Robert Plant ages gracefully on this album without his recent habit of leaning on a lot of old folk and bluegrass songs. The result sounds something like Led Zeppelin if they had reunited permanently and become an "Unplugged" act. Restrained but still powerful.
Outselling Presence & Coda w/ far less bonus stuff
on August 16, 2015
Posted by: alex4
Verified Purchase:Yes
Maybe not surprising that this album (with the fewest Jimmy Page song credits) would have the least compelling bonus material of all his Led Zep reissues. Still, the subtle differences in the alternate mixes of the other records have become more evident to me over time. But after two listens to the bonus disc, only "In the Evening" and "Carouselombra" stand out.
... are here at last. The Bombay Orchestra versions of "Four Sticks" and "Friends." Rough, early versions of "When the Levee Breaks" and "The Wanton Song." The instrumental "St. Tristan's Sword," where you can hear seeds of "Over The Hills and Far Away" and "Night Flight." Non-album, "orphan" tracks like "Hey Hey What Can I Do" and "Travelling Riverside Blues." And a THIRD mix of "In The Light" for those of us who loved "Everybody Makes it Through" on the Physical Graffiti reissue.
Beyond the weirdly-titled but lovely instrumental "10 Ribs & Carrot Pod Pod -" (!?!?), the bonus disk gives you more subtle alternative mixes. Like those on the previous album reissues, these grew on me with repeated listens. Hear Robert Plant snort in this version of "For Your Life." And is it actually him on the weird alternate vocal for "Royal Orleans"? Need more song info in liner notes.
One of the seminal figures of industrial music, Genesis P-Orridge left his mark on modern music as a member of such influential outfits as Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV. But despite his accomplishments (which also include P-Orridge possibly coining the phrase "acid house"), the producer/singer/multi-instrumentalist was at one point ostracized by England in the early '90s, when his apartment and recording studio were raided and robbed of their contents -- as he was falsely accused of satanism, leading a pagan cult, and "illegal" body modification. After moving to New York City, P-Orridge refused to play again in his former homeland, despite several invites. But by 1999, enough time had passed, and P-Orridge decided to round up the Psychic TV troops once more for a show at the renowned Royal Festival Hall. In addition to the group's heavily visual show (which includes a giant screen that shows electronic images in time to the music), this particular show turned out to be perhaps the most musically varied that the famed concert hall had ever seen, as such other acts as the Master Musicians of Joujouka, ? & the Mysterians, Billy Childish and Thee Headcoats, Scanner, and the P-Orridge electronic/spoken word outfit, Thee Majesty, also offered sets. The DVD contains most of Psychic TV's set, with a single performance each by the aforementioned artists. Also featured on the DVD is the late author Quentin Crisp, who introduces each act via videotape, in addition to behind the scenes shots of the show's preparation. Also included as a bonus is an interview between P-Orridge and Crisp and clips of William S. Burroughs set to an industrial backup, as well as band biographies.
The darker legacy of the Sixties counterculture (William S. Burroughs, Aleister Crowley, Brian Jones in Morocco, etc.) is well represented here. Too subversive to be collected into a nostalgic, Time-Life/StarVista music collection.
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That OTHER Stones concert w/ Hell's Angel security
on August 5, 2015
Posted by: alex4
Verified Purchase:Yes
This is as much about the death of Brian Jones and late Sixties rock festivals as it is about the music itself. But it IS the first Stones performance with Mick Taylor, albeit a shaky one. Still, you get a one-time-only performance of "I'm Your's & I'm Hers" and a unique version of "Sympathy for the Devil" ... No bonus features, though.
Not an epic "rockumentary" ... And not meant to be
on July 24, 2015
Posted by: alex4
Verified Purchase:Yes
The strength - and limitation - of AC DC has always been its straightforward, bluesy-hard- rock formula. And this Bon Scott-era concert film follows suit: play the hits, see footage of the road crew setting up, get to know the band in behind-the-scenes footage. Nothing more complicated than that. Pay $5 and be pummeled for 90 minutes.
A rare live performance of "I Got the Blues" and unique version of "Satisfaction." And this version of "Midnight Rambler" further illustrates why the late- 60s-to-early-70s is the Stones' absolute peak.