This past week certainly started out quiet but ended up providing some interesting developments. These are indeed, my random notes for the week
that was January 10th, 2005.

As I mention in my blurb posted with my Top Ten Bootleg Recordings or Releases for 2004 here on our Bulletin Board, there are many fan-produced recordings or contributions that are seeing the light of day via the Bit Torrent internet download sites. One of the most highly regarded audience recordings of 2004 was the Darthdisc September 19, 1970 evening performance of LED ZEPPELIN at Madison Square Garden. Interestingly enough, I didn't even include this on my list! One of the silly reasons I didn't was that, this recording has just been given a superb "remastering" from the community in which it was fielded. The individuals involved have done a really nice job correcting the speed, giving it a crisper sound and a little more bottom end...thus providing what most feel is the definitive version. Currently titled as "One More For The Road: 2005 Remastered Edition"...you can bet the Empress Valley's of the world are lining this one up for another release in the coming months. And, they should. It is without question one of the nicest audience recordings of the band when all things were clicking at the Garden during their prime. What a show. (The recording was well documented on commercial bootleg by Empress Valley as "Requiem" and Tarantura as "Have You Ever Experienced?", the latter combined both the afternoon and evening shows from September 19th in a 4 disc set...."Shout That Loud" was another version of this recording from Electric Magic). So, where am I going with this? While we cited the exciting news of a brand new ELVIS PRESLEY soundboard last week, this week we have even more exciting news and all the glorious details surrounding a brand new, excellent sounding, stereo audience recording of PINK FLOYD live at the Boston Music Hall on March 14th, 1973. This show was taped by a guy named Joe Maloney and apparently there are more recordings from other artists who performed around the New England area during the late 60's-early 70's! The date for this gig is well documented but this is the very first recording from that concert. Thanks to JamieS who uploaded the show over at EZ Torrent. I sat down and listened to this one in its entirety last night and I dare say that this is the finest recording...AND...performance of the band I have heard from that 1973 U.S. Tour, to date. You know this is being channeled for a commercial boot release as we speak. The Bit Torrent sites are providing fans and collectors at all levels an incredible volume of material. This channel is also providing the Bootleg Labels with an endless supply of concerts to package for release. My god it's like shooting fish in a barrel. The only thing they have to do is get somewhat creative in the packaging department!...but we know how challenged some of these labels are in this area. I digress however...

You can take a glimpse at the recording details we posted here at HotWacks On-line in the Sharing Bits section. Here is the URL for this outstanding PINK FLOYD download: http://www.easytree.org/torrents-details.php?id=22880

or here at The Trader's Den:

http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2662

We await impatiently for more material from the Maloney Joe Archive.

What else is going on? BOB DYLAN collectors have to be excited with the first 2 volumes of Reference Recordings compiled and released by Hollow Horn. This new label has planned 10 2-disc sets that are housed in specially sized Digipacks, uniform in color and text fonts but utilizing striking cover photography that represents the particular period of recordings. They are designed to display well together, providing a presence on your CD shelf. Let me quote from the Press Release insert that came with Volume One:

"The aim of Hollow Horn's Reference Recordings is to provide the collector with a concise and comprehensive library of all the essential, unissued, circulating recordings. As such, the Reference Recording collection will be a supplement to the authorized catalogue of recordings which, it is assumed, the collector already owns. The focus will be to compile recordings that are listendable and enjoyable, as well as enlightening, informative, and complete. The collection will be grouped into series, with each Volume within a series being issued one at a time.

The first series to be issued in the Reference Recording collection, Studio Outtakes, aims to bring together recordings made during studio sessions that are not issued on the currently authorized album releases. Outtakes from these sessions have surfaced erratically, coming into "circulation" via tapes, cassettes, cds, compilations, etc. This dissipation of the tracks means that any context in which they were originally recorded is totally lost. Though we can only piece together the "fragments" that are in circulation, assimilating them this way helps restore context to the recordings; sometimes revealing recording practices and procedures, sometimes revealing cacophony and mayhem...but always revealing."

You have to admit that if you were presented with this sort of rationale for a collection of any artist you collect, the level of intrigue would be off the charts. I can affirm for DYLAN collectors, the first 2 volumes are absolutely stunning in presentation and fidelity. I understand that these are selling out fast but you need to do yourself a favor and get ahold of them. Volume One is called "Walk Like A Duck Smell Like A Skunk" and Volume 2 "Now Your Mouth Cries Wolf".



