Cool stuff from Atoms for Peace. Album is due to drop on February 25, 2013. Find the Easter Egg on their Website.
Crosby, Stills and Nash are incorporating multimedia more by filming their live concerts. Last month they released, CSN 2012 on DVD/CD and Blu-Ray/CD. I’m thinking the positive results Crosby-Nash achieved with their Crosby-Nash: In Concert (which we saw filmed) prompted CSN to release more concert video packaging.
I have seen various permeation’s of the band, hybrid and solo over the years, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Crosby-Nash, Stephen Stills, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and Neil Young (with Crazy Horse). Each was an exciting and warm experience. I just love how soothing their harmonies are.
I float back in time to 1969 when the folk rock supergroup first appeared. Their classic first album has never been bettered
I’m thankful for a recorded concert of Crosby, Stills and Nash from their 2012 tour. When I want to hear and see them live again they are as close as my video entertainment system. 
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I watched the Pearl Jam Twenty rockumentary film last night. My goal was to absorb as much as I could about the evolution of Pearl Jam. The film exceeded my expectations as I experienced a total immersion with Pearl Jam.
I have a long time respect for Cameron Crowe as a rock music journalist, film director, producer, and screenwriter. I have relished his unique music journalism ever since I first encountered his articles in Rolling Stone Magazine in 1973. His passion for the culture of music is infectious as it is enlightening. My favorite music film of his is the semi-autobiographical movie, Almost Famous.
Cameron Crowe has put his best foot forward with Pearl Jam Twenty. His role as a long time fan and advocate presents a polished dimension one rarely witnesses in a rockumentary. His insight into the artistry of Pearl Jam takes the viewer far and wide in its global view of Pearl Jam live. He also zooms in on the details of each band member so we learn about the sum of the parts known as Pearl Jam.
I must also give credit to the members of Pearl Jam and their team who pieced together lots of personal film and memorabilia to underscore the strength of a twenty year partnership.
I am impressed with the magnetism Pearl Jam exudes. Most notably this is represented in the identity of Eddie Vedder. We learn of his beginnings as a surfer in Southern California who soon mounts the waves of grunge rock success in Seattle. I had no idea Eddie Vedder was such a risk taker launching himself way above the stage into the waiting audience to catch and break his fall below. We see what heights and depths Pearl Jam assumed in their first 10 years of the 20 year journey.
I gained a strong appreciation for Pearl Jam’s commitment to their fans by taking on the Ticketmaster monopoly. I love their activism and dedication to their beliefs in the integrity of music and their fans.
Pearl Jam Twenty increases my need to see them live some day soon, hopefully when they announce their 2012 North America tour plans. The film elevates their live performances in correlation to my want to witness their incredible energy and sound.
There is something reassuring about taking a favorite book down from the shelf and getting reacquainted with the pages between the covers.
How well this adage held true when we saw Stephen Stills live at the Wolf Den last night.
I was surprised to learn from a friend of mine that Stephen Stills was playing for free only an hour away from our home. As I told my friend Dave, “You outslutted the concert slut ; with this event”
Stephen Stills appearance was part of the 15th Anniversary celebration events at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville Ct.
I had my doubts we would get into the Wolf Den to see an artist of the stature and reputation of Stephen Stills. I felt this because you have to get online early for their shows. It’s a first come, first get basis venue. I expected a long line in place by the time we got to the Wolf Den at 12:45 p.m. (6 hours before they allow an audience in…). Surprisinly there were only 10 people on-line, which we knew could mushroom to 40 as people place hold in line there (a maximum of 4 people as a party per person…) They handed out cards with numbers on them last night as there were lots of dignitaries, “A” listers and high rollers in attendance. This made less “free” seats available. Stephen Stills is the first artist I have ever waited 8 hours to see without a ticket in hopes of getting in…(He did not appear onstage until 8:45 p.m.)
Thankfully we got inside and were given a table about 20 feet from the stage. I have seen Stephen Stills twice before, once in the rafters of Mohegan Sun Casino Arena for the CSNY Freedom of Speech tour (2006) and then with CSN at the Meadowlands in 2010 from the lawn.
