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Last night’s game went into overtime, so Merrill asked me to cover for him today. As I have mentioned on previous posts, I have many passions in life (baseball, English soccer, food, travel) and high on the list is music. Growing up I was always listening to and purchasing music. Sometime ago, my friend (JH), who teaches elementary school and has a seventeen year old daughter, commented to me that kids today, due to the popularity of downloading individual songs (MP3 files) often have no concept of what a music album is. This statement resonated with me as I have always been one who has had a greater appreciation for a full album of recorded work and the sequence of the songs, rather than just the individual single hit song. I thought: "Are we truly seeing the demise of the recorded album?" "Will the future of music consist of nothing but a series of unrelated individual MP3 files?" "Are we witnessing another seismic shift in the decline of western civilization?" I am happy to report that in the past year, there has been a new trend that has eased this concern of mine. Some noted bands and performers have started playing full length albums, from beginning to end in the proper song order/sequence. I was first aware of this in 2008, when a reunited Fairport Convention played their 1973 classic album "Leige And Lief" from beginning to end. Early in 2009, Van Morrison toured performing his acclaimed 1971 "Astral Weeks" album. This summer Steely Dan’s tour consisted of every night playing, from beginning to end, one of their classic albums. I went to one their shows in Los Angeles and saw them perform the entire "Gaucho" album from 1980. With the demise of the album has being put on "the back burner", this trend of devoting an entire concert to one classic album got me day dreaming: "If I could see any singer or group (past or present), what album would I like them to perform from start to finish? And what unique concert venue would this concert take place?" I easily thought of a dozen of acts and albums that I would like to see and topping my list was: Brian Eno and John Cale, at the Roxy Theatre (West Hollywood) performing their 1990 album "Wrong Way Up" . This is probably my all time favorite album and seeing/hearing it performed live at the Roxy circa 1976 (when the joint had tables and seats) would be a dream come true for me. My runners-up were: The Jam, at the Marquee Club (London) playing "All Mod Cons" from 1978. Dave Edmunds and Rockpile, at a county fair, performing "Repeat When Necessary" on a flat bed truck — that would be classic. Lee Morgan at Dante’s (LA jazz club) performing his 1963 album "The Sidewinder" Bob Dylan and the Band, at the Santa Monica Civic, playing "Blood On The Tracks". So now it is your turn. Pick a singer or band, past or present. Put them in your favorite concert hall, club or arena. What album would you like to see them perform from start to finish in the exact order as they appeared on the initial release?
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- How about the Beatles playing "Sgt. Peppers" at the Royal Albert Hall?
- Or Luciano Pavarotti performing Puccini’s "La Bohème" at La Scala?
- Would you like to see Bruce and the E Street Band play "Born To Run" at the Stone Pony (Asbury, NJ)?
- Or Miles Davis and his classic "Birth of The Cool" at Birdland?
I look forward to reading your picks and hearing if you agree with me about the importance of music albums versus individual songs.
~ Guest Blogger Ed Sugar ~
Nancy Cearley says:
Hi Ed,
I have to disagree with you on this a bit. Green Day, one of the most popular band of this decade, has put out two albums in the last few years that are cohesive and flow well from one song to the next and teenagers are totally loving it.
I believe MTV named the first “American Idiot” the greatest Rock Opera of our generation. It’s been hugely successful in California and they are planning on opening on Broadway soon. I know already my 15-year old and 13-year old nieces will be begging for tickets.
And I admit, I’m a huge fan and would love to see them play this album from start to finish anywhere, anytime.
Best,
Nancy
howard burack says:
Either Dark Side of the Moon or Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. Best case scenario, both of them. Location the amphitheatre in Ephesus, Turkey.
U2 playing their album War at Wembley Stadium in London,
England
The Afro Celt Sound System playing Volume 2: Release at Massey Hall in Toronto
After those 3, I’d never have to go to another concert again.
Mike Chadsey says:
Ed – Can’t speak to the youth but I can say that thanks to a radio station that has “Album Side Wednesdays” I have been reminded about what a great pleasure it is to listen to an album all the way through like I used to before Tech allowed me to indulge my ADD and skip around my digital music collection. I am even pricing out turn tables now to allow me to dust off those old albums I have carried from move to move for the past 25 years!
