40 Year Itch : The End of the Bash Street Kids

[Purchase]

    The 2009 30th Anniversary version of Mott the Hoople Live finally makes up for one of CBS Records's biggest mistakes: refusing to release a double live album by the glam rock superstars. At the time, Mott the Hoople delivered one of the best rock concerts of its day: costumes, giant marionette puppets and staged fighting between singer Ian Hunter and guitarist Ariel Bender. Instead, in November of 1974, CBS shipped a single disc mishmash of Mott tracks taken out of context and apparently chosen to befuddle fans. 

     Worst of all, the album came out around the same time Ian Hunter announced he and the new touring guitarist, Mick Ronson, were leaving Mott.

    

   Yes, the live album had the two big "All" hits : "All the Way From Memphis" and "All the Young Dudes". But "Rest in Peace" and "Rosie" are both British B-side ballads and the rest of the songs were not exactly stand out tracks on their albums ( though I have a soft spot for "Sucker"). The best thing here, if you have 15 minutes to spare, is the "Rock and Roll Queen medley".

  It took 30 years but CBS made amends with a double CD accompanied by a 24 page booklet (with an essay by opening band Queen's Brian May). Finally you can hear the band that started a riot at The Hammersmith Odean and wowed American audiences on Broadway. Give a listen and find out why Mott the Hoople was one of the 70's best rock n roll bands.

40 Year Itch : Live Soul and Schwarz

[Purchase]

On June 19, 1974, Marvin Gaye released Marvin Gaye Live! which features one of the most spine-tingling moments of any live album ever recorded. It's the moment Gaye, vamping over "Theme from Trouble Man", suddenly breaks out into "Distant Lover" reducing the women in the audience into a mass of hysterical shrieks and screams. As a single, the live version of "Distant Lover" reached #28 in the pop charts and #15 in the R and B charts.

  The album was recorded January 4, 1974 at Oakland Coliseum in front of 14,000 fans. Gaye had been reluctant to tour since singing partner Tammi Terrell had collapsed in his arms during a 1967 concert. Terrell died three years later of a brain tumor. 

  Though sometimes undercut by the syrupy string section conducted by Gene Page, a going-through-the motions 11-minute medley of his early hits, and a truly awful song dedicated to his teenage girlfriend Janis Hunter, the live versions of his early 70's classics like "Inner City Blues", "What's Going On" and "Let's Get It On" make this a must-own album.

   Live, The O'Jays stretch out their best known material. There's an 8 minute version of "Backstabbers" and a 7 minute version of "Love Train". The highlight is the funky audience participation number "When the World is at Peace". The lowlight is the bewildering cover of Skylark's "Wildfire". Yep, that "Wildfire".

   Billy Paul's voice isn't strong enough to carry a live album but if you're a fan of his #1 hit "Me and Mrs Jones", you're in luck. Mr. Philadelphia's live version runs nearly nine minutes.

   BONUS

[Purchase]

Also on this date in 1974, Brinsley Schwarz performed  at Cardiff Top Rank where Nick Lowe and the boys played "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace Love and Understanding" from the forthcoming New Favourites of Brinsely Schwarz. The live recording is immaculate and can be found on the internet.

40 Year Itch: Rock 'n' Roll Soul

On June 1, 1974 America's biggest hard rock band, Grand Funk Railroad,  played the LA Forum. Their album Shinin On was #7 in the charts. The band's wardrobe consultant was arrested during the concert...by the fashion police. Enjoy!

40 Year Itch: The Art of the Jam

[Purchase]

   In which War expands its 4-minute hits into 10 minute jams ( "Get Down" surpasses the 20 minute mark), all before an appreciative crowd at Chicago's High Chaparral. 

   The critics may not have been amused ("surprisingly like beating a dead horse sez Mark Vining of Rolling Stone) but fans bought 1.5 million copies of the double album, knocking The O 'Jays's Ship Ahoy off the top of the R and B album chart in June of 1974. Shockingly out of print!

Last Ramone Standing

Just in case your winter months aren't depressing enough, a  new tumblr blog called Live! uses photoshop to edit out deceased members of rock bands from album covers. The above image may be the most disturbing: original drummer Tommy Ramone standing by himself, the lone survivor.

In fewer than three and a half years we lost three Ramones:

Vocalist Joey Ramone died April 15,2001of lymphoma.
Bassist Dee Dee Ramone died June 5, 2002 of a heroin overdose
Guitarist Johnny Ramone died September 15, 2004 of prostate cancer.
Update:
    Tommy Ramone died July 11, 2014 from cancer of the bile duct.