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Post by Allen Wiener on Oct 10, 2007 7:47:50 GMT -5
I have "Shangri La" and play it fairly often; it's on my iPod too. The song about Liston stood out to me right away. I need to fill in some of his back catalog.
AW
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Post by TRK on Oct 10, 2007 8:03:00 GMT -5
Allen, a Knopfler/Dire Straits semi-rarity you might want to look for if you don't already have it, is the four-song e.p. "Twisting by the Pool." I think it came out around the time Terry Williams joined the group (after the implosion of the late, great Rockpile, of which Terry was the drummer). I believe it was only issued on vinyl and cassette.
Too bad there have been no end of single-cd greatest hits collections from Dire Straits, but never a proper box set. If ever a band deserved one, it is DS.
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Post by Allen Wiener on Oct 10, 2007 8:51:42 GMT -5
I'll have to hunt for that one on eBay. I have a 12-inch EP with "Love Over Gold" and at least one compilation CD. I'd appreciate a comprehensive collection.
AW
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Post by Jim Boylston on Oct 10, 2007 10:16:05 GMT -5
There's also a live recording WB released as a promo only, a couple of years before the official live album came out. If memory serves, they did promos for live EPs by Dire Straits, Talking Heads, and Ry Cooder, all at the same time. Vinyl only, of course. I may still have them somewhere... Jim
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Post by Jim Boylston on Oct 11, 2007 7:25:37 GMT -5
I finished reading the Clapton autobiography last night and figured I'd share some thoughts about it. First, it's not ghost written, so it's not an overly polished effort. It's sometimes disjointed, and readers having little knowledge of Clapton's career and acquaintances might have a little trouble following the narrative. Having said that, the trade off is a surprisingly revealing and extremely self critical memoir. Clapton's heroin addiction, alcoholism, and serial philandering are reported in great detail, but he never romanticizes any of this excess, focusing instead on the devastating effect his behaviour had on his career and his loved ones. Clapton devotes only a chapter apiece to the Bluesbreakers, Cream, Blind Faith, and Dominoes eras, so readers hoping for the inside scoop on these groups might be disappointed. The book is less a history of Clapton's musical career than a story of personal redemption...the story of a man who hit rock bottom before getting a grip on his life. Interesting, but it ain't pretty. Jim
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Post by Allen Wiener on Oct 11, 2007 8:06:05 GMT -5
Thanks for the info Jim. I just got a 30%-off coupon from Borders for the book and the accompanying 2-CD compilation, which may be of limited value considering the number of repeats on it. If you were to recommend one Clapton collection, would it be "Crossroads"? I still don't have that.
Also - I've heard from one friend that the new Autry bio ("Public Cowboy #1") is also, in some ways, not too pretty, but accurate. I've got that one on order.
AW
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Post by Jim Boylston on Oct 11, 2007 9:53:56 GMT -5
Clapton's career is so varied it's hard to recommend any one compilation. The new one looks like a good retrospective if you don't have a lot of his stuff. "Crossroads" is a great set, but isn't where I'd suggest starting one's collection. There are a lot of collectable and alternate tracks, but it's an expensive set and was released before EC did some of his best work, in my opinion. A better way to go would be to pick up some key studio albums and supplement them with a "Best of" or 2. These would be my recommendations for a good, representative, Clapton library on a budget:
Bluesbreakers: John Mayall with Eric Clapton Absolutely indispensible. This set the standard for British blues recordings. Clapton was famous before this record, but this is far more important than any of his Yardbirds output.
Gold: Cream Cream's album output is spotty, and this fairly recent CD compilation is a decent introduction to the band. For an original album release that's representative I'd recommend "Disraeli Gears".
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs: Derek and the Dominoes Quite simply, one of the best rock and roll albums ever recorded and worth having in it's entirity.
Unplugged Clapton's best selling album, winner of scads of Grammy awards, and a fun collection of tunes. The acoustic side of EC.
From the Cradle Clapton's first all blues album, and he's at the top of his game here. His playing on "Reconsider, Baby" alone is staggering.
The Cream of Eric Clapton This is a mid-career retrospective that I'd suggest because it includes "After Midnight", "I Shot the Sherriff", "Wonderful Tonight" and "Cocaine", along with some Cream and Blind Faith tracks and more of EC's earlier pop hits. It's a cheaper way to go than buying the individual albums, some of which contain a fair amount of filler.
Clapton Chronicles If you're a fan of EC's later pop hits, this collection covers the bases quite well. Includes "Tears in Heaven" and "Change the World".
I could go on, but I think these are a good start and give a pretty good overview of Clapton's career, probably for less money than the "Crossroads" box, since most of these are now budget titles.