Hard pressed to name a single favorite. You have featured many great ones in this post. I will add Deja Vu by CSNY. It must be enjoyed at an old house up in Topanga Canyon.
Terry Redding says:
Ed,
I don’t know that I would classify this album as a cohesive “story”, but Sticky Fingers certainly has a theme! I’d've loved to see this live at (the old) Tiger Stadium in Detroit. As Bob Seger once quoted Rolling Stone “the home of the greatest rock and roll audience in the world.” (for those who don’t know who recorded Sticky Fingers, check ‘em out, they’re (still) trying to rock.
Susan Saurage-Altenloh says:
Ed, you asked a BIG question. But I’ll give you a BIG answer since music is one of my great loves – from opera to rock to indie – can music ever be wrong?
If I were trapped on an island and had only 7 albums to hear repeated over and over again, these are they:
Nickelback – The Long Road
Sheryl Crow – C’mon, C’mon (or any of her first four albums)
Nine Inch Nails – With Teeth
Velvet Revolver – Contraband
U2 – Joshua Tree
Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy
Santana – Supernatural
Foo Fighters – In Your Honor
But I sure would like to include these and about 4 dozen other albums that are hugely playable (Sarah Brightman, 2Pac, STP):
Audioslave – Audioslave (first album)
Evanescence – Fallen
Aerosmith – Toys in the Attic
Andre Bocelli – Verdi
Eminem – The Slim Shady LP (original, before they remastered it the next year)
Mana – Unplugged (the original, not the remastered version)
Missy Elliott – This is not a Test
Tom Mularz says:
The Who ….”Live at Leeds”
Case closed!
Scott Waller says:
Great selection of albums Ed….Michael Franks and Willie Nelson; inspired!
I’d enjoy NRBQ’s “live at Yankee Stadium” played live at Yankee stadium.
Jon Last says:
Great post, Ed. First one that came to mind was Fragile by Yes. Who’s Next also comes to mind.
I’m sure I will think of others.
Lynn Stalone says:
Wow – this is a fun topic. I’d have to go back to my childhood and my parent’s music for this… at a time when you ALWAYS played the entire album – front and back and stacked them in the correct order for the mood. I’d also have to go with Sticky Fingers (my sister and I joke about how many times we pulled the zipper), then Tea For The Tillerman which has a perfect flow to it. From there, Harvest, The White Album, In A Gadda Da Vida, Cosmo’s Factory (Creedence), anything from Country Joe McDonald & The Fish.
Not music, but there was a George Carlin album and a Cheech & Chong album back in about ‘70 [Dave's not here] (no idea which these were) that we played all the time. And, of course, any album by The Who.
I could go on about this for hours. You’re so right about listening to an album in its entirety. Many forget that albums are arranged in a specific way with a conscious flow from one song to the next that is all part of the entire piece of work and should not be ignored.
matt gershner says:
One of the things I love doing is comparing music with Ed.
I have to agree on most of the above, especially the Pink Floyd choices (one of a rare number of bands I never had the pleasure to see that I would want to) and Howard’s shout out to the Afro Celts. If you’ve never heard them (recorded or live), you’re missing out.
However, no list of full album wishes would be complete without a mention of one of the most under appreciated bands of all times – Rush.
The thought of seeing them perform 2112, All the World’s a Stage or Exit..Stage Left from start to finish would make for an amazing show. As for the “where,” this one breaks my rules. I typically hate arena and stadium shows for their size, but this is a band that needs all the space possible, so any arena or amphitheater will be fine with me.
Patrick says:
Ed,
This is like asking someone to choose their favorite kid!
Big John says:
So, Patrick…who’s your favorite kid?
Brian Brusavich says:
Two of my favorite album’s are U2’s Joshua Tree and Coldplay’s debut album, Parachutes. However, while it is great when you purchase a CD and most of the tracks are great, but also sucks when one (or two) of the songs are good but the rest suck.
And, I disagree somewhat with the notion that teenagers today don’t appreciate the beauty of a full album and, because of that, are responsible for its demise.
However, I think that is just a function or result of passing time and progress. There was once a time when paint had lead in it and cars had no seat belts. As years passed, and technology improved and society became smarter and/or more sophisticated, we learned from our mistakes and made improvements.
So, while downloading individual songs may have hurt the idea of an “album,” the technology that brought us to downloading has also improved our lives in many other ways.
