lofgren)
08 - Bang On The Drum (Rundgren)
09 - Don't Go Where The Road Don't Go
10 - Yellow Submarine
11 - Desperado (Walsh, piano - solo)
12 - One World (Rundgren - solo)
13 - Keep On Trying (Schmit)
14 - Wiggle (Cappello)
15 - Black Maria (Rundgren)
16 - In The City (Walsh)
17 - You're Sixteen
18 - Weight Of The World
19 - Walkin' Nerve (Lofgren)
20 - I Hear You Knocking (Edmunds)
21 - American Woman (Cummings)
22 - Boys
23 - Photograph
24 - Act Naturally
25 - With A Little Help From My Friends

Ringo's All-Starr Band 1992 (2nd version)
Ringo Starr - drums, vocals
Joe Walsh - guitar, keyboards, talk box, vocals
Nils Lofgren - guitar, vocals
Todd Rundgren - guitar, drums, vocals
Dave Edmunds - guitar, vocals
Burton Cummings - keyboards, guitar, tambourine, harmonica, vocals
Timothy B. Schmit - bass, vocals
Zak Starkey - drums
Timmy Cappello - saxophone, percussion, vocals

New Link! (Updated 10/3/21)
Ringo_Starr_-_1992_Montreux_Jazz_Festival.rar

The Guess Who - 1974-05-06 - St. Louis, MO (FM Broadcast)

The Guess Who

1974-05-06

Ambassador Theater, St. Louis, MO

FM Radio Broadcast - KSHE-FM

Very Good Quality
NEW Upgrade! Now available in Lossless (FLAC) as well as 

mp3 @ 320

OK, before I move on to my next 'Featured Artist', I wanted to post a couple of great shows from former featured artists that I only recently acquired (and thus didn't have when I posted the other stuff). The first is from The Guess Who, and this is a real find. There are very few decent concert boots by these guys, so I was thrilled to find this FM radio broadcast from 1974, which still features the classic (and best ) group lineup. This is from the end of their Spring 1974 tour, and thus one of the last shows before guitarists Kurt Winter and Donnie McDougall left the group (or were kicked out, it's not clear). After they departed, jazz-pop guitarist Domenic Troiano was brought in, and the decline and end of The Guess Who was near. This show, however, still shows them near their peak form (This one comes at the time of Road Food and the single 'Clap For The Wolfman', which is a bit past their peak, I would have preferred a show from around 1972, around the time of Rockin', but this is still good.) This is a very good (clean) radio recording (lacking much low end, but otherwise great). Unfortunately, the show was marred somewhat early on by some equipment failures (blown amp or power outage or something) which causes delays, and forces Burton Cummings to ad lib and play a couple songs on piano only. Detracting from the recording also is the KSHE DJ, who feels compelled to interject something anytime there is a lull on stage (between songs, etc.). These are minor complaints, however, as this is still the best Guess Who bootleg I've heard, featuring a full show and many of their classics (including a rockin' 20-minute American Woman/Truckin/No Sugar Tonight Medley). Although not as good as their classic Live at the Paramount official live album, this is the best boot show I've found. Still a surprisingly underrated band.

Due to technical problems, "Artificial Flowers" and "Sour Suite" were played as solo piano pieces by Burton.

The Band:

Gary Peterson

Bill Wallace

Burton Cummings

Kurt Winter

Donnie McDougall

Disc One - 61:07 minutes

01. Intro

02. Bus Rider

03. New Mother Nature

04. Artificial Flowers

05. Sour Suite

06. >> interlude

07. Undun

08. Albert Flasher

09. Runnin' Back To Saskatoon

10. Glamour Boy

11. Self Pity

12. Clap For The Wolfman

13. These Eyes

14. Star Baby

15. >> interlude

16. Straighten Out

17. Bye Bye Babe

Disc Two - 40:15 minutes

01. Medley: American Woman / Truckin' Off Across The Sky / No Sugar Tonight 20:55

02. Share The Land 4:58

03. No Time 5:30

04. (Applause) > Orly 5:45

05. (/KSHE Analysis) > Leave It To Beaver Theme (Burton Cummings & Bill Wallace) 3:09

New! Now available in Lossless (FLAC Files)
FLAC - Guess Who_1974-05-06_KSHE-FM_FLAC.rar

mp3 - disc 1: Guess_Who_-_1974-05-06_-_KSHE-FM_Disc1.rar

          disc 2: Guess_Who_-_1974-05-06_-_KSHE-FM_Disc2.rar

New Links (08/31/21)

Bonus Guess Who!

Here's another excellent, short but sweet Guess Who show, audio taken from the old 'In Concert' TV show from 1973 (FM radio simulcast-that's how they did these things back in the 'old days'). Same lineup as above. Good audio quality. Short 22 minute set for TV broadcast. You can add this to the above set, or just take as is. Enjoy!

