I have been a Coldplay fan since their debut Parachutes in 2000. At the time I was a big Radiohead fan who was confused by Kid A. Coldplay sounded more like Radiohead than Radiohead sounded like Radiohead at the time. Coldplay has never been a particularly original or innovative band, but man do they know how to execute. They may seem like Radiohead lite or U2 lite, but they do it so well it is impossible to criticize. They followed their debut with a masterpiece of pop: A Rush of Blood to the Head – every song on that album was perfect. If they did nothing else they would have a place in pop history.
Ghost Stories shows that nearly 20 years into the game they still have their pop chops. Coldplay is confident enough to step down from the arena stage and make a stripped down and simple affair. Less anthems, instead quite storms. It is cotton candy, a guilty pop pleasure.
“Always In My Head” starts the album in a in an atmospheric swirl. It is mellow and whimsical. It abruptly ends.
“Magic” mashes early pop Radiohead with John Mayer.
“Ink” invokes Peter Gabriel with lighter lyrics.
“True Love” is pure Coldplay with a rare guitar solo.
“Midnight” is Bon Iver only better – a true ear worm
“Another’s Arms” has a cool sample (Jane Weaver’s Silver Chord) which seems like it was designed for Coldplay. The female vocal is a very nice variation.
“Oceans” – Every alr-rocker want to be Nick Drake. Coldplay puts on that mask and spices up the acoustic strum with a sonic cherry on top (a sonar ping in the right channel). It is pretty damn beautiful. It ends with a cool instrumental coda.
“A Sky Full Of Stars” is classic Coldplay – the big epic single. It is arena ready. It has a bit of a hip hop feel begging for a rap over or Rihanna cameo. Close your eyes and see the confetti falling through the disco ball shards. This is a roll your windows down, turn up the volume summer single.
The album ends quietly with a piano ballad “O.” It is a sonic seagull floating in the wind. It thickens at the end.
The Target bonus CD has three more songs:
- “All Your Friends” which is a throw away.
- “Ghost Story” is the brightest add-on – a simple but elegant arrangement that is a true bonus. In an another era it would have been that obscure, but brilliant B-side single.
- O (Reprise)” gives us a fat surf guitar: it is dripping – it is soaking.
In summary this is not ground breaking stuff, but it is so perfectly executed you just need to appreciate it as the custard filled Bismark that it is.
There is nothing better in rock and roll than the break up album: anger, bitterness, regret and melancholy are great inspirations. The Black Keys’ Turn Blue is a great break up album in the grand tradition as Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors and Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks. I am a long time Keys fan and I think this is their best album to date. It is a progression – the growth of their sound. As much as I like the Keys there has been a sameness to the sound of their albums. Turn Blue has their most diverse sound yet. Producer Danger Mouse is a full partner – his Spaghetti Western shtick plays well with the Black Keys. Dan Auerbach is no longer content with just cool riffs, he has discovered is inner guitar god and is squeezing out sparks with real guitar solos. Even better Auerbach has unleashed his vocals and it turns out he has an awesome falsetto among other voices he has been hiding in the mud.
The first cut is an epic Neil Young/Pink Floyd sounding mash-up: “Weight of Love.” Clocking in at close to seven minutes this psychedelic song sets the mood for the album: this is not going to be the usual Keys dirty riff rock, but an evolutionary – if not revolutionary – sound.
Next comes “In Time” which has the strong presence of producer Danger Mouse. Auerbach gives a great break up line:
“You got a worried mind
I got a worried heart”
“Turn Blue” his a mellow tune with a My Morning Jacket feel.
The lead single “Fever” is the most typical Black Keys song on the album. Although it is nice hit single, it does the album a disservice as a calling card to what grand progression Turn Blue is to the Black Keys resume. But you can’t beat the cheesy Farfisa organ.
“Year in Review” gives us the great break up lament: “Why you always wanna love the ones that hurt you?”
“Bullet in the Brain” reprises the sound of “Weight of Love.”
“It’s Up to You now” gives us another great jamming guitar solo. I am sure songs like this are what really pisses Jack White off about the Keys, but I am not sure how a music thief like Jack can every cry foul about getting ripped off.
