retroblog.net

it has been a while since I’ve shared any links of interest. So, here ya go, some random links for the weekend. Normally I share more of these types of links via my facebook page so if you enjoy this type of thing, be sure to “like” my FB page to keep in the loop.

Keith Emerson Band Feat. Mark Bonilla – Live In Moscow (2011)
The great return of Keith Emerson to Progressive Rock was debuted in the summer of 2010 in Moscow, Russia, at the Moscow Theatre – an explosive combination of the classic ELP sound and modern Hard Rock flavor which was captured on tape. Several Emerson, Lake & Palmer classics have been cleverly re-arranged with new guitar versions, adding entirely new elements to the already epic sound. Emerson’s keyboard is flamboyant and explosive more than ever. When interviewed recently, Keith confessed, that these new re-constructions with guitar reflected more accurately the way he had originally envisioned them. Besides Emerson and guitarist Marc Bonilla, the band members include drummer Tony Pia (Edgar Winter, Brian Setzer, Doobie Brothers) and multi-faceted newcomer Travis Davis on bass and backing vocals.
CD 1 | CD 2 | CD 3

Kim Wilde – Original Gold 2 CD (1998)
Kim Wilde. Mention her name and people’s eyes light up. The blonde singer with the siren voice is after all one of pop music’s most dazzling stars. For years she has held the record as England’s most successful female pop star ever. The French consider her the “Brigitte Bardot of Rock” and her German fans still venerate her as the sexiest glamour girl to come out of the eighties. Even today megahits such as “Kids In America” and “Cambodia” are guaranteed to rock the dance floor.
click here

Eric Clapton – live 1998-10-15 – London (SBD)
This soundboard recording of the first night, October 15, 1998, is unique in several respects. First, Eric plays acoustic guitar on 4 numbers, a rarity in concert for him. Second, he’s supported not only by his regular band, but also by a 20 piece orchestra. Third, Bonnie Raitt joins him during the encores for Before You Accuse Me. Finally, the sound is so good on this bootleg, that the Geetarz website, which normally rates bootlegs on a scale of 1 (worst) to 6 (best), gave this recording a 7! Download this one to hear one of the best Clapton recordings you’ll ever find.
boot recording via So Many Roads to Ease My Soul

David Foster – A Touch Of David Foster (1992)
a nice compilation of David Foster’s most sappiest tunes.
click here

Evanescence – Live At Rock in Rio (2011)
set includes “What You Want”, “My Immortal”, “Sick” and “Bring Me to Life”
click here

enjoy!

I’m looking forward to a brand new Bangles album coming out on September 27th titled Sweetheart of the Sun. I should have a review copy arriving shortly. In the meantime, I’ve got an old Susanna Hoffs tune uploaded for you all to enjoy.

Have a great labor day weekend!

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damn it has been a hot ass summer. just look at my poor excuse of a fescue lawn. I’ve never seen my grass look so bad in all the years I’ve lived here. I haven’t looked up the local stats, but I’m pretty sure we’ve broken the record of the most 100+ degree days this summer. good lord. and we’re still in early august. not only can’t my lawn take it, my A/C unit is on its last leg. We’ve already had it serviced twice this year and I don’t want to call for service yet again. please send relief!! someone please.

In the meantime, enjoy some heat related tunes!

Too Hot to Sleep by Survivor -Too hot to sleep, give up the fight, throw back the sheets, shoot out the lights…

Summertime by Paul McCartney [soundcheck 1993] – It’s summertime and the living is easy, fish are jumping and the cotton is high

The Sun Always Shines on TV [extended version] by A-Ha – Touch me, how can it be?, believe me the sun always shines on TV

Some Like it Hot by Power Station [12" mix] – Feel the heat pushing you to decide, feel the heat burning you up, ready or not

Hot in the City [1988 remix] by Billy Idol - ‘Cause when a long-legged lovely walks by yeah you can see the look in her eye, then you know that it’s hot in the city tonight…

Love is like a Heat Wave by Phil Collins – It’s like a heat wave burning in my heart, I can’t keep from crying, it’s tearing me apart

the Heat Goes On by Wetton Downes [Icon, live, 2006] – You box shy, you’re hard to get, you got the face that I can’t forget and I know, I know the heat goes on
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whew. I finally had the chance to transfer all of my music files from the ol’ HP hard drive to my new laptop. huzzah. I’m so relieved that the cheapo $14 SATA/USB hard drive enclosure worked with no fuss.

To celebrate, I thought I’d open up the RetroBlog Music Vault and share some music today.

