Wednesday, July 25, 2007
FOR THE FANS On June 27, 2000 David Bowie played a fan club only show at the BBC theater. It was recorded, and released as a special edition third CD with his 'Bowie at the BEEB' release of BBC sessions from back in the day.
I've listened to the two CD set of the old sessions a few times, it's okay, you get a lot of Visconti bass playing, but it ain't all that and can of hair spray.
The 2000 show on the other hand, well, I've played that one more than any other CD I own, except for maybe the Dan Baird 'Love Songs for the Hearing Impaired', and consequently I'm bummed because these records never got printed on vinyl, and I'm hell on CDs. The Dan Baird is still skip free, but the Bowie has four, count 'em four, songs that can't be played. It is fortunate that I can live without those four, but how long before I start losing essential tracks?
I'm now forced to rip them for back-up.
I'm kinda bummed about that, the horribleness of the shelf (read car) life of a CD.
We were told they'd last forever.
If you are careful, and patient, you can 'fix' most vinyl scratches.
You can't fix a CD that skips.
Holy Shit-talking! Look how I digress.
Back to the Bowie Live 2000 BBC CD.
It is a constant source of wonder and amazement. Mostly due to these two:
That's right, the rhythm section. Gail Ann Dorsey and Sterling Campbell have brought to Bowie's live show a consistency and groove that he's usually lacked.
Rounded out by long-timers Earl Slick (guitar) and Mike Garson (keys, and the man with the most time served, he did that crazy piano shit on Aladdin Sane), the Bowie Band is one of the two best I've seen in the past fifteen years. Yes, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers would be number one.
But I want to talk about Gail and Sterling some more. They are bad-ass. 'Ashes to Ashes' sounds like what Bowie wished he had got on tape originally. It's the same, just better. And what they do to 'Let's Dance' is simply astounding, jaw dropping, nasty groove a licious. Something I would call Funk if I wasn't so scared to.
The show opens with 'Wild Is the Wind', which was ambitious back in 76 in the studio, and they nail it. Dave's voice can't get up as far as he used t' could, but he fakes it well in a head voice and gets a huge audience reaction. The band, again, astounding.
They follow with the forementioned 'Ashes to Ashes', and 'Seven', a late nineties number much improved by the band. 'This Is Not America' and 'Absolute Beginners' follow and again, these tracks smoke the studio releases, 'Absolute Beginners' going from a ho-hum mid eighties soundtrack toss away, to probably the stand-out cut on the CD.
'Survive', another (then) new-ish tune brought to life is followed by 'Little Wonder'. My CD starts skipping during 'Survive', and continues into 'Little Wonder', but I remember digging the guitar over electro-beat vibe of the latter, and the former, well.......he'll survive your naked eyes, he'll survive..........
Then they crank out 'The Man Who Sold the World' (Resurrection by Kurt), 'Fame' (my least favorite tune, but an exceedingly well played version of it), and 'Stay' (another tune I used to skip until I heard Earl Slick rip it up on this track), before heading back to electro-land with 'Hallo Spaceboy', which I enjoy. I think that, unlike the rest of the world, Trent Reznor had a positive effect on David.
'Crack'd Actor' comes slithering out of whatever dark dank hole it comes from. Great wah by Earl. It sleazily chugs it's way along, then gives way to the brute force of 'I'm Afraid of Americans', which slays me every time. So very heavy.
"But wait, there's more......"
A blissful, cathartic, funky ass, super duper funkified 'Let's Dance' ends the show.
Really, you gotta get this stuff..................
Comments:
Another great p[ost you should throw up over at Newcritics! BTW, did you catch The Flight of the Conchords Sunday night? The Episode was titled "Bowie In Space". Jermaine visits his partner as DB in his dreams. I thought it was awesome. Great Bowie impersonations and styled tunes.
No. I've come to the conclusion that you don't know half as much as you think you do.
Funkified
Funkified
Funkified
Funkified
Funkified
Funkified........
Funkified
Funkified
Funkified
Funkified
Funkified
Funkified........
I've come to the same conclusion about you Jackson...LOL. (shakes head at Jackson saying "funkified")
I downloaded a bunch of P-Funk, there is NOT always a cymbal hit on the One.
You have discredited yourself, and now must record a Rock song to gain back your lost ground on the respectometer.
You have discredited yourself, and now must record a Rock song to gain back your lost ground on the respectometer.
I never said that there was ALWAYS a cymbal on the one, however it is USUALLY the case with P-Funk (it was Jerome Brailey who told me about the cymbal PERSONALLY.) You can even hear Dr Dre imitate it in his "G-Funk" recordings...I forgot to tell you that the current Wailers drummer, Drummie Zeb is also a former bandmate of mine (who also sat in for the P-Funk All-stars)& is working on a Dub-A-Delic project with Bernie Worrell Apparently, I know more than you think. You have discredited yourself and must go and listen to some live Boosty Collins & some Eddie Hazel.
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