In other release news this week...If you appreciate the wealth of TV material from the 60's British Invasion, there is a relatively new KINKS DVD compilation titled "All Aboard (The Great Lost Kinks DVD)", released by the Coffee Tea Or Me Label...it includes their Cavern Club '64 performance, the Shindig shows, New Musical Express Pollwinner's appearances, 1970 Top Of The Pops, etc...and also includes a 1964-1971 German '79 TV Special...2 New DEEP PURPLE Soundboard Recordings have been released by newcomer, the Darker Than Blue Label..."Ritchie's Last" is a single disc release featuring the November 17th, 1993 Helsinki concert...and "Lost Milan Tape" is a double-CD soundboard of the September 2nd, 1987 show...on a related release note Power Gate has just put out RITCHIE BLACKMORE'S RAINBOW "Temple Of South" from Fukuoka, Japan September 20th, 1995...also out from Power Gate is MOTLEY CRUE "Same Ol' Situation" live from Flint Center, Cupertino, California, March 18th, 1999 on a double-CDR set...



Other new titles or new releases that were brought to our attention this week include...QUEEN "At Last Budokan" which will be a 4CD set from Wardour and will utilize both a cassette master version and newly remastered version of this Tokyo on May 9th 1985 and will be a Limited Edtion release of 300 copies...Smilin' Cat Records has released a new BRIAN SETZER ORCHESTRA soundboard called "Merry Christmas Mr. Brian", taken from a Tokyo performance on November 29th, 2004...from Sirene, KING CRIMSON "Berkely 1973", a Limited Edition title recorded at the Berkeley Community Theater on June 16th, 1973...on the Lightning Bolt Label comes a single BOB DYLAN "Unplugged Rehearsal" Stereo Soundboard from the Sony Studios in New York on September 15th & 16th, 1994...and a couple of CDR titles to relay...CHARLATANS w/RONNIE WOOD "Flying" from Trial CD, recorded at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London on December 8th, 2004...and to be released soon, GRATEFUL DEAD featuring LOWELL GEORGE "Dead Feat: Shakedown Street Outtakes" from Happyweed Productions, recorded August 18th, 1978. Finally, more LED ZEPPELIN release news to include here...Badgeholders will release "Taking No Prisoners Tonight: Complete Millard Master Edition", a Mike Millard Audience Recording of the second Long Beach show on March 12th, 1975 which is an incomplete but typically superb source...coming soon from Master Reel will be another ZEPPELIN title, "Budokan '72", no further details on this one. Oh, and here is an update from Nech from over at the For Badgeholder's Only Led Zeppelin internet community, for those who are curious, like me, about Beezlebub Records' "In The Heat Of The Night", which features ZEPPELIN's January 31st and February 1st, 1969 shows:

"Unfortunately these shows were never captured in as good a quality as the infamous Fillmore West Gigs so they are often overlooked gems ( must haves IMO ) for most Zep collectors. I myself have spent lotsa time trying to find the best possible sounding copies of these shows and I think I might've hit the Jackpot with Beezlebub's "In the Heat of the Night" release.

It is still not anywhere's near a fantasmagorically outstanding sounding show and I reckon most folks would still call it a hardcore fan only, but for the performance alone it is worth it. Probably two of the hottest nights of Zep's first US tour! And after comparing this set to all the versions I have, it is indeed the best sounding of the lot. The closest to it would be the "Butterfly Hunting" no label that made its rounds some time ago. That I believe was 2nd gen>dat>cdr and these are said to be direct copies from the master reels. And you can definately say "direct" as I ( I'm not an expert mind you ) do not detect any over eq'ing a la EV to try to compensate for the 36 year old recordings' shortcomings and disc 2 (2/1) clocks in at 60 minutes even though the show was only about 47 minutes as the unadultered tape was just allowed to run straight through so as not to tamper with it in any way to capture it. I'm not going to compare every seconds worth and what's missing and what's not as I just don't have the time or patience ( hard to do as well with 2 sick kids in da house) so can't say which version is longest or most complete. I really think the only difference I can outright discern is that 1/31 starts straight off into TKAR without any tune up and starts off a bit rough I suspect from tape overload but does smooth out and stay pretty well balanced. Great interplay with the audience and Plant's HMMT wail forever sets the mark as what every other vocalist could never attain. WOW. The second night is a gas as somehow JPJ 'forgot' his bass forcing Zep to open with a very contrite WS/BMS. After which Plant announces
"We're gonna start now" and whammo off they go with a roaring TKAR. When Plant said "we're gonna cram as much as we can into the next 20 minutes" he meant it. After a powerhouse like this, it's no wonder the Butterfly wanted to fly away!! The set comes in a nice cardboard fold out with each cd in another black sleeve adorned with some additional artwork. What looks like original Fillmore style poster art adorns the back. The silkscreening on the discs is nice as well. Only drawback is that they are not silvers. Other than that A really nice set to have especially if you're looking for the best sounding of these shows you can get."

That's all for now everybody. I myself have a bunch of reviews to sort out and post later today and through Monday so check back often. We have also received quite a stack of new titles in to us at the Review Desk at HotWacks On-line. It will be a busy week!...and that is fun for all of us. If you haven't had a chance to register and post your 2004 Top Ten or share some other thoughts on our Bulletin Board, please take the time soon. I'll meet you back here again next week, thanks for checking in here at HotWacks On-line.

Svengi
January 16th, 2005