When I first heard “Waiting On Words” I assume it was a guest vocalist. This is a beyond-belief falsetto from Auerbach. There is nothing false about this falsetto. This is what I love about this album – not a typical Black Keys song at all. A bonus is the line “My love for you is real, I….” Love the dangling “I…”
“10 Lovers” has that strong Danger Mouse feel. Vocally Auerbach echoing himself call and response and the lead voice is John Legend suave and soulful. Honey vocals and vinegar lyrics – A heartbreaking dagger at an ex-lover that that plays dirty by bringing the kid into the battle:
“The little girl can’t comprehend
She had another dream that her mama’s gone
She’s alright, but you’re all wrong”
If Paul McCartney where using the Black Keys for his back up band it might sound like “In Our Prime” Key line from the album: “We made our mark when we were in our prime”
The album ends with another atypical song “Gotta Get Away,” which would not be out of place on a 80s Rockpile album.
After successfully elbowing themselves into legitimate arena rockers, I think this is a pretty daring album. Not content to rest on their laurels, the Keys take a giant step forward – not by being weird, but by sharpening their pop chops. I love that Auerbach is spinning out long-winded guitar solos. I fully endorse Danger Mouse making the Keys a threesome. This is a great pop-rock album and should make a great summer soundtrack.
A great introduction to this album is the recent All Songs Consider interview/preview of Turn Blue.
Last Tuesday morning I dialed in the new Atmosphere album on Spotify for my morning run – I have been enjoying it every day since. I am a marginal hip hop fan, but got hooked on Atmosphere in late 2005 with their album You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having through my son (a true hip hop fan) and because they are from my hometown (Minneapolis).
Most people my age (55) find hip hop an abomination. I tend to come to music with a pretty open mind and being a fan of funk and soul jazz hip hop mostly works for me. I find the use of samples brilliant re-purposing and rapping is not that far a deviation from my musical heroes like Bob Dylan and Lou Reed.
Southsiders is resonating with me more than 2011’s The Family Sign, but that may have more to do with my current mood and receptiveness than anything flawed with that album (I re-listened to it yesterday on a bike ride and it sounded pretty damn good).
Southsiders is a return to a simpler Atmosphere – just Slug and Ant. One of the reasons that I have always liked Atmosphere is Ant makes amazing beats. They are simple, catchy and soulful. Southsiders has that classic Atmosphere sound.
Another reason I have liked Atmosphere is Slug tells stories with his raps. His stories are about real stuff you can relate to: falling in love, relationship troubles, dead-end jobs, having kids, loss, fucking up, etc. Atmosphere does not pander to youth culture, they define “keeping it real.” Southsiders is reflective without being mopey. It is anthematic without being dumb.
The sign of a good album is that it continues to reveal itself on repeated listens. I have listened to this album at least once a day for a week now and it continues to sound fresh. I notice new sounds, catch new lyrics, appreciate certain phrasing and just marinate in the nuances. Atmosphere is approaching 20 years at the game and they continue to amaze. I appreciate pop music flashes in the pan, but I truly love and respect a music career. Southsiders is another significant accomplishment in Atmospheres solid and proud career. The fact that I am a Minneapolis Southsider myself is a cherry on top.
PS – make sure you reach out for the bonus tracks – they are as good as anything on the main album.
Slug, Nux, Ant & Catchgroove
After several listens to Southsiders on Spotify I decided I needed to get the wax. I saw somewhere that Atmosphere would be doing a “meet and greet” at Fifth Element record store in Minneapolis, but did not give it a second thought. Saturday my wife (aka Nux) and I went to a craft show which turned out to be kind of a dud so I suggested we head over to Fifth Element to pick up Southsiders and meet the guys. Nux was game so we headed over.
How many guys are lucky enough in love to have their wife tolerate their hobby, let alone encourage and embrace it? Not many I am sure – but I am one of the lucky ones.
Just the other day I was reading that Avril Lavigne was extorting her fans $400 a piece at a meet and greet. The Atmosphere event could not have been more different. It was free and Slug and Ant greeted each fan like dear friends. The took time with each person, signed whatever was presented and posed for pictures. Fifth Element provided a staff member to take pictures with each fan’s phone. The staff provided security to make sure things were orderly, but did it in an unobtrusive and friendly way. The guy at the door letting people in could not have been nicer – he seemed genuinely happy for the fans to see their heroes. The event made you feel welcome and cherished as a fan. This event could have taken a third of the time, but Atmosphere was there to actually meet and greet fans. I was a fan before this event, but now I feel a bond with the group.