Stephen Stills and his band were top-notch. I find Steven Stills to be one of my favorite guitarists to watch. His guitar playing amazed me all night long. He kept his guitar tech busy let me tell you. Stephen Stills played both an acoustic and electric set. My iPhone lost power last night so I was unable to document a set list.
Some of the songs I recall from last night were a wonderful rendition of “Johnny’s Garden” from the first Manassas album. I was entranced with an intriguing interlude of The Beatles, “Within You, Without You“, that fused effortlessly with the Crosby, Stills and Nash classic, “Suite Judy Blue Eyes“. He also played “4+20″ from Deja Vue and “Helplessly Hoping” during the acoustic set.
I loved the rendition of “Bluebird” he opened the show with as it rocked so tight. It was really cool to see him on electric piano which is rare.
He ended the evening with a rousing version of “Woodstock” . The encore consisted of “Love the One You’re With” from the Stephen Stills album and then he finished with the Buffalo Springfield gem, “For What It’s Worth”.
I was leafing through the September 29th issue of Rolling Stone Magazine yesterday when I happened upon the article, “Meet SuperHeavy, Mick Jagger’s Wild New Crew” by Neil Strauss. I was invigorated by what I discovered about Dave Stewart’s vision realized.
SuperHeavy is a collaboration starring (Left to Right) Damian “Gong” Marley, Dave Stewart (Co-Producer), Mick Jagger, A. R. Rahman (He scored the smash film Slumdog Millionaire) and Joss Stone.
I gave the CD SuperHeavy an extended listen on Spotify this morning. I love what I heard and felt. The melting pot of rhythms, ideas, cultures, and raw energy works cohesively. The 18 months these artists have spent working on this recording is a testament to their belief in each other and the music they are turning out.
Give SuperHeavy a view and listen to the entire recording on Spotify. You’ll be grooving in your chair and elsewhere.
Continuing with the progressive rock music theme, MusicOfOurHeart turns its focus to the super group, Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
It was Scott Muni‘s radio show Things from England that turned me on to Emerson, Lake and Palmer in November, 1970. When he played “Take A Pebble” from their first album, I was forever convinced.
ELP is a group I have yet to experience live in concert. I saw the Carl Palmer Band perform at Toads Place in New Haven on June 1, 2006 . Carl Palmer was very personable as we spoke with him before and after the show.
Then three+ weeks later, June 24, 2006 I got to witness the Keith Emerson Band at the very same venue. It was ironic their paths did not pass closer. Keith Emerson outdid himself on Moog Synthesizer and keyboards. His concert was a very exciting event.
I then saw Keith Emerson and Greg Lake at the Ridgefield Playhouse on May 8, 2010. It was an intimate evening where both artists performed, answered questions and looked very relaxed. So this is the closest I have been yet to ELP live in concert via these three concerts.
Last I knew Emerson, Lake and Palmer were contemplating a North American Tour but nothing has materialized yet. I have my fingers crossed for a 2012 ELP US tour.
The good news is that the historic Emerson, Lake and Palmer High Voltage Festival headliner concert is now available on DVD. This extraordinary 40th anniversary reunion concert was held on July 25, 2010 at Victoria Park, in London, England. Here is a taste of that concert from the DVD promo.
I ordered this DVD on amazon today. I’ll let you know how it is later in the week 
Image via Wikipedia
What is the first thought or image that comes to mind when you hear the name, Roger McGuinn?
The Byrds?
These glasses?
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This post is about the song Sunshine of Your Love performed by three legendary guitarists.
Cream in 1968 had their first hit with the song “Sunshine of Your Love”. It was Cream’s only gold-selling single in the United States. It was written by Jack Bruce, lyricist Pete Brown, and Eric Clapton. What I find interesting is how the song relates to Jimi Hendrix. Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton attended a Jimi Hendrix concert at the Saville Theatre in London prior to the invention of the main riff of “Sunshine of Your Love”, which Jack Bruce created after the concert. The riff can be directly attributed to Hendrix’s style of playing, echoing in Jack Bruce’s head.
Pete Brown wrote the lyrics in that same all night session with Bruce. Clapton later added the bridge and Ginger Baker, the syncopation of African drums.