Ed, Hi to Marion and Happy Thanksgiving.
Brian
Bob Graham says:
I can think of two occasions when I saw a group perform an album from start to finish and they both go way back: I saw the Who perform “Tommy” at Tanglewood (!) right after the album had been released and the Kinks perform “Schoolboys In Disgrace” at the Shea’s Theater in Buffalo (an old vaudeville house that was the perfect venue for Ray Davie’s antics).
On the album I would most like to see live. There is one album that I love that purposely don’t listen to all the time. I don’t want to risk getting tired of it. And every time I listen to it it takes me out of my world into a state of bliss: “Like An Old Fashioned Waltz” by Sandy Denny. Sandy passed away in 1978 (the victim of a freak fall on the stairs at her home) so there’s no way to realize my dream other than imagination, but I would love to hear Sandy sing that album at an intimate supper club. “Solo”, Whispering Grass”, the title tune…What a great album!
Jeffrey Lorber says:
I have two:
Jefferson Starship (nee Airplane) doing their “Starship” story album. Outdoors would be cool – maybe at Candlestick Park – oops I mean PacBell Stadium. (Does anyone know this album except me?)
And Meatloaf – Bat out of Hell:
Anywhere they can be loud and shake the roof.
Robert Langelier says:
“Blows against The Empire’
Michael Manning says:
I would love to see Annie Lennox do the entire “Diva” album anywhere. Another favorite album of mine from start to finish is “Breakfast in America” by Supertramp (circa 1980?)…that would be great.
Mark Say says:
Not a fan of the trend myself. One of the pleasures of a great live concert is the spontaneity, not knowing what’s going to come next, and the surprises that good live acts serve up.
But …. I could see the attraction in watching Graham Parker and the Rumour play all of ‘Heat Treatment’ at the Roundhouse in London, or John Hiatt perform ‘Crossing Muddy Waters’ in any small venue with some good booze at the bar.
Let’s throw this into the mix ….. how about a band or artist performing a classic album by another, not necessarily a contemporary? It would be fun to watch The Old Crow Medicine Show rattle through one of the classic Rolling Stones albums …. ‘Sticky Fingers’ or ‘Exile on Main Street’. Or Lewis Taylor produce his interpretation of ‘Pet Sounds’. Or the B-52s knock out one of Bowie’s better oldies, ‘Ziggy Stardust’ or ‘Aladdin Sane’. Or how about George Thorogood and the Destroyers playing Wagner’s Ring Trilogy? Make some decent spliffs available and we could have lots of fun.
Big John says:
Mark,
You bring the spliff, and count me in!
Colette says:
My first instinct is to object to the premise. The progression that makes for a good album is not the same progression that makes for a good live show. I’ve seen it done and it felt awkward and poorly paced: intensity where there should have been cooldown, quiet when there should have been walls of sound, etc. I’d have to be convinced that the opportunity to expose younger listeners to the concept of an album was worth the poor live experience (is a poor live experience going to reflect well upon the concept anyway?).
That said, I’m a big sucker for analytical music games, so I will give this some serious thought today and come back with a real answer.
chardon labrie says:
i have been very lucky to see so many bands live from the beatles on through all the greats. but if i had to pick a few to see again performing an entire album….it might be seeing THE DOORS again, again in the old RETINAL CIRCUS on Burrard in Vancouver doing their first album.
or perhaps DOUG KERSHAW, again in the COMMODORE on Vancouver’s Granville strip, doing any of his early albums.
or finally, LED ZEPPELIN or JIMI HERDRIX, this time blowing the roof off the COMMODORE while blowing everyone’s mind.
LEONARD COHEN doing The Future would be good…which he did recently here in Vancouver, but not necessarily in the order heard on the album.
there are so many…but i also think of today’s groups, THE KILLERS doing the Sam’s Place album might be fun and anything GREEN DAY.
interesting subject ed!
Marty Molloy says:
The Who playing Quadrophenia (with Keith Moon)
Dan says:
For about 20 years, Phish has played a Halloween concert that includes a surprise set where they play another artist’s album in its entirety… For weeks in advance, they would often allow their fans to vote for the album/band that they’d most want to hear — and the lucky concert goers would get to enjoy the result.