Jim
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Post by TRK on Oct 11, 2007 10:55:29 GMT -5
One thing you might consider picking up, Allen, is "Crossroads 2," a 4-cd set that's solely about his live work in the 1970s. There's some great stuff in there, including a long version of "The Core" with a couple of solos that will almost melt your cd player. On the DVD side of things, I recommend "Eric Clapton Live at Hyde Park," an early-1990s scorching set of mostly blues numbers; "Sessions for Robert J."; and the Cream at Albert Hall reunion dvd. If you can find it cheap, "Cream Farewell Concert" is worth having for the performances, but there's an awful lot of condescending voice-overs from some pompous announcer that are hard to take. One of my favorite filmed EC performances is "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" from the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert (with Booker T & the MGs and G.E. Smith). You can buy the dvd, or catch the clip for free here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCJ15r-ny5QOh, and if you haven't seen this already, Derek and the Dominos on the Johnny Cash Show, 1970: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbrKrp2aKVw
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Post by Allen Wiener on Oct 11, 2007 12:43:11 GMT -5
Wow! That's a lot of stuff. I have some of it and I'm going to see how much else I can pick up on iTunes or elsewhere. Many thanks for this!! I'd like to keep this manageable because the last time I started looking to be comprehensive I wound up with a few hundred Beatles records, tapes, CDs and videos and wrote a book about it!
Thanks guys!
AW
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Post by Jim Boylston on Oct 11, 2007 12:56:10 GMT -5
Oh come on, Allen, be comprehensive! Collecting all of Clapton's sessions shouldn't set you back more than all your retirement savings and all your home equity. I didn't even list the bootleg stuff! Jim
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Post by Jim Boylston on Oct 11, 2007 13:00:39 GMT -5
Wow! That's a lot of stuff. I have some of it and I'm going to see how much else I can pick up on iTunes or elsewhere. Many thanks for this!! I'd like to keep this manageable because the last time I started looking to be comprehensive I wound up with a few hundred Beatles records, tapes, CDs and videos and wrote a book about it! Thanks guys! AW That'd be an interesting challenge...a Clapton playlist of essential tracks rather than albums...hmmm.. Well, here's one of mine, made up of personal favorites, not hits: Outside Woman Blues: Acoustic solo version from the DVD “Classic Albums, Cream: Disraeli Gears” Reconsider, Baby: From the Cradle I Can’t Hold Out: 461 Ocean Blvd. Born Under A Bad Sign: Blues Rehearsals (bootleg) Floating Bridge: Another Ticket Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out: Unplugged Bell Bottom Blues: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs Further On Up the Road: Just One Night I Shot the Sherriff: Saint Petersburg, June 14, 2004 (bootleg) Blues Power: Eric Clapton Hound Dog: Journeyman Come Back Baby: Reptile If I had Possession Over Judgement Day: Sessions for Robert J White Room: Royal Orchestra Night (bootleg, with full orchestra!)
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Post by Allen Wiener on Oct 11, 2007 14:47:15 GMT -5
Oh come on, Allen, be comprehensive! Collecting all of Clapton's sessions shouldn't set you back more than all your retirement savings and all your home equity. I didn't even list the bootleg stuff! Jim Oh, lord, don't get started with bootlegs! That's where the wheels came off the cart on the Beatles project. There was no end to them. I'd easily drop $400-500 at Revolver Records in Greenwich Village at a pop on that stuff. Had i been on a pension then, I never would have made the mortgage payments each month. You know, I've never figured out whether I made or lost money on that book, or just about broke even. The sad part is that I got so overdosed on that music, and even more on the Beatles nerds who are somewhat like those insects in Cleveland who bedeviled the baseball teams last week, that you look for a repellant to rid yourself of them. But Clapton is fun and I'll enjoy listening to that music and adding to the collection purely for the fun and enjoyment. After a while, I don't think I was even enjoying or appreciating Beatles music anymore. Be careful what you wish for. AW
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Post by Jim Boylston on Oct 11, 2007 15:01:15 GMT -5
I have all those "completist" tendencies, and have to force myself to back off. There are artists that I'll still buy anything new they release (Clapton is one of them), and there are some artists that I like a lot but have convinced myself that I don't need every release to enjoy the artist (Bill Frisell is a good example). Unfortunately, I tend to do the same thing with authors, reading so many of their books back to back that I get sick of them and find them predictable. Moderation is the key. Sometimes, at least... Jim
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Post by Jim Boylston on Oct 16, 2007 13:24:13 GMT -5
Anybody heard the Wood Brothers? Their album "Ways Not to Lose" came out last year on Blue Note, but I just discovered it last week (I found a used CD). The bass player Chris Wood is from Medeski, Martin and Wood, and his brother Oliver is the vocalist/guitar player. Aside from a litlle percussion on a few tracks, that's it. It's a very stark, acoustic soul record...good playing, good singing, great songs. I checked iTunes, and the whole album is available for download for just $5.99. Definitely worth checking out. Jim
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Post by TRK on Oct 16, 2007 13:32:08 GMT -5
I'm not familiar with the Wood Brothers, but I may see about them.
There's a new dvd released a week or two ago that I'd like to recommend: "Dreams to Remember: The Legacy of Otis Redding." It's complete performances of 18 of his songs (from concert and TV footage), interspersed with interview footage with his widow, daughter, and musical collaborators such as Steve Cropper and Wayne Jackson. The audio and picture quality on a couple of the performances are pretty rough, but hey, we're lucky this stuff exists. The main program runs about 90 minutes, and there's also extras, including a radio interview, still photos, and extra interview footage with Cropper and Jackson. Good stuff, and a nice companion piece to the dvd "Respect Yourself," the story of Stax/Volt Records, which also came out a week or two ago.
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