Nux is not an Atmosphere fan, but she is a good sport at things like this. I suggested that she join me for the photo and she at first declined, until I reminded her that our son (a huge Atmosphere fan) would get a kick out of it. She agreed and we approached the guys. Nux introduced herself to Ant and he could not have been more charming. He took her hand and said “Hi, I’m Anthony” and kissed her hand. We gave Ant a whysowhite CD (the band my son manages in Chicago) and then they posed for several pictures. Slug and Ant made you feel like more than a customer, but a truly cherished fan. Atmosphere, RSE and Fifth Element are doing it right in the new music industry – they are a class act.
I am very tardy on reviewing my Record Store Day 2014 booty – I apologize dear readers. As you know from my RSD post, Chocolate Milk was number one on my wish list (thanks again to Fifth Element for saving the day). I had never heard of Chocolate Milk prior to the RSD list coming out this spring. I am not sure what caught my attention (the list did not display cover art), but I did a little research and all I need to know was:
- Mid-70s funk
- New Orleans
- Classic cover art
- Produced by Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint is one of pop music’s great Midas touches. He has a gift of putting Cajun spice into pop music without overpowering it. This album is Earth Wind & Fire album after a Bourbon Street bender. It has nice little New Orleans lilt, giving it a unique sound in the mid-70s funk landscape. It is grittier then EWF, but not quite P-Funk.
I can’t get enough of this jam. It has great grooves and beats. You can see why it would be a sampler’s dream (its titular track was used on Eric B. & Rakim’s classic Paid In Full album).
This RSD edition (originally slated for Black Friday 2013) is lovingly remastered and issued on chocolate-colored vinyl (of course). The recording quality and vinyl pressing is perfect. This is exactly what RSD is all about – discovering an unknown classic.
Record Store Day (RSD) is my very personal holiday – kind of like how some people celebrate their birthday – a day to pamper yourself. My whole family puts me at the center of this event which makes me feel a combination of loved and selfish.
It starts when the list is made available several weeks in advance of RSD. I study the list over and over trying to figure out what I want/need on the list. I try not to get my hopes up as you never know what is going to be available.
My wife makes sure RSD is on the calendar and there are no conflicts and she makes sure there is a generous budget available.
We hope for good weather – the third Saturday in April can be pretty dicey in Minnesota. We don’t hope for nice, we just hope for dry. This year we we’re blessed with good weather (dry and above freezing).
This year my daughter came over Friday night and slept over so we could get an early start. At my wife’s urging the alarm was set for 5:00am. We we were out the door by 6:00 and at the Electric Fetus by 6:20 (numbers for place in the queue are given out at 8:00 and doors open at 9:00 – so we are talking about a wait here). If this seems excessive, please note we were 60th in line (number one arrived at 7:00 the night before). Over the course of the next two and half hours another 300 people will show up. How great is that?
The Electric Fetus (or just Fetus) is my favorite record store on earth. It is 45 years strong. It has a great inventory, a knowledgeable and friendly staff and most of all great ambiance. That ambiance is punctuated by a creaky wood floor and incense. It has just the right lighting aided by east facing store front windows the full length of the store.
Despite having my list I started to call an audible based on previews, a final review of the list and on peering through the window. I am getting excited and kind of nervous.
RSD is the kind of event where strangers find it easy to talk to each other as we are all there for the same reason and share the same passion (music in its vinyl form). This year I made queue-friends with “Everly Girl” and Nick We exchanged wish lists, which revealed our musical interest, which in turn created conversation fodder. It is pretty easy to talk to fellow music heads in line for RSD. Turns out Nick and I had a direct connection via my boyhood best friend (small world).
My daughter was monitoring social media and discovered the Fetus had revealed some of their RSD inventory via social media conversations – unfortunately none of the items on my wish list were revealed (actually preferred – I like the reveal when entering the Fetus’s RSD bullpen). My daughter suggested I tweet my number one item (70s funk overlooked gem Chocolate Milk – ….). I proceed to tweet “… Hot Chocolate.” About an hour later my daughter said “you idiot it is Chocolate Milk not Hot Chocolate.” And the thus another catchgroove Malaprop was logged into family history.
Being 60th in line is kind of perfect. I could never be top 5 as that requires a sleep over. At 60 you have about a 30 minute wait once in the store which allows you to take in the moment, have some coffee and donuts and dig a little of the in store performance (Jeremy Messerschmidt is a perfect breakfast).
