30 Days of Floyd, Day 4 - April 29, 1970

April 29, 1970

Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, USA

Welcome to the month of Pink Floyd, where I’ll be celebrating the 30-day countdown until the release of the Early Years box set. Technically, it’s 31 days, but I’ll be celebrating the 31^st day differently… maybe. I’m bad at commitment.

The plan is to look at 30 random concerts from Pink Floyd history, even going past the content covered in the Early Years.

The concert in review a soundboard recording from the Fillmore on April 29, 1970. Thank you, Fillmore, for hosting the majority of my early 70s soundboard bootlegs. Well, it’s mostly Grateful Dead, but there’s others too.

30 Days of Floyd, Day 3 - July 18, 1994

July 18, 1994

Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Welcome to the month of Pink Floyd, where I’ll be celebrating the 30-day countdown until the release of the Early Years box set. Technically, it’s 31 days, but I’ll be celebrating the 31^st day differently… maybe. I’m bad at commitment.

The plan is to look at 30 random concerts from Pink Floyd history, even going past the content covered in the Early Years.

Today’s concert is from the Division Bell tour from July 18, 1994. The last (full) North American concert ever.

30 Days of Floyd, Day 2 - October 17, 1971

October 17, 1971

Golden Hall, San Diego, CA, USA

Welcome to the month of Pink Floyd, where I’ll be celebrating the 30-day countdown until the release of the Early Years box set. Technically, it’s 31 days, but I’ll be celebrating the 31^st day differently… maybe. I’m bad at commitment.

The plan is to look at 30 random concerts from Pink Floyd history, even going past the content covered in the Early Years.

The concert in review is from October 17, 1971, the second performance from the Meddle Tour.

30 Days of Floyd, Day 1 - April 26, 1975

April 26, 1975

Los Angeles Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Welcome to the month of Pink Floyd, where I’ll be celebrating the 30-day countdown until the release of the Early Years box set. Technically, it’s 31 days, but I’ll be celebrating the 31^st day differently… maybe. I’m bad at commitment.

The plan is to look at 30 random concerts from Pink Floyd history, even going past the content covered in the Early Years.

The first concert is, actually, the best sounding audience recording available.

Pink Floyd - Sources of live versions (dates, songs, location, etc.)

The Pink Floyd Concerts

Looks can be deceiving.

Because none of these concerts were fully released.

One was fully released on film, one released minus encore.

The Monkees - Good Times (2016)

The Monkees

Good Times!

The Monkees’ Good Times! The first album of newly recorded material since 1996’s Justus. That’s right, The Monkees name is alive again for the fourth time (original run, Pool It!, Justus, Good Times!). And even Michael Nesmith joins us!

                Don’t forget that we’ve been getting a lot of unreleased material for the last 15 years, in Rhino’s deluxe edition releases (the last new album being the Summer 1967: The Complete U.S. Concert Recordings album in 2001, and the last re-issue being The Monkees in 2014). For some reason, no one asked for a Monkees resurgence, but here we are.

David Bowie - David Bowie (The 1967 Album)

David Bowie

David Bowie

1 June 1967

                Bowie’s first album has a very different tone than what you expect. It’s pop. A sort of baroque pop.

                It’s actually very hard to talk about this album seriously, due to its content and what came after it. That and I can’t even compare it to any other artists. No one but Bowie can do this drastic change of genre. Even ELO’s first band, The Idle Race, has the themes that continued into ELO. David Bowie the album is almost generic, but Bowie’s songwriting saves it.

                I think the right thing to say about this album is that it doesn’t fit. It doesn’t fit in Bowie’s catalogue, it doesn’t even fit in 1967 standards. Lyrically it does fit into Bowie’s catalogue, with some lyrics mentioning abortion and cannibalism and overall pushing the edge with storytelling.

                Bowie’s vocals are strange. I feel like he’s not putting as much effort into it as he would later, and it shows. Rubber Band is an exception, as Bowie’s vocals slowly become more powerful. He even yells off-mic to “play that thing!”  

                The album starts off pretty weak, but starting at Rubber Band it gets better. There Is a Happy Land has an enjoyable premise and We Are Hungry Men is the real Bowie trying to shine; more of a rebellious theme which just sounds silly in a baroque pop album. It does end in the best way; Bowie singing in the rain while digging a grave with no instruments in the background while he occasionally inserts an "oh god..." That's great. 

                I just think it’s weird that I don’t like this. I’ve got albums from bands like The Left Banke that have the same baroque style, and The Left Banke’s album Walk Away Renée/Pretty Ballerina was also released in 1967. But I’d take that album (with a name so generic that you’d think the songs would follow suit) over David Bowie (the 1967 album).

                But thank God he’s David Bowie, and there is something for everyone.

Overall:

                Generic 60’s pop sound with Bowie’s songwriting and voice. For me, it just doesn’t reach anything higher than average. Even after having this album for a while.

Highlights:

·         Rubber Band (because it’s how the whole album should be)

·         Love You till Tuesday (because it’s how the whole album also should be)

·         We Are Hungry Men (because the vocals are good and cannibalism)

·         When I Live My Dream (if you are like me and imagine Roy Orbison singing this song)

·         Please Mr. Gravedigger (because it’s perfect)