One of my favorite recordings is from the 1980’s — the entire “White Album” was played without and pauses or breaks. It ain’t the Beatles, but…
Colette says:
I have given this some thought and I’m going to borrow Mark’s band-covering-another-band cheat. I believe the correct answer to this question is: Wilco covering Astral Weeks. What do I win?
OK, but seriously… both share a fondness for occasional loose, wandering guitar work, and Van Morrison and Jeff Tweedy both have that kind of earnest-without-trying-too-hard strain to their voice. Wilco, on the other hand, could bring an abrasive edge to songs like Sweet Thing that would leave them sounding fresh and contemporary while still paying due homage to the original. And it’s that unexpected quality that might make something like this work as a live show experience. You know all the songs, but you still don’t quite know what to expect from moment to moment.
Shannon says:
Wilco playing Van Morrison–that’s just pure genius. I would love to be at that show.
Colette says:
By the way, I also want to object slightly to the idea that younger listeners don’t grok the “album”. I think they very much do, but they just don’t see it as the exclusive provenance of the artist. Digital music technology has made it easy for consumers to take ownership of the listening experience in a way that used to be much harder. How many hours of your life have you spent hitting Play, Pause, Rewind, and Record making mixtapes? The new CD- or iTunes-based “mixtapes” are so easy to make that people make them much more often than they used to, and while it’s true that sometimes that just means throwing a bunch of random stuff together, people ARE still crafting “albums” of their own making. They’re still leading with a punch and then slowing it down, you know? They’re no longer passive receptacles for the artist’s vision, no, but I don’t think this is a bad thing. Music has become much more of an ongoing conversation between musician and listener, and I think that can only be a good thing for the listener, the artist, and the music.
Shannon says:
I think a big part of the problem with albums these days is that there usually is no artistic vision. When record labels no longer nurture their artists and only want to make a quick buck, the result is albums full of filler with only one or two worthwhile songs. That consumers are picking and choosing the tracks they want speaks to that fact that people don’t want to accept albums full of fluff. Maybe we’re seeing a return to the days when everyone was buying 45s and a resurgence of the single.
Chuck Bauerlein says:
Wow, not too sure I can agree with this comment. The following CDs will rank high on my end of the year list. All of these artists surely are exercising their artistic vision over the course of an entire album and the albums are meant to be listened to in their entirety, not just cherry-picked for their “best songs,” as many young consumers seem to do. I think Ed’s point should be well taken (except for the “is this the end of civilization” comment). As long as artists are gravitating to the album format, there will be fans willing to indulge in the vision they bring to the project. Get a few of these and you’ll see what I mean:
The Decemberists, “The Hazards of Love”
1) The Avett Brothers “I and Love and You.”
2) Phoenix, “Wolfgang AmadeuPhoenix”
3) Amadou & Mariam, “Welcome to Mali”
4) M. Ward, “Hold Time”
5) The Bottle Rockets, “Lean Forward”
6) Brandi Carlile, “Give Up the Ghost”
7) Andrew Bird, “Nobel Beast”
9) Grizzly Bear, “Veckatimest”Amadou
10) The Low Anthem, “Oh My God, Charlie Darwin”
Happy holidays and good luck with your search!
Steve says:
Professor Edward:
Good question – but that’s why you’re the professor!
Here’s a couple for you.
Moody Blues – Days of Future Past: Must be at a venue with outstanding acoustics to do justice to both the band and the London Symphony. Not a simple task.
Willie Nelson – Red Headed Stranger: Just about anyplace, cause Willie can’t sing, but he’s a whole lotta fun! Best at an outdoor amphitheater, preferably a rural county fair where everyone is having more fun than the law allows.
And finally, The Who – Tommy, is a great story album, but since I’ve never seen them I have no concept of the perfect venue. You pick.
Mark E. Heyn says:
Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto for the Moody Blues, amazing acoustics!!!
dennisdburns says:
my mind’s a “whirlin”. where does one begin??? will think this out, and comment in a couple of days. ddb
Big John says:
Doctor Professor Sugar,
I would like to see:
–The Ramones play “Rocket to Russia” and Talking Heads play “Talking Heads:77″ at CBGB’s circa 1977.
–Bob Dylan play “Blood on the Tracks” at The Roxy or The Whiskey.
–Joni Mitchell play “Blue” at The Mermaid Cafe (wherever that is?).
–Dave Edmunds play “Rockpile” at McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, CA.