Fast forward and we are in the store. I have some time to kill. I had a nice little chat with the music department manager Bob Fuchs regarding my Miles Davis blog post and the success of RSD. Bob revealed that when he was first approached about RSD several years ago he was cynical, but now and is delighted to have been proved completely wrong. Despite being game day Bob was an easy conversationalist.
Then it was time to edge my way up to my position in line – they were in high 40s with the queue numbers. I could see that my audible (Minus 5) was a single copy with ten or so people in front of me. Shit was it going to make it? A guy picked it up and I willed him to put it down. I was nervous as all get out. Finally it was my turn to enter the bullpen and I immediately grabbed the Minus 5 – shit it was $90 – damn that would blow my budget! I held on – worst case I can catch and release. Then I started to work through my mental list – damn they had everything – this was going to be expensive day. After about 5 minutes my wingman (my daughter who had her own list and had been scouting for Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes for me – which was a no go) asked if I had Hot Chocolate – damn I had been distracted by Minus 5 and had totally forgotten my number one. I raced back to the “C-section” but it was gone – there was a placeholder suggesting it hard been there. Despite an armful of “finds” I was disappointed and pissed at myself for forgetting.
A guy notices I have Minus 5 and asks “Are you going to buy that?” Yes. “Are there any more?” Nope last one (I am feeling a little giddy now). “Are you going to keep it or flip it” Keep it. This is the exact same thing that happened on RSD Black Friday last year. Weird.
My daughter and I found my wife and she lovingly overlooked the expensive pile in my hands and I realized we had never discussed budget. I was getting a free pass! True love! We checked out and huddled over what the next step would be to try to fill out the list. We agreed to let to take the shortest path: Treehouse (which had what looked like 20 copies of Page/Crowes, but no Hot Chocolate), Cheapo (Minnesota’s largest and worst record store, but with a quality restroom which was necessary at that point) and finally Fifth Element.
At Fifth Element: the first crate I looked in had 5 copies of Chocolate Milk and I had just pitched a perfect RSD game. My wife inquired if MaLLy would be playing in store (unfortunately not – he had his album release party the night before). She reminded me we need to show MaLLy a little love and pick up his latest CD. I picked up a great T-shirt and took a gamble on an Eyedya reissue.
I had done enough damage and was of officially gorged – I had spent an embarrassing large amount of money and my loving wife was not making me feel guilty about it – she had even cheered me on like race support at a marathon – I am one lucky dude.
The day was not over – my wife and I have become a little too much of a pair of homebodies and so our daughter reminded us of how cool a town Minneapolis is. We went out to lunch in Nordeast (Rusty Taco), lady shopping (I Like You and Bibolet) and after some downtime at home we went to an early gallery opening (accented by bicycle snobs and 612 beer- Adam Turman presents “Enjoy the Ride – A Year’s Worth of Cycling Art.”). We topped off the night with visit to Izzy’s for ice cream (black licorice). A very grand day indeed.
Next on the agenda is to try to review some of the RSD gold I found. Thanks to my lovely wife and perfect daughter for all their support every day and especially on RSD. Next year we go earlier!
Many years ago a buddy of mine turned me on to this album. I picked it up as a CD and have enjoyed it for many years. I was recently at Agharta and picked up a near mint vinyl edition of this gem.
Agharta is a fresh vinyl-only record store in St. Paul Minnesota. I only had 15 minutes to crate dig and survey the store (I only had two quarters for the meter and I was way past my feeding time) so I did not get to study the place too hard. But what little I saw was impressive. It has some nice ambiance. Looks like it could handle a in-store performance. There is some free street parking in front of the door and meters near buy if you can’t snag a free spot. It has a good location at the corner of University and 280 – easy to get to for both Minneapolitans and St. Paulites. The inventory is small, but high quality (both in selection and grade). Prices are appropriate (e.g. the Albert King LP I picked was right in line with Discogs for a near mint edition). I look forward to seeing this store prosper over the next few years. Thanks for my twitter buddy Ali (@egyptoknuckles) for tipping me off to this new store. There website is still under construction, so rely on Facebook for now.
Albert King is one of the great bluesman of his generation (April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992). He was great guitar player and singer. Visually he was a giant of a man (built like defensive lineman) and he played a Gibson Flying V guitar left-handed (an upside down right-hand guitar just like Jimi). He was often cited by Stevie Ray Vaughan as having been his greatest influence and Clapton credits him as influencing his Cream era work.