Four Seasons in One Day (Hard Rock Cafe Live 1998) by Shawn Colvin and Mary Chapin Carpenter
Sleeping on an unmade bed
Finding out wherever there is comfort, there is pain
Only one step away like four seasons in one day

Have a Little Faith in Me (acoustic version) by John Hiatt
I will hold you up, I will hold you up
Your love will give me strength enough
So have a little faith in me

I Saw the Light/Kiss on My List (live, Aug 2005, Boston) by Hall and Oates with special guest Todd Rundgren
I go crazy wondering what there is to really see
Did the night just take up your time, ’cause it means more to me

I’m All Shook Up (live at the Cavern) by Paul McCartney
When she touched my hand what a chill I got
Her lips are like a volcano when it’s hot

You Do or You Don’t (live 1992) by Lindsey Buckingham
Living in exile ain’t the way to go
It’s just another way of dying
A whole lot of faces that you call your own
All those faces are crying

Hold Me Now (live 1994) by John Wetton
My shattered heart, in pieces now
And I’m gazing at the fragments of my life

This is Where You Ain’t (acoustic) by Glenn Tilbrook
This is where we had some fun and this is where we played
And now the fact I have to face is that this is where you ain’t

enjoy!!

According to Roger Linder’s calendar over at TR Connection, September 1st is Todd Rundgren Appreciation Day. So, I might as well take the opportunity to post some TR related items here for all to enjoy. like who’s gonna stop me, right? heh.

First up, here’s Ed Vigdor’s trailer for the upcoming ToddStock movie that’ll premiere next week at the Cinema Carousel Theatre in Muskegon, MI.

Also, if you don’t already know, Rundgren will be performing the albums, Healing (1981) and Todd (1974) in their entirety at six shows beginning this sunday. check my previous post for more info.

as for TR songs – I thought I’d post some neat TR covers I have lying around on my current computer. My huge music archive is still on my laptop hard drive that went kaput a few weeks ago. no worries though, I’ll retrieve the files off the old hard drive once I get my new laptop setup and running.

[the following mp3s will be available for a limited time so get 'em while you can...]

Couldn’t I Just Tell You by Joe Jackson
Keep your head and everything will be cool
You didn’t have to make me feel like a fool
When I try to say I feel the way that I do…

Love of the Common Man by Future Kings of Spain
I’ve been burned in my prime
The simple things in life seem so hard to learn sometimes..

Mated by Jaki Graham and David Grant
I see things far ahead, maybe light, maybe beautiful children
I don’t have words I’m thinking of but it’s way beyond what they call love

I Saw the Light by Lori Carson
But my feelings for you were just something I never knew
‘Til I saw the light in your eyes..

Couldn’t I Just Tell You by the Wondermints
Couldn’t I just tell you the way I feel
I can’t keep it bottled up inside
And could we pretend that it’s no big deal
And there’s really nothing left to hide

Love of the Common Man by the Lovemongers (Nancy and Ann Wilson)
Everyone is waiting, just anticipating on you
Won’t you make a showing everybody knows what to do..

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In honor of the start of another summer season, I thought I’d post a set of songs linked to this lovely (but HOT) time of the year. Can’t believe it’s already summer. Gotta hurry and plan out some fun excursions with the little ones before they go back to school. Summer’ll be over before ya know it!

enjoy!

Some Like to Hot – The Power Station
Some like it hot and some sweat when the heat is on
Some feel the heat and decide that they can’t go on
Some like it hot but you can’t tell how hot ’til you try
Some like it hot so let’s turn up the heat ’til we fry

Waiting on a Sunny Day – Bruce Springsteen
Funny, thought I felt a sweet summer breeze
Must of been you sighin’ so deep
Don’t worry we’re gonna find a way
I’m waitin’, waitin’ on a sunny day
Gonna chase the clouds away, waitin’ on a sunny day

Summer of Love – The B-52′s
It’s the summer of love, love, love
I’m in love with love, love, love
For everyone transcends here, I’m thinking of you boy
Love energy is giving us a shove, making this the summer of love

Summer Dress – Shawn Colvin
I put on my finest summer dress
So light and thin, torn at the chest
I brushed my hair, I held my breath
I went out to face the wilderness,
I went out to face the wilderness…

Too Hot to Sleep – Survivor
Too hot to sleep Come take me higher
caught up in the heat of the moments fire

My Paradise (live version 2003) – The Outfield
Everbody’s got one thing on their mind
A set of wheels and a cranked up radio
In this town there might be nowhere to hide
In this town there might be nowhere to go but
On my left, to my right, this is my paradise
You can call it what you like
I know, this is my paradise

Summer (Can’t Last too Long) – Demo version by Wetton/Downes
Spring, winter or fall but out of them all
The summer can’t last too long

Summer Skin – Death Cab for Cutie
The water’s warm and children swim
And we frolicked about in our summer skin

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With all the Go-Go’s fans bummed out after the girls canceled their farewell tour, I thought I’d take this moment to share some rare live tracks by the band.