–Traffic playing “Low Spark…” at The Shrine Auditorium in South Central.
–John Lee Hooker and Canned Heat at the Boom Boom Room in SF.
–Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band play “Safe As Milk” circa 1967 at The Whiskey a-Go-Go
–John Prine play “In Spite of Ourselves” at the Grand Old Opry
–The Modern Lovers play their only album on campus at BU circa 1976
–Miles Davis “Kind of Blue” at the Village Vanguard.
and finally, my favorite live album
–The Allman Brothers Band with Duane playing at the Fillmore East
I do agree, however, that the concept of playing an album from start to finish does not really appeal to me. I’d just as soon listen to the album with some vinyl flaws–hiss, pop and skip.
Mark E. Heyn says:
Can I join you on the tour of your dream gigs too!! Great line up!
Robert Langelier says:
Hey john, nice list!
Howard says:
Love it, Ed. Me, I go with “Sticky Fingers” (Stones); “Days of Future Past” (Moody Blues); “All Things Must Pass” (George Harrison); “Layla and Other Love Songs” (Eric Clapton); “Jesus Christ Superstar, Soundtrack.”
Probably got a few more, but will post ‘em another time. ‘Sup Merrill?
Todd Richards says:
So many that would be cool to see:
Queen playing “The Game” at Santa Monica Civic
The Knack playing “Get The Knack” at the Forum
Springsteen playing “Nebraska” at a tiny club like the old Madame Wong’s
I’d really love to see The Michael Stanley Band play “You Can’t Fight Fashion” at Browns Stadium.
GNR playing “appetite for destruction” at the Cathouse, now that would be a party.
chris says:
I’m (barely) old enough to remember when singles far outsold albums. Truthfully, most albums suck, or have filler so obvious that moments in them suck. We’re talking the kind of suck that would hover over both the audience *and* the performer, trying to get through 3:28 of crap so everybody can get back to a song where the artist was trying when he/she recorded it.
And that doesn’t figure in things like prog rock and concept albums. The Kinks were a great band, but they could take the song cycle idea only so far before they were killing us all with Preservation. Meanwhile, half the world at the time was listening to the same albums in different play orders on 8-track tape. So, I think the nostalgia for the album is a bit overdone.
That said, there’s no arguing that we have had a few albums over the decades where the sum was greater than the whole of the tracks. Astral Weeks is an obvious choice. I like Aja as another. Beth Orton’s “Trailer Park” would work as a live show.
All that said, give me Belle & Sebastian playing Tigermilk at some tiny pub in Glasgow circa 1996. And let them make tons of rookie mistakes, the way they surely did.
Al Gonzalez says:
On a romantic evening with the one i love, sitting in front of a nice fire in the fireplace, with a nice bottle of chardonnay and strawberries I would love Black Sabbath to perform Vol 4.
God, I’m so romantic.
Shannon says:
I wouldn’t mind hearing The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society done live. I can’t argue with Astral Weeks, either. Exile on Main Street by the Stones would be another good one. What I’d really love to see, though, is the Beatles performing Abbey Road–particularly side two–those songs on that second half are just made to be played together.
dennisdburns says:
ed– i’m going to see you next week and could tell you my dream gig then, but then i’d be depriving all your readers my choice. i have narrowed this down to about 100 possibilities, but numero uno would have to be the “who” performing note for note “live at leeds” at the “great american music hall” in san francisco. i have seen “king crimson”, “david torn”, “tom waits”, “adrien belew” (solo), and may other acts at this amazing venue. next up would be the “jimi hendrix experience” doing “electric ladyland” at the greek theatre in berkeley on a warm summer night. finally the “soft machine” performing their landmark disc “third” at the old “roxy” in hollywood. so many more come to mind, but any of these three would be musical nirvana. see you soon ddb
dennisdburns says:
ed- after hundreds of possibilities and endless wishes i would say the gig that would blow my wad would be “the who” playing note for note “live at leeds” at the “great american music hall” in san francisco. i have seen “king crimson”, “david torn”, “adrien belew”(solo), and many other great shows at this amazing venue. another fabulous gig would be the “jimi hendrix experience” performing “electric ladyland” at the greek theatre in berkeley on a warm summer evening. of course “soft machine” “third” at the old “roxy” in l.a. would be musical nirvana. how about “tom waits” doing “foreign affair” or “small change” at the “bottom line” in n.y or the original “love” performing their first three albums at “tulagis” in boulder. finally “pentangle” and “basket of light” at orchestra hall or the guthrie in minneapolis. think i’ll start dreaming again. see you next week. ddb
ron thomey says:
Buzzy, as a retired teacher, I must admit that was an average essay you wrote..only joking…good stuff. I have several ,mostly because of the era they came out in, and the “activities I was involved with, during the mid to late 60’s and early mid 70’s. But, I must say that the arrangement of songs and the order of them made for some great listening (and other things). They are as follows in the order of dominance of which they attached themselves to my life: The Beatles (do I need to say the White Album?), The Rolling Stones in Concert, ‘Get yer Ya Ya’s Out!’, Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland, Jefferson Airplane (gracie slick) – Crown of Creation, Bookends/Simon and Garfunkel, and Barry McGuire and the Doctor. To me, all great stuff. Thanks for your article, it made me go back through my “ablums”..which scared my teen boys…they thought I was having flashbacks!! Peace, Love and Understanding.