This album has a mid-70s pop (borderline disco) aesthetic which will either turn your stomach or turn you on. Personally I dig it. I can get bored by blues purists. This is a great merger of soul music and the blues. This album has horns, back up singers and strings – but Albert’s stinging guitar and soulful blues voice keeps it cool. There are some great songs on here too (wry and sexy). Stand out tracks for me are “Cold Women With Warm Hearts,” “Sensation, Communication Together,” and the titular track “Truckload of Lovin’.” The band is top-notch with players like Joe Sample, Wa Wa Watson and Charles Rainey. The recording has a great sound – with Albert’s guitar and vocals out front on top of a solid pop foundation (great separation of the instruments). If you are a fan of soul-fusion music with that mid-70s vibe you will dig these grooves.
Well I was a day one Kickstarter supporter of Pono. But after much consideration I am pulling out. I am a true believer in high rez downloads as the future of audiophile listening, but the Pono device just does not make sense for me. Here are my reasons:
- When I am listening to a portable device (for me that is my iPhone with Spotify) convenience is more important that quality.
- When I am listening to a portable device quality gets lost because it is typically fighting with background noise – in the gym, riding my bike, running, in the car, etc. My iPhone and Spotify is going to be “good enough” in these situations.
- When I am listening at home – I am going to be listening to vinyl, CDs (because I have thousands and can’t afford to replace them all) or digital downloads. In the case of digital downloads I won’t be using the Pono device in my audiophile system – I will be using my Mac and a DAC.
- Finally – I have a better place to spend my $300. Friday night I accidentally knocked my turntable’s needle and bent the cantilever. I am using that as an excuse to upgrade my $125 cartridge for a $300 one. How am I going to fund this? By canceling my Pono backing 40 hours before the campaign was going to hit my credit card.
I am not cynical about the Pono concept – as you can see it just does not work for me. I hope the Pono project kicks the industry in the nuts – and it looks like it might be working – rumors are coming out of Apple that they will have high rez downloads later this year. That would be victory and would make Neil proud. Good luck Pono – I will be rooting for you!.
This album came out last year and I vaguely recall it made a little noise at the time. My buddy Paul from Analog Audio of Minnesota recently tipped me off that I should give this LP a spin – he happened to have one for sale so I picked it up. If you like Mark Knopfler or JJ Cale you will dig this album. This is simple rhythmic blues that is all about groove and tone. White’s guitar tone is homemade caramel – lots of butter. His dulcet baritone voice is easy-going and all-knowing.
Tony Joe White made a little stir in the late 60s and early 70s as a singer songwriter, but never achieved big time stardom to match his talent. When you listen to his work from that period it is a bit schizophrenic: sometimes pop country, sometimes swamp rocker (a la CCR) and sometimes blues-man. What sounds the most timeless from that era is the swamp rock which rivals anything Fogerty was throwing down. If you have access – give a spin to any of his albums between 69 and 74 – I am sure you will be amazed. When you hear “Polk Salad Annie” the first time you will wonder how is it possible you have never heard of this dude.
This album’s focus is on slow burning swamp rock that has a real nice John Lee Hooker feel. The recording quality is fantastic with emphasis on White’s guitar and voice. The recording is alive and dry with lots of separation between the instruments so you can really soak in the tone. For me this album is about marinating in White’s guitar tone and his mellifluous baritone. This album plays like your favorite pair of perfectly worn jeans – it is comfortable, but just a touch edgy. I am sorry I missed this in 2013 – it would have been on my best of list for sure.
The Hold Steady’s second album Separation Sunday blew my mind when I first heard it in 2005. It was like punk rock Springsteen. The fact that the lead singer was from the Twin Cities and dropped all kinds of local references certainly added to the charm.
However when their third album Boys and Girls in America blew up and put the band on the map I was ho-hum – it just did not seem as good as Separation Sunday. Honestly this was not me being a music snob and resenting having to share my indie darlings with the rest of the world – that third album, Boys and Girls in America, just did not hit me in the gut like Separation Sunday. My theory at the time was that if the first time you heard The Hold Steady was via Boys and Girls in America you would be blown away just like I was with Separation Sunday. For me Girls in America was just more of the same. I kept buying each new album as they came out over the years, but none hit me like Separation Sunday. Until now – Teeth Dreams is great rock and roll.
