Today's Vinyl Purchase: Johnny Thunders - "Vintage '77"

Heed The Word Of The X-Clan!

 To the East My Brotha, To the East!

The X-Clan were one of the most over the top (and greatest) hip hop groups of all time.  This is their first single.  Funny story, when these guys went to Ohio University in 1991/92 for a concert and a discussion about blackness, being black, and black America, my whiter than white friend Brian witnessed them drunk and stupid.  Less humorous, is the original DJ, Sugarshaft, died of AIDS - not a pretty end for someone with a name like that.  Hey, AIDS is pretty big in Africa - maybe he wanted to walk the walk?  He shoulda listened to KRS-ONE, "Cuz now in winter AIDS attacks, so run out and get your Jimmy hats!"  As for Professor X The Overseer, he intro'd and outro'd every single song and was a complete clown.  Good thing Brother J could hold it down.  His mastery of the mic could overcome any of the band's shortfalls.

I held onto this for so long, thinking it was some kind of a rarity, but it routinely goes on ePay for around $5.  I shipped it to Dread over at Bust The Facts to post on his blog.  You can download it HERE, you sissyyyyyyyy!

Bootleg Time: Björk - "Björk Gudmundsdóttir"

  

Don't ask me why I have this.  I probably got it in a trade through the mail because the person I was trading with didn't have anything else.  Björk is one of the most self-affected singers of all time.  Sad thing is, whatever she vomits onto tape makes the critics swoon.  Why?! 

This album was made when she was just a kid, so I can't really rail against it.  If you are into this sorta thing then go crazy with it!  Just don't blame me when your friends abandon you.

This is Björk's first album, recorded when she was just 11 years old -- before her voice had matured, and her singing style developed. As a result, this 1977 album will not likely be an enjoyable listen even to most big fans, even though it went platinum in her homeland at the time. Novelty value can only carry an album so far, and even covers of Stevie Wonder's "Your Kiss Is Sweet", sung in Icelandic, and the Beatles' "Fool on the Hill" will probably not be enough to keep you laughing, or interested for the duration. Björk has been made available on CD in various bootleg forms over the years. - Allmusic.com 

Download ---> HERE!

Bootleg Time: John Cale - "John Cale & Strings"

In my continuing effort to get rid of CDs I never listened to, I now offer you another superb John Cale recording.  Download HERE.

From Fear Is A Man's Best Friend:  Two versions of this bootleg exist. One version does not include Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.  Live at the Art Project Munich, Germany, September 6, 1992, except Queen Victoria and Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night; Queen Victoria taken from the More fans promo cd (also on the CDEP Hallelujah (1991).

1. Broken Hearts
2. Paris 1919
3. Heartbreak Hotel
4. Cordoba
5. Dying On The Vine
6. Fear Is A Man's Best Friend
7. Life Under Water
8. Hallelujah
9. Queen Victoria (a.k.a. The Queen And Me)
10. Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night (not on this bootleg)

Musicians
John Cale: Steinway, vocals
B.J. Cole: pedal steel guitar
Tiye Giraud: vocal
Ron Lawrence: viola
Bob Neuwirth: harm
Laura Seaton: violin
David Soldier: violin
Jason White: vocal
Mary Wooten: vocal

A Thanksgiving Message To The Rolling Stones

I deeply thank the Rolling Stones for inspiring every blue-eyed R&B and Garage Rock band since '64.  The Greatest Rock & Roll Band In The World...forever.

Bootleg Time: John Cale - "Stockholm 1975"

What you have here is a superb recording of John Cale at his best, complete with possibly his greatest sideman from outside the VU circles, Chris Spedding.  Sometimes you'll hear a little static because this was recorded from a radio broadcast, but I guarantee you'll be blown away by the full, crisp sound of this boot.