Peter Weiss says:
Hey great topic. Slipping Away is one of the best songs ever written. I have it on now thanks to you. To answer your question. Probably the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. I saw this performed and it was fantastic. But actually, now that I think more deeply. Quadrophenia. I missed this show at the Forum and have regretted it ever since. Oh and in the Aladdin Theater in Portland the best venue ever.
Chuck Bauerlein says:
Love the concept Ed. I was “in the house” in the Rainbow Theatre in London in 1973 when Van Morrison recorded “It’s Too Late to Stop Now” so I can honestly say I would enjoy returning to THAT moment and reliving it. But, because that’s already a recording of a live concert, that is not really in keeping with the spirit of Ed’s original question.
I was very happy to see someone mention “Live at Leeds” because the extended “deluxe” version of that CD (with “Tommy” played in its entirety on disc 2) is about the easiest and most inexpensive way to actually experience hearing a classic album performed live.
For my blood, however, I would want to hear the Beatles perform either “Rubber Soul” or “Revolver” live, in its entirety. The Fab Four had stopped performing live concerts by then so the incredible songs on those two albums (still my favorites) were never performed live to my knowledge. With the deaths of John Lennon and George Harrison, the world will never experience that concert….but maybe Phil Spector can arrange a “choir of angels” to support a heavenly Beatles reunion at the end of time. Barring that, maybe someone could convince Julian Lennon and Dani Harrison to join McCartney and Starr for a Beatles Family Reunion that played those two records (And maybe a few songs from Sgt. Pepper’s throw in gratis!!)
I’d pay money to see that show.
Bill Sugar says:
Here are my thoughts on this multifaceted question. I broke it down in two parts.
Concert venue: My selection is quite practical. Any venue that I can actually attend. So, all of these bands (see below) will be playing at a local night club in Greenville, NC. This will take me ~5-10 minutes to get there, hassle-free parking and in a night club where you can see and “feel” the band.
Bands: Definitively, my current favorites. Frightened Rabbit (similar to their live Liver Lung recording), Decemberists (not their current recording, but all of my favorite songs – they would know!), Deer Tick (both of their albums). Oldies, but goodies: Led Zepplin (Physical Graffiti), Queen (all of my favorite songs…they would know), and R.E.M. (again, they would know all of my favorite songs recorded in the 20th century). Ironically, I saw Led Zepplin and Queen live back in my California days.
Bill Haddock says:
My favorite album is one of Allison Krauss’s earlier albums, “Now that I found you.” Also, Nickel Creek’s first album, can’t remember the name.
That is my take,
Bill
Alyssa Sugar says:
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band playing Asbury Park, NJ album — his first–and perhaps the perfect place for this concert would be in Asbury Park! But it would be especially cool to see him in a small venue like a rocking smokeless bar.
dennisdburns says:
ed– after hundreds of possibilities and a lot of wishful thinking, the “gig” that would blow my wad would be “the who” playing note for note “live at leeds” at the “great american music hall” in san francisco. an amazing venue, and i have been to numerous shows there, including “king crimson”, “david torn”, “adrien belew”,and many others. also the “jimi hendrix experience” performing “electric ladyland” at the greek theatre in berkeley on a warm summer evening. how about “soft machine” doing “third” at the old “roxy” in l.a. could go on for quite awhile, but this will do. ddb
dennisdburns says:
ed– this is what happens when your computer is messed up. sorry for all the comments. see you soon ddb
Mark E. Heyn says:
Dear Ed, great topic and I am sure you knew you would catch my interest with this one! I love the spontaneity of the live show so going to see a whole album played in order may detract from the energy of the show, but that would of course depend on the act and which album.