I really liked Craig Finn’s solo Clear Heart Full Eyes (2012) and so I had high hopes that a band hiatus and that solo album would rejuvenate The Hold Steady. It sure did – Teeth Dreams sounds like The Hold Steady’s arena rock album – some how it works – it does not sound at all like a sell out – just true rock and roll craftsmen tossing down their work – and making it sound effortless. It kind of reminds me of when Soul Asylum hit a grand slam with Grave Dancers Union – the perfection of everything that came before it – blossoming into a hit.
Now I doubt anything on Teeth Dreams will be hit like “Runaway Train” – the marketplace is not there for a straight ahead rock band, but I can dream. This is like running into a buddy who you remember as being kind of soft and flabby and now he looks totally fit and jacked. This album is so muscular. I am sure some fans will resent how polished and mainstream this album sounds, but not me – it sound perfect. Congratulations boys – you won me back! It’s only rock and roll (but I like it).
When I first discovered Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew in the late 70s I had no idea what to make of it. This was nothing like the Miles I first met on the LP Kind of Blue. I was young inexperienced jazz fan grooving on the neo-bop, jazz rock, and smooth jazz that was hot at the time. As I read periodicals like Downbeat I kept hearing about when Miles sold out with Bitches Brew and became a “rock star” in the late 60s and early 70s. I liked rock and I liked jazz, I figured I would like Miles version of jazz rock. I picked up the double LP with its amazing cover art and sat down to listen. “What the fuck?” This was totally impenetrable noise – how could this be popular?
I kept listening and I finally found the groove and Miles electric language began to make sense (but it probably took about 10 years for me to get it).
While listening Miles At The Fillmore I stumbled across this great review of Bitches Brew by a young musician – the bit is about him experiencing it for the first time.
I learned later that Bitches Brew was very much a studio concoction. The overwhelming brilliance was Miles and his band, but you have to give some credit to the great engineer Teo Macero who edited the storm. Even the live LPs of Miles “electric bands” from this period were highly edited like the first Fillmore (1970’s Miles Davis at Fillmore).
MILES AT THE FILLMORE – Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3 is a true live set from the Bitches Brew era. It is the unedited concert sets that were edited to make the original Miles Davis at Fillmore. There are several very informative reviews online that will put this all in perspective. A few I recommend are:
- From All About Jazz
- From Pitchfork
- From PR Newswire
It is pretty cool to have a document of a Miles Davis 4 night stand at the height of his artistic powers. The recording quality is very good – this becomes very evident when the CDs are filled out with bonus material from a Fillmore West set from a few months early – equally great music, but not even close to the sonic quality of these 4 nights at the Fillmore East.
Davis’s playing is very strong and muscular – as powerful as any point in his career to that point. It is easy to connect the dots of Miles’s playing to the photo shoots of Miles sparring (Davis was an avid boxer for exercise). The arrangements are very adventurous – at time bordering on the avant-garde. This is not music for the faint of heart. The music moves from quite meditations to full-out cacophony. If you are willing to open your mind to what is going on it is truly inspiring. Even at his most noisy, Davis is always lyrical and the is band down in the groove.
An interesting sidebar is how I came to acquire this album – see separate post.
Each CD represents a full Davis set from a 4 night stand where Davis was the warm up for label mate Laura Nyro. Davis had roughly one hour sets . All four nights share some common compositions and each night (except the first night) have some unique compositions. Despite the common material each night has its own feel. I look forward to lots of listening to figure out what is my favorite night and to better define the spirit of each night.
As you would expect the compositions are much freer than the studio versions – which is saying a lot because the studio versions were some pretty wild shit. After listening the 4 discs I listened to the studio version of Bitches Brew” and was kind of amazed at how tame and accessible it has become to my ears after over 30 years of listening. It also emphasized how exploratory Davis’ live band was. Despite the free nature of the this live album the band is tight. It is like overhearing a really intense conversation between highly learned friends. Davis playing in the studio was much more sedate and his horn had a bit too much reverb. These live sets are raw horn and Davis at full throttle. The live sets are the main event in a raucous arena whereas the studio work is more of masterpiece on display in a museum. Both are fully valid – just wonderful variations on a similar theme.
Overall this very deep shit for very open-minded listeners. This kind of music is an acquired taste – like straight espresso or puerh tea. One you get over the initial bite and learn to savor the taste the rewards are great. This is a trust me and taste it kind of album(s).
Axl's Catch Groove 