Live: The Wailers, Austin

Guitarist Audley Chisholm, left, and singer Duane Anglin of The Wailers Band, playing at Austin’s Reggae Festival.

A last-minute development at work left us free a little early on a Friday afternoon, and that was all the time and motivation needed for a two-hour drive to Austin for that city’s venerable Reggae Festival. (Note: Our home base is Houston, about 165 miles away, but a drive from our house in the burbs to the Texas capital city is exactly two hours.)

That jaunt was solely to see The Wailers, the backing band that performed behind the great Bob Marley back in the day. Now this is not the original Wailers, who included Bunny Livingston (Wailer) and Peter Tosh, but a representation of the lineup that performed as Bob Marley and the Wailers from 1974 until Marley’s death in 1981.

We all love us some Bob Marley.

I say a “representation” because The Wailers are now led by Aston “Family Man” Barrett, the sole original member remaining, on bass. Duane Anglin has been the band’s lead singer since the beginning of this year. This was one funky jammin’ reggae party, with classic Marley tunes like “Jammin’,” “One Love/People Get Ready,” “Rastaman Vibration” and of course, “Three Little Birds,” which is one of the best-known reggae songs of all time.

Singer Anglin (“Danglin”) is more than up to the task of carrying Marley’s torch, he offered some nice vocals on “Ride Natty Ride” and a nicely stoned version of Marley’s “I Shot The Sheriff.” At one point in the show Anglin announced from the stage that the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings had been apprehended, adding “Send Jah praises,” in relief that no more lives were taken.

This was one of the friendliest, most mellow gatherings I’ve ever attended at Austin’s Auditorium Shores. Sure, there was a lot of smoke wafting in the air, and it was a beautifully cool and clear evening for live music. We headed for the parking garage as the set wound down with an encore of “Redemption Song” and “Exodus.”

The festival continued for two more days, but we opted for only the Wailers experience. The Wailers themselves turned up in Houston two nights later to play at our excellent International Festival, and we chose not to go to that either.

Instead, we enjoyed the buzz from Friday’s sparkling set by riding around sunny Austin on Saturday with the car windows down, and Maestro Marley himself in the CD player. Beautiful.

YouTube: “Three Little Birds” at the Austin Reggae Fest (thanks to Obed Gonzalez)

Record Store Day: A Message from Ambassador Jack White

We’re still focusing on our day jobs, so our posts will be rather infrequent for the next week or so.

Want to quickly remind you about Record Store Day, coming up this Saturday. Make sure you go out to your friendly neighborhood record store, and at the very least, tell them thanks for hanging in there.

Here’s a message from Record Store Day ambassador Jack White:

Record Store Day official web site

Video Du Jour (Part Deux): Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac has gone back on the road, partly to celebrate the 35th anniversary of their blockbuster album Rumours. On one of the first dates of the tour in Philadelphia April 6, the band introduced a new song called “Sad Angel” that may appear on a new EP that Lindsey Buckingham said is coming out  “in a few days.”

Thanks to tyrant2525 for loan of the video.

Fleetwood Mac official web site

Video Du Jour: Ana Popovic

Ana Popovic (Photo by Cheryl Gorski)

Ana Popovic is a Serbian blues guitarist and singer, and she’s releasing her sixth studio album, Can You Stand The Heat, on April 16.

Many blues aficionados consider her one of the better blues guitarists around, and her last album Unconditional is still one of the best-selling blues albums ever. Here’s “Can’t You See What You’re Doing To Me,” from the new album.

Ana Popovic official web site

Video Du Jour: Blue Sky Riders

Another one from SXSW: Blue Sky Riders, a country rock trio led by Gary Burr, Georgia Middleman and Kenny Loggins. Yes, that Kenny Loggins. They played at the 2013 Southwest Invasion on the roof of Whole Foods Market. Thanks to IROCKE for allowing us to use the video.

Blue Sky Riders official web site

More videos at IROCKE

Video Du Jour: Rick Springfield

We’re taking a little time off from the blog so we can get caught up in our day jobs. We will drop by occasionally in the next week or so with some good stuff.

Today let’s go back to SXSW, with an acoustic performance by rocker Rick Springfield. He played at the 2013 Southwest Invasion at SXSW on the roof of Whole Foods Market, presented by Quantum Collective, Amazon MP3, and IROCKE.

Rick Springfield official web site

More videos at IROCKE

 

Song of the Week: Patty Griffin (and Her “Driver”)

Patty Griffin

When we talked to the nice folks at New West Records a few weeks ago, they were excited about the recent signing of Austin-based singer/songwriter Patty Griffin. Her new American Kid album is coming out May 7.

The first single from it, “Ohio,” is about the Underground Railroad, and how slaves used the network to escape to freedom. Griffin’s husband and “driver,” Robert Plant, sings harmony and came up with the tempo and mood for the song.

Patty Griffin official web site

Video Du Jour: The Mavericks

The Mavericks, partyin’ in the parking lot at Waterloo Records.

More stuff from SXSW: The Mavericks, a country rock band fronted by Raul Malo, have a new album out – In Time is their first studio work in about a decade. It’s heavy on the melodic, danceable stuff for which they are best known.

We caught their free set during SXSW at Waterloo Records. They played acoustic, and they quickly turned the record store parking lot into a party zone. Here’s “Back In My Arms Again,” from the new album.  Thanks to headonfire1105 for loan of the video.

The Mavericks official web site

40 Years Out: Dark Side of the Moon

Well, happy birthday Dark Side of the Moon. The classic Pink Floyd album turned 40 years old this past weekend, and for one, I celebrated by playing it all the way through Sunday on my back porch patio.

Very early. Very loud. The neighbors love me.

The album came out when I was a senior in high school, and it blew my mind. Since then it has become one the most iconic and best-selling rock albums of all time.

You can buy about 10 different versions of the album – a couple of years ago Pink Floyd released an “immersion” box set for the album that included the original music remastered, an early mix, a quadrophonic mix, demos, a complete recording of the album played live, and the entire program sung by Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Just kidding about that last one. But it’s all there, check it out.

Different mixes of some of the songs have turned up at various times. Here’s “Eclipse/Brain Damage” as it appears on the Pink Floyd compilation Works (1983). It’s a different mix than you’ll hear on the regular Dark Side, with the voices sounding a bit lower because it was blended from the quadrophonic masters, and slightly different intros/sound effects. (We have to do Soundcloud because our Divshare account was suspended for “abuse.”)

And if you want to hear a different version of “Money,” you should go to the 1981 compilation A Collection of Great Dance Songs. The original Dark Side of the Moon album was on EMI/Capitol, but by then Pink Floyd had signed with Columbia/CBS Records. Capitol Records refused to license “Money” for use on the album, so David Gilmour re-recorded it all by himself, playing all of the instruments. Dick Parry reprised his saxophone role on the track.

There are some differences between the re-recorded version and the original; mainly in the saxophone and guitar solos and the overall use of reverb and Gilmour repeating “away” at the end instead of the high pitch scat singing on the original. The drumming is noticeably different from Nick Mason’s, especially during the guitar solo, with very little of the tom tom fills heard on the original.

I got that last bit from Wikipedia – I just listened to the damn thing and it still sounds like “Money.”

Don’t know what else to say about Dark Side of the Moon, unless: if you haven’t heard it yet, you can’t call yourself a rock music fan.

40 Mind-Blowing Facts about Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd/Dark Side of the Moon 40th anniversary official web site

Video Du Jour: George Harrison & Friends

You know this already – “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” from the Concert for Bangladesh in Madison Square Garden, New York City 1971. It doesn’t get much better than this.