Kiiplinger 202409

There’s a riot going on. You don’t need me, or Yo La Tengo, to tell you that. These are dark times, in our heads as much as in the streets. It’s easy to lose contact with the ground. Confusion and anxiety intrude into daily life and cause you to lose your compass. There are times that call for anthems, something to lift you out of your slump and put fire in your feet. And sometimes what is needed is a balm, a sound that will wrap around you and work out the knots in your neck.

The band – consisting of Nick Mason, Gary Kemp, Guy Pratt, Lee Harris and Dom Beken – were conceived with the simple aim of playing some early Pink Floyd – songs pre The Dark Side Of The Moon – that had not been given a live outing for decades. Three initial gigs in London in May 2018 were followed by sold out dates in Europe, the UK and North America in Autumn of that same year. A handful of extra UK shows were announced for April and May 2019, including two nights at The Roundhouse – the venue where Pink Floyd first played on 15 October 1966, at the International Times launch party. The setlist for Live at the Roundhouse includes ‘Arnold Layne’, ‘Vegetable Man’, ‘Interstellar Overdrive’, ‘Atom Heart Mother’, ‘Set The Controls For The Heart of the Sun’, ‘See Emily Play’ and more. This live recording is being issued as a 2CD+DVD set, a double vinyl package and on blu-ray.

Most folks point to Badfinger as the greatest power pop band of all time. But, with four accomplished songwriters in Tom Evans, Mike Gibbins, Pete Ham, and Joey Molland, and the creative assistance and imprimatur of The Beatles, Badfinger should have been bigger stars than they were. Their four albums for The Beatles’ Apple label get most of the attention, and understandably so, with hits like “Come and Get It,” “No Matter What,” “Day by Day,” and “Baby Blue.”

After being rediscovered by the folk-blues community in the early '60s, Son House rose to the occasion and recorded this magnificent set of performances. Allowed to stretch out past the shorter running time of the original 78s, House turns in wonderful, steaming performances of some of his best-known material. On some tracks, House is supplemented by folk-blues researcher/musician Alan Wilson, who would later become a member of the blues-rock group Canned Heat and here plays some nice second guitar and harmonica on several cuts. This two-disc set features alternate takes, some unissued material and some studio chatter from producer John Hammond, Sr. that ocassionally hints at the chaotic nature inherent to some of these '60s "rediscovery" sessions. While not as overpowering as his earlier work (what could be?), all of these sides are so power packed with sheer emotional involvement from House, they're an indispensable part of his canonade.