The Guess Who

"ABC-TV In Concert"; likely Civic Center, Santa Monica, California

Broadcast March 2, 1973 (recording date not known)

FM recording, Very Good Quality

Lossless (FLAC) files

Set List (22:31 min):

01. American Woman

02. Bye Bye Babe

03. No Time

04. Those Show Biz Shoes

Guess_Who_-_1973_In_Concert-TV_-_Santa_Monica.rar

Burton Cummings - Rock's Greatest Vocalist?

Previously, (in the Guess Who posts) I stated that I believe Burton Cummings was the greatest rock vocalist of all time. How can I say that? Well, that’s just how I see (hear?) it. Remember, this is greatest vocalist, not most successful, most popular, or in the best band, etc., but the best rock singer. For me, there are 3 essential criteria that must be evaluated to even be considered as the greatest:

# 1) They must have a great voice, not just a passable voice. Now, with rock singers, there really are very few that have what could be called great voices. That is, not just a good voice for rock n roll, but a great singing voice. Now, I know that you can be a great rock vocalist without having a great voice (such as many of the legends, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, Robert Plant, etc.), but to be considered the BEST, well you just have to have a GREAT voice. I will accept no arguments on this point. So, this in itself narrows the field considerably.
# 2), the vocalist must be equally strong on hard-rockin, raucous, screamin’ tracks as they are on soft, melodic, or soaring ballads (again, this eliminates most of the hard-rock acts, they just can’t cut it on ‘sweet’ songs).
# 3), they must have their own particular style, quirkiness, coolness that makes the songs uniquely theirs and nobody else’s (Now, I admit that there are many that qualify here). This shows that it is not enough to just have a great voice, they must really know how to use it most effectively.

Using these criteria, Burton was just the best. No one had a better voice, was as strong on growling rockers and tender love songs alike, and always brought his unique vocal style (loved his scatting and ad libs during the extended versions and fade outs of songs). There just was no one else like him. He could be surly and mean one minute, and graceful and soaring another (very often within the same song). Check out his hard-rockin style on tracks such as Bus Rider, Hang On To Your Life, Heartbroken Bopper, Guns Guns Guns, and, of course, American Woman, then listen to the sweet beautiful vocals of These Eyes, Undun, Share The Land, Do You Miss Me Darlin?, Sour Suite, Smoke Big Factory, and countless others. Mostly, though, he alternates between silky smooth and rockin’ within the same track (such as on Laughing, No Time, Hand Me Down World, Albert Flasher, Runnin Back To Saskatoon, Show Biz Shoes, Orly, etc.).

Now, I say was, because, unfortunately the years have not been kind to Burton’s voice. After leaving the Guess Who, his solo career went much more in the direction of soft-rock and ballads than rock n roll, and although he still produced some great pop-rock songs (check out his 2-Cd solo compilation, The Burton Cummings Collection (1994), he denied us of further expressions of his gutsy, harder-rockin vocals in subsequent years (Unfortunately, there aren’t any bootlegs available from his prime solo years). I saw him live with Ringo’s All-Starr Band in 1992, and he still had his great voice then. But, by the time of the extended Guess Who Reunion Tour in 2000-2001, his voice had changed dramatically. Although he still had the same inimitable vocal style, his voice was much more shrill and thin, not having the full rich sound of previous years (for proof, check out ‘Runnin’ Back Through Canada (2001), the live album from the 2000 tour), and, to me, was almost unlistenable in comparison to his prime years. However, in his most recent solo album, Above the Ground (2008, his first solo album in 18 years), his voice is stronger than it has been in years (and a very strong album). He also still performs and tours with the Bachman-Cummings Band (w/Randy Bachman, doing many of the old Guess Who songs). So, it’s good to hear that Burton is still going strong today.

OK, so Burton was the best. But who else ranks high on my list? After Burton, I would probably say Roger Daltrey and Paul Rodgers rank the next highest (both have great, strong rock voices). After that would probably be Paul McCartney (Paul has more of a pop voice than a rock voice, but he’s still up there). Also in the top ten or so would probably be people like Freddie Mercury, Gary Brooker (Procol Harum), Peter Gabriel, Sting, Van Morrison, Greg Lake, Elvis Costello, and, yes, maybe even that other Elvis guy. But who is definitely NOT up there? Robert Plant, Ozzie Ozborne, Mick Jagger, Bon Scott, Axl Rose, Steven Tyler, etc. They may be popular, they may be effective for the music they sing, but they are not great singers. Disagree? Who do you think is the greatest rock vocalist?

Disclaimer: I hereby state that I am not from Canada, have never lived in Canada, and that my high regard for The Guess Who and Burton Cummings is not biased by any Canadian nationalistic pride, influence, or any such nonsense. They are just damn good.