Hopefully Jane Wiedlin will be able to recover from her injuries in a timely manner so that the band can get back on stage for one last hurrah.

just in case you haven’t seen it yet, here’s what Jane wrote to her fans on her mailing list about the situation:

Dear pen-pals,
It is with heavy heart I tell you that the Go-Go’s tour has been canceled. You may have already read about this online, or in a real newspaper (do those still exist?). Still, I wanted to personally tell you guys that it is always my intention to entertain and to please, and never to disappoint.

On the off-chance you didn’t hear yet, on May 21 I fell down a 20 foot cliff while hiking near my home in San Francisco. I knew something was terribly wrong with my knees as I rolled down the mountain, because there was a horrendously loud popping noise, like champagne being uncorked, but not nearly as fun!

To add insult to injury, two days later, while recuperating in bed, I realized that I must have rolled through poison oak and the rash was spreading all over my body. MISERY!!!!

So, I found out through an MRI that my left knee has an exploded ACL, which is the main tendon that holds your leg together at the knee. I am scheduled for surgery on 6/16, and my doctor tells me this can take up to a year to heal. Grrrr.

I don’t even know yet what is wrong with my right knee because my insurance would only pay for one MRI at a time. Once my left leg starts feeling a bit better, I will find out what my right leg requires.

So, though I didn’t mean to send my very first letter to my mailing list pals to be filled with BAD NEWS, I will just say I am really happy and flattered that you signed up to get news about me and LADY ROBOTIKA, my brand new COMIC BOOK!!

Lady R, being a cyborg and all, doesn’t have knee problems whatsoever, and the first issue will (finally) be launching on July 14. It only took us THREE YEARS to get Issue One completed. Luckily, from here on out we are obliged by our great publisher IMAGE COMICS, to release one episode per month. So the wait time will be seriously shorter!

At this time, I hope to be able to attend San Diego Comic Con for one day, on Friday July 23, since sitting in a chair for a couple hours and signing stuff is not nearly as taxing as traveling to a different city every day for a month to give shows that involve 90 minutes of dancing a night!!

Thank you for all your well wishes. They are most appreciated!
OK, that’s all for now.
Lots of love to you all,
Jane
————–

Anyway, enjoy the tunes…
—

Daisy Chain (live from Irvine, 2001)
Who knew we were going down
So careless with what we’d found
Making and breaking our Daisy Chain
Flowers bloom they fade too soon
What happened to our daisy chain

Turn To You (Live in LA 1984)
There may be some explanation
Why you feel the way you do
The world makes its rotations
But I just want to turn to you

Head Over Heels (Live in LA 1984)
Been running so hard
When what I need is to unwind
The voice of reason
Is one I left so far behind

Cool Jerk (nips and tucks version, live at the viper room 1999)
Can you do can you do can you do can you do
The cool jerk

Unforgiven (live Richardson, TX 2001)
Confessing every sin doesn’t make me a saint
Even though it’s obvious I’ve changed
Once I forgave you but I did not forget
Now I’m taking back everything I said

We Got the Beat (live in LA 1984)
Go-go music really makes us dance
Do the pony puts us in a trance
Do the watusi just give us a chance
That’s when we fall in line
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I recently came across an old boot of Genesis performing live at Madison Square Garden during their 1986 Invisible Touch Tour. Listening to the recording takes me back to senior year in high school when I saw them in early 1987 at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill. It was one of the first “big arena” -type shows that I had been to at the time and so I was really taken aback with the what I saw that night. It was a fabulous show and this boot of the New York City show is a nice representation of that particular tour. The recording seems to be taken from a cassette of the soundboard. At various instances there are some “wow and flutter” effects which indicates stretching of the audio tape due to use. But even with the sonic imperfections, it’s still a fantastic document of the full show. The NYC gig was fairly early in the tour so “Follow You Follow Me” was still on the setlist and “In the Cage” was played toward the end of the show which they changed once they got into larger stadiums in 1987.

I had to laugh a bit when I heard those old Simmons drum sounds during “Home By the Sea”. Those Simmons drum kits definitely sound *dated* now and I can’t believe they actually played with those old trigger pads on stage. Those Simmons pads were like hard plastic so they were pretty brutal on the hands and arms when played for long periods of time. That’s the mid-80′s for ya. And if you’ve seen the Genesis 1987 Wembley video footage of them, you get the additional chuckle of seeing Mike Rutherford and Daryl Steurmer in “Miami Vice” garb. heh.

retroGrade : B+

The recording is worth seeking out especially if you’re fond of 80′s-era Genesis material like I am.