Jimi Hendrix recorded “Sunshine of Your Love” on February 16, 1969 at Olympic Studios in London. It appears on the 2010 Valleys of Neptune as a previously unreleased studio recording. The Hendrix track is an instrumental featuring The Jimi Hendrix Experience nucleus (Jimi Hendrix, Guitar, Noel Redding, Bass and Mitch Mitchell, Drums) plus Rocki Dzidzornu on percussion.
Carlos Santana recorded “Sunshine of Your Love” with Rob Thomas on vocal and Santana band backing them up on his CD Guitar Heaven. I have seen Santana perform “Sunshine of Your Love” twice live with Andy Vargas very ably handling lead vocal.
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It was my last day of public school, June 1969, I was hanging out in the gymnasium, loving the freedom before me yet dealing with the ambiguity of where was my life going? I really had a case of the blues. All around me various members of my senior class were putting up the decorations for our senior prom, which we were attending the following night.
In the middle of the gym floor was a record player, I walked over with my copy of Super Session, placed it on the platter, dropped the needle and shuffled back over to the bleachers to sit and listen. The sound of Mike Bloomfield‘s guitar and Al Kooper‘s organ filled the gym with the stinging sound of “Albert’s Shuffle” which filled my void masterfully. My angst about the future slipped away as the intensity of the music appeased my concerns. It was then I knew that music would carry me through the next phase of my existence.
Ratchet ahead 41 years to when I purchase the remastered edition of Super Session. What a tour de force to hear a cleaner, enhanced edition of this historic work. It all comes flooding back in waves of sound that envelops the listener and finds me at another major fork in the road.
Al Kooper had left Blood, Sweat and Tears, after making a monumental recording with them Child is the Father to the Man (Al Kooper signed this album for me a few years back at Stage One in Fairfield!).
Mike Bloomfield had just left The Electric Flag. Another recording that helped define the music of the 60s in terms of Texas blues mixed with R&B. Mike brought with him to the Super Session recording session two ex-Flag band mates Harvey Brooks on bass and Barry Goldberg on electric piano (Barry contributed to tracks 1 & 2).
The Super Session recording was rounded out admirably by “Fast” Eddie Hoh on drums and Steve Stills on guitar who filled in for Mike Bloomfield who left after one day’s recording to deal with his insomnia. Steve Stills was in the process of leaving Buffalo Springfield and he turned out to be the perfect complement to completing Super Session. It ended up fitting that Super Session would usher in the era of the super groups, representing a transitional portal for Kooper, Bloomfield and Stills in their respective careers.
Al Kooper in the liner notes states about Super Session, “…amazingly found itself timeless….making this one of the most rewarding projects I have ever worked on.”
Super Session Tracks
Al Kooper/Mike Bloomfield Side
1. Albert’s Shuffle
2. Stop
3. Man’s Temptation
4. His Holy Modal Majesty
5. Really
Al Kooper/Steve Stills Side
6. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, IT Takes A Train To Cry
7. Season of the Witch
8. You Don’t Love Me
9. Harvey’s Tune
Bonus Tracks
10. Albert’s Shuffle – without horns
I like the edginess of this song without the horns, but I can perfectly understand why Al Kooper had arranger Joe Scott add them.
11. Season of the Witch – without horns
The sound of this recording without the horns is echo ridden and almost hollow at points (dynamically impaired Al Kooper called this, rightfully so).
12. Blues for Nothing – outtake with Mike Bloomfield
13. Fat Grey Cloud (Live), (Previously Unreleased) – Recorded 1968 at the Fillmore West (probably from The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper sessions)
There were two live recordings of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper that took place, the first was at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, September 26-28th 1968, featuring the first live recording of Carlos Santana released when he was 22 years old* This live performance also stars Elvin Bishop. It was released by Columbia Records in 1969.
Then later in the year at the Fillmore East in New York City they recorded, Fillmore East: Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield. The Lost Concert Tapes 12/13/68 (featuring Johnny Winter)
* Carlos Santana was recorded in 1967 on Santana Live at the Fillmore in 1967 but it was not released commercially until January 1, 1997
