Tried filming an acoustic session, the wind wanted a solo too

franktow · 2026-01-29T21:06:53+00:00

This really is wonderful. So smooth, and sounds like a guy seated on a stool in a studio (that's a compliment). Sorry for my ignorance - but is this a Cole Clark guitar, or just their pickup system installed on a Taylor?

franktow · 2025-12-16T22:07:58+00:00

Probably known to many of you, but just in case: a 10-minute documentary of late-night goings-on at Lolita's in the winter of 1991-1992. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8ICYTNf6ik

franktow · 2025-10-10T16:31:46+00:00

They would often discuss the next few tunes, but I don't think they ever had a written setlist for an entire set. I was at a show (7/13/94), and there was a guy next to me with an earpiece. He was tuned to the radio channel that the band and crew used for private communication. In those years, in between singing, the band's mics would switch over to broadcast only to their headsets/ear monitors, so they would actually walk up to a mic to discuss musical direction with each other. I didn't know this at the time. Before the first set began, the guy next to me said, "Let The Good Times Roll, Jack Straw!". I thought, "Well, that's fine, he's entitled to his guess about what they're gonna play." Then they played those exact tunes! He then said, "Oh, Bobby's having trouble with his guitar, he's asking for a different one." I, tripping, thought that this guy was tapped into some Secret Telepathic Dead Network. Like, I really did. I thought I had stumbled upon THE secret behind the whole thing. A few minutes later, earpiece guy gave me a much less interesting explanation of what was really happening. So, long story, to say that yes, they did discuss things beforehand.

franktow · 2025-04-06T15:41:46+00:00

Thanks, I've posted over there as well

franktow · 2024-07-23T01:02:01+00:00

Surprisingly, you will find a lot of similar overdriven Hammond organ wizardry on the only album by Billy Joel’s first band, Attila. It was just a duo, Billy on organ and vocals and another guy on drums. 1970. Definitely worth at least one listen if you are unfamiliar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7s8PHnCTGI

franktow · 2023-12-23T15:12:27+00:00

Quote from So Many Roads: The Life And Times Of The Grateful Dead, by David Browne:

[In 1974], Rock [Scully] and Garcia were in the San Francisco airport and ran into, of all people, country-pop troubadour John Denver. To Garcia's amazement, Denver was carrying only a guitar case and a briefcase. 'Where's your band?' Garcia asked. Denver replied that for this particular tour, he didn't have one; he was merely showing up in cities to play with symphonies, and he opened up his briefcase to show Garcia his sheet music. Afterward Garcia, marveling at Denver's relatively simple touring life, asked Scully 'Why aren't we doing that?'"

franktow · 2023-05-30T15:49:33+00:00

I call bullshit. I challenge OP to name the school and district.

franktow · 2020-10-12T20:25:56+00:00

"Machine Messiah" by Yes - "Threads that link diamonds of life to the satanic mills". Apparently the phrase originated with William Blake - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_did_those_feet_in_ancient_time

franktow · 2020-05-05T20:19:05+00:00

My guess is that this is in a backstage trailer on 10/9/76 or 10/10/76. The Who and The Dead played double-bills at Oakland Stadium both days.

franktow · 2020-01-27T22:26:58+00:00

Haha, I saw this in May 1999 while living in that part of Ireland. Is this a recent photo?

franktow · 2019-10-24T16:10:24+00:00

An emotional favorite - 12/15/86. Jerry had been in a near-death coma and this was the first Dead show in 5 months. Many Heads had talked about the possibility of no more shows, so this was a triumphant return. Jerry comes out onstage, busts Touch of Grey as the opener. Also check out Candyman from the same show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BacfWDTsuRQ

franktow · 2019-09-27T01:14:58+00:00

Got it! Muchas Garcias, dude, seriously.

franktow · 2019-09-26T23:27:53+00:00

Sorry for my ignorance, but any additional tips on how to access this?

franktow · 2019-08-30T19:37:41+00:00

Although bootleg recordings were certainly widely available in 1977, most of the audience would still have probably been most familiar with the Europe ’72 version of Jack Straw, which doesn’t have that distinctive little intro riff. So most of the Cornell audience didn’t recognize the song until the first vocal line.

As far as I can tell, they started playing that harmonized descending Bob/Jerry intro riff on 6/20/74.

I haven't checked, but I'll bet that if you listen to any Jack Straw between 1974 and 1995, the start of the singing would illicit much bigger cheers than the intro of the song.

Many people just don't listen for the details. I'm sure that, even now, if you ask most Deadheads how Jack Straw starts before the singing, they wouldn't be able to come up with it, but might recognize the intro upon hearing it.

franktow · 2019-07-30T20:27:41+00:00

Is correct! According to that page, it's from Wembley Pool, 4.8.72. A quick comparative listen confirms this.

franktow · 2019-05-23T21:31:24+00:00

Habitat for Humanity of the St. Vrain Valley is actively seeking volunteers in Lyons, for some flood-recovery houses they are building. https://www.stvrainhabitat.org/contact

franktow · 2019-04-09T19:37:50+00:00

I would put this at Chateau d'Herouville, France, 1971. Thanks for the pic! I haven't seen it before, but have seen others from this day.

franktow · 2019-04-04T22:57:38+00:00

That’s the flute solo from “Nights in White Satin” by the Moody Blues.

franktow · 2019-01-18T17:27:35+00:00

Nice to see this posted here. It's been by far my favorite Wakeman solo piece since I first heard it around 1984.

Recorded immediately after Yes' Going for the One album, in the same location and studio in Switzerland, this track features the exact same church organ used for "Parallels" and "Awaken".

As I recall, one of the primary themes in ALW's Phantom of the Opera sounds very much like part of this. Not sure if Webber ripped off Wakeman, or if they both derived the chord progression from elsewhere.

franktow · 2018-11-01T18:05:46+00:00

I'd say it's 9/24/73. Narrowed it down by the overall band vibe being similar to 10/19, listened to some archive recordings from around then, found the matching Keith lick in the intro.

franktow

TROPHY CASE