Live NYC 09-30-1986
artist: Genesis
Date: September 30, 1986
Venue: MSG, NYC
Sound quality: soundboard recording (cassette quality)

the live band:
Tony Banks: Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Mike Rutherford: Guitars, Basses, Backing Vocals
Phil Collins: Acoustic & Electronic Drums, Vocals
Chester Thompson: Acoustic & Electronic Drums
Daryl Steurmer: Guitars, Basses, Backing Vocals

Tracklist:
CD 1
Mama (8:39)
Abacab (10:52)
Land Of Confusion (5:13)
That’s All (6:31)
Domino (12:41)
In Too Deep (5:42)
The Brazilian (5:38)
Follow You Follow Me (5:14)
Chester Thompson Intro (1:04)
Tonight Tonight Tonight (9:11)

CD 2
Audience Participation Time (4:28)
Home By The Sea (12:06)
Throwing It All Away (7:34)
Daryl Steurmer Intro (1:11)
In The Cage (8:00)
…In That Quiet Earth (3:58)
Supper’s Ready (8:28)
Invisible Touch (5:08)
Drum Duet (4:59)
Los Endos (6:48)
Turn It On Again (11:02)
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In honor of Valentine’s day I thought I’d post another installment of the RetroBlog mix tape. This time around, it’s a collection of the bittersweet aspects of love. yeah, I guess I’m just a cynical old fart. heh. check it out, enjoy the tunes.

Anyway, I hope you’re having a fantastic weekend but with all the snow around the east coast, please drive safe!


I can see your face but I know it’s not real
too much confusion caused by how I used to feel…
Eric Clapton – Old Love


We used to say “Ah Hell, we’re young”
But now we see that life is sad
And so is love …
Kate Bush – And So is Love


well, you’ve gotta be crazy to want a guy like me
yeah, you’ve gotta be out of your mind, crazy
Well, there must be some kind of mistake to give your heart away
yeah, you’ve gotta be out of your mind, crazy…
Icehouse – Crazy


Dr. Yang, now her voicemail box is full
And she won’t call me, I’m feeling like a fool
The last time I saw her in her car
I threw her shit out in the yard
Locked her out and headed to the bar…
Ben Folds – Lovesick Diagnostician


There’s a tension I can taste that speaks for the danger
Let the warnings go to waste
Eyes that reflect a secret fire that covers the fear inside
In a flash we’re lost from sight to explore the romance that we hide
And the thrill of the chase plays a part in the chances we take
We escape to the world after dark…
Survivor – Backstreet Love Affair


All my girls are no where to be found
they all split when I’m in trouble
but I’ll tell you all my secrets if you stick around
the “undercover-lovers” under the covers
I just wanna use your love…
Katy Perry – Use Your Love


you are my weakness, my weakness
You’re my Achilles’ Heel
The flame that melts the steel in my heart…
Todd Rundgren – Weakness


And once again she calls to me
Then she vanishes in thin air
And how she takes my breath away
Pretending that she’s not there
I would bleed to love her…
Lindsey Buckingham – Bleed to Love her


It’s not too late for us
We still got hope and trust
We can still hang tough and let it slide
And when it’s all too much
We’ll leave it in the dust
Climb up on that bus and ride…
Shawn Colvin – Let it Slide

While my kids were watching Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs the other day, I was in the kitchen doing some cleaning when I heard a vaguely familiar intro during one of the scenes. I went over to the family room to listen more closely and I immediately recognized the artist – Trevor Rabin. For some reason, the music editors of the film chose to include the intro to a old song of his titled “Promises”. I’m not sure why but perhaps it’s a nod and a wink to Rabin since he does soundtrack work for big-time movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer. In any case, hearing that lil’ snippet of Rabin’s song made me pull out his 1989 album Can’t Look Away for a quick listen. It’s a phenomenal album by the way. I wish Rabin would take a timeout from the lucrative work in movie soundtracks and get back to rockin’ out on the guitar a bit more. It has been way too long Trevor!!

It looks so easy to be walking close behind
And I found it easy to be near you all the time
I’m looking at you now as if you knew the way
But I can’t reach you, you’re far away
It doesn’t seem so easy like the river that flows upstream

Promises! Don’t give me promises
Don’t give me promises when all you do is lie
No promises when all I do is cry

Look for the questions from the minds of those who care
You’ll find them waiting and you’ll learn that we can share
Losing the love been looking out for freedom
Been losing our love along the way …
- Promises by Trevor Rabin
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