Here are the details, taken from the Fear Is A Man's Best Friend website:

Recorded live at Jarlateatern, Stockholm, Sweden, on 3 November 1975, and broadcast on 5 November.  This recording has only PART of the entire setlist (see below).  This is a lossless rip from the CDR I received in a trade.  Cover it is included.  Download HERE!

1. Ghost Story
2. Child's Christmas in Wales
3. I'm Waiting For The Man
4. You Know More Than I Know
5. Pablo Picasso
6. Fear Is A Man's Best Friend
7. Helen Of Troy
8. Guts
9. Darling I Need You
10. Heartbreak Hotel
11. Cable Hogue
12. Baby, What You Want Me To Do (not on bootleg)
13. Child's Christmas in Wales (not on bootleg)
14. I'm Waiting For The Man (not on bootleg)
15. Pablo Picasso (not on bootleg)
16. Fear Is A Man's Best Friend (not on bootleg)

John Cale : vocals
Chris Spedding : guitars
Pat Donaldson : bass
Timmi Donald : drums
Chris Thomas : keyboards

The Tubes - Live In Los Angeles 1976

According to Wiki, this is recording (which has been released under numerous titles, but all are a Los Angeles 1976 performance) is 100% bootleg.  I remember the Tubes' videos from the 80s but never really got into 'em, other than the bass drum with a breast seen in the "She's A Beauty" video.  Still, I am sure some one out there may dig it.  I originally received this recording in a CD trade by mail and have ripped it lossless for y'all.

DOWNLOAD ---> HERE!

1 Young & Rich/Grandiose Instrumental Overture
2 What Do You Want From Life
3 Tubes World Tour
4 Love Will Keep Us Together
5 Pimp
6 Mondo Bondage
7 Don't Touch Me There
8 Boy Crazy
9 Stand Up & Shout

The Tubes were arch satirists of popular culture whose outrageous performance art concepts -- which swung wildly from softcore pornography to suit-and-tie conservatism -- frequently eclipsed their elusive musical identity. The beginnings of the group originated in Phoenix, Arizona in the late '60s, where guitarist Bill Spooner, keyboardist Vince Welnick, and bassist Rick Anderson formed as the Beans (alternately billing themselves as the Radar Men from Uranus). After moving to San Francisco in 1972, the Beans recruited guitarist Roger Steen and drummer Prairie Prince (from Red, White & Blues), and later became the Tubes with the addition of Michael Cotten on keyboards and former roadie Fee Waybill on lead vocals.

Over the course of the next few years, the Tubes earned a devoted cult following on the strength of Spooner's parodic songs and the group's surreal live shows, which featured Waybill adopting a variety of personae including the "crippled Nazi" Dr. Strangekiss, country singer Hugh Heifer, and Quay Lewd, a drug-addled British pop star. After signing to A&M in 1975, they released their self-titled debut, followed a year later by Young and Rich; while both failed to transfer the manic energy and theatrical complexity of their live set onto record, the single "White Punks on Dope" became a minor hit and a radio staple. - Allmusic.com

Walter Lure & Billy Rath Together For First Time Since '84!

At the Purple Turtle, 4 November 2011

Goodbye Bootleg CD-Rs!

Over the years I have collected HUNDREDS of bootleg live recordings on CD-Rs.  And, unsurprisingly, I haven't listened to dozens of them.

Ya see, back in the early days of CD-R trading (as opposed to MP3 trading), you had to trade through the mail.  There was no such thing as downloading LOSSLESS files online - it would take weeks.  So, in order to acquire a collection of uncompressed, CD-playable tracks, you needed to trade with people from around the world.  Sometimes you'd get shows you wanted...and sometimes if some newbie was dying for something you had, you'd accept some crap bootleg from a band you couldn't stand.

Well, the purge is on!  The bootlegs I have that I want, I am keeping.  The ones that I want to part with, but may listen to, are going on the computer.  And everything else...I am seeing if they are posted on a torrent site, and if they aren't then I'll post 'em and then throw 'em away.