The Guess Who - 1975-1-16 - Live at Electric Ladyland, New York, NY

The Guess Who

1975-01-16

Live At Electric Ladyland
New Ork, NY

FM Broadcast recording, very good quality

New upgrade! Now available in Lossless (FLAC) as well as Mp3 (256 kbps)

no artwork

OK, here's a great sounding radio show from 1975 (best sounding Guess Who boot I've heard). Unfortunately, it is from the end of the group's career, after guitarists Winter and McDougall left, and featuring new guitarist Domenic Troiano, promoting the band's next to last album, Flavours. Here, as they are trying to establish the new form of the band, they (purposely, I think) do not play any of the classic GW songs, focusing almost entirely on newer material and their newer (albeit short-lived) sound and style. Mind you, it is still very good. Still well-worth having and listening to, but just not classic GW. Highlights are the best track from Flavours, 'Hoe Down Time', as well as the 'newer classics' 'Sour Suite' and 'Orly', and an angry extended jam on 'Long Gone'. As Willard (formerly of Willards Wormholes blog) said 'It's Burton at his surly best and the song's progression recalls the band's early experimentation with form, highlighting extended, improvised sections and some killer grooves. It also displays an interplay between Burton Cummings and Domenic Troiano that could have been intriguing if pursued further, but wouldn't make it past two albums before The Guess Who split for Burton to go solo.

1. Introduction

2. Dirty

3. Diggin' Yourself

4. Hoe Down Time

5. Dancin' Fool

6. Eye

7. Straighten Out

8. Long Gone

9. Sour Suite

10. Orly

New Links! (06/16/21)
FLAC -  Guess Who_1975-1-16_Live at Electric Ladyland_FLAC.rar

Mp3 - Guess Who_1975-1-16_Live at Electric Ladyland_mp3.rar

The Guess Who - 1970-08-26 - Washington, DC

The Guess Who

1970-08-26

Carter-Barron Amphitheater, Washington, D.C.

Average Audience Recording

New! Now Lossless (FLAC) version available in addition to Mp3

Mp3 @ 192 kps

No Artwork

Here's a great set from The Guess Who in their prime, this one just a few months after Randy Bachman left the group, and features the dual guitars of new members Kurt Winter and Greg Leskiw, and of course the great voice of Burton Cummings. Also featured is an extended, scathing 'American Woman' and new songs from their just-released first post-Bachman album, Share the Land. As this tour (and their subsequent albums) indicated, not only would The Guess Who survive the loss of Bachman, but it actually made them a better band. Winter's guitar style and songwriting contributions were immediately felt on songs like 'Bus Rider', 'Hang On To Your Like', 'Hand Me Down World', and 'Coming Down off the Money Bag''. Again, not a very good recording, but a great show, and there are so few available Guess Who boots, it still is a great listen.

1. Bus Rider

2. Undun

3. No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature

4. Hang On To Your Life

5. Coming Down Off The Money Bag

6. These Eyes

7. Hand Me Down World

8. American Woman

9. No Time

New Link! FLAC version (06/23/21)

Guess Who_1970-08-26_WashingtonDC_FLA.rar

 

Mp3 version (Link Updated 06/23/21)
Guess_Who_1970-8-26_DC.rar

The Guess Who - 1972-11-20 - Budokan, Japan

The Guess Who

Budokan, Japan

November 20th 1972

Average Audience recording

Mp3 @ 192kps

Artwork Included

Ok, here is a show from a great and underrated '70's band (and features one of the great rock 'n roll vocalists of all time, Burton Cummings).
Although this is only a so-so recording, this is the best bootleg of a full show I could find from this period (The Guess Who at their prime). Unfortunately, there appear to be very few available shows by this great band. If anyone has other (better?) Guess Who shows, let me know, I'd love to hear them. For now though, enjoy this one.

Disc 1

01. Introduction

02. Bus Rider

03. Pain Train

04. Albert Flasher

05. Samantha's Living Room

06. New Mother Nature

07. Bye Bye Babe

08. Runnin' Back To Saskatoon

09. Raindance

10. These Eyes

11. Guns Guns Guns

12. Heart Broken Bopper

13. Lost and Found Town

Disc 2

01. Follow Your Daughter Home

02. Those Show Biz Shoes

03. Sour Suite

04. Hand Me Down World

05. American Woman Blues

06. American Woman

07. Drum Solo and Flute Jam

08. Truckin' Off Across The Sky

09. Share The Land

10. No Time

New Links! (Updated 07/27/21)
Disc 1: The_Guess_Who_-_Budokan_Japan_-_11-20-72_d1.rar

Disc 2: The_Guess_Who_-_Budokan_Japan_-_11-20-72_d2.rar