I guess I have been lucky indeed having seen some of the bands mentioned above and in some of the venues as well! I saw Jaluka and Level 42 on their debut tours at Massey Hall so most of the songs from their first releases were all played, not in album order though. Paul Simon played all of the Graceland album with Ladysmith Black Mambazo in Maple Leaf Gardens! I’d LOVE to see and hear that again!
Another album I was lucky to see performed was “Time and Tide” by Split Enz in Calgary (1982) at a small hockey arena, If I could have picked the feature album it would have been their previous album “True Colours”, but boy, what a show and what energy, “Time & Tide, then a few hits and the obligatory encore to end the show. The house lights go up and Tim Finn comes out and says “who turned on the fuckin’ lights” and then started 2 more 1/2 hour encores!
I saw Peter Gabriel in Edmonton touring for the “So” album (not played in entirety or in order), and saw him twice again in Toronto, but to pick only one album of his for one show I will not do….I simply want to hear and see them all!
I was fortunate to see The J. Geils Band at UCLA’s ‘Pauley Pavilion’ and would love to see them play all of “Nightmares… and Other Tales From the Vinyl Jungle” there again. I too want to see “Fragile” or “Close to the Edge” performed by Yes and would love that to be at either the Northern or Southern Jubilee Auditoriums in Edmonton or Calgary, respectively.
I have always been a Pink Floyd Fan; I have seen the band (sans Roger) perform twice and also saw Roger Waters perform a full set of “Floyd” hits and then the entire “Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking” from start to finish with the full length animated movie screening behind the stage.. AWESOME! Great shows especially the Waters show as he had quadraphonic sound in the arena as well as the best visual effects I have ever seen live. Being at “The Wall” concert in Berlin would have been amazing and I would love to see the guys back together for that again in the same location! Count me in for the gigs in Turkey mentioned above, too!
Another dream gig would be to see Stevie Ray Vaughan at the El Mocambo playing “Texas Flood”. I have seen Charlie Watts and Ron Wood get onto the stage at “The ELMO” and jam with the local band…so all I might want is Stevie, George Thorogood and B.B. King climb up at the same time, but picking an album to go with that line up? Whoa! That’s a tough one: how about “Beggar’s Banquet” (Rolling Stones) or “Hoodoo Man Blues”(Junior Wells)!
I agree with Matt Gershner’s comments about “RUSH” I have seen them twice and they are astounding in concert. I simply want to see them again one day let alone doing all of “2112″.
That’s enough for now!
Luv to Ed & Marion!
Chris Lissandrello says:
Hi Ed, I’m Alyssa’s bro…and a musicologist of sorts. For starters, though I am a Van Morrison lover, I still can’t figure out what the big deal is a bout “Astral Weeks”.I think it’s on your list here because critics say it’s the best so we follow like sheep. I don’t.
Morrison’s largely unknown masterpiece is the double album “Hymns to the Silence”. It was never offered by BMG or “on sale” otherwise, and hence “expensive”, and maybe not promoted but magnificent none the less, crossing every genre and human emotion imaginable. It’s something to hear.
Next I’d pull up “His Band and the Street Choir” (1970), and of course “Moondance”. I’ll leave “Astral Weeks” to the critics, thank you.
But best, best album of all time? Here’s my top few, ’till I think of more:
Beatles: Abbey Road
Bruce Cockburn: Dancing in the Dragon’s Jaws, Stealing Fire,
Dart to the Heart….yes, he’s my favorite
Wynton Marsalis: The Resolution of Romance, Standards vol 3, (gorgeous)
John Hiatt: Slow Turning
Neil: After the Goldrush
CSNY: DejaVu
James Taylor: Mud Slide Slim
Lucinda Williams: Essence
Bob Dylan: Greatest Hits Volume 2
Rolling Stones: Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out
Martin Sexton: Black Sheep
Jeff Teller says:
Ed,
I am flattered you thought of me, as we did experience alot of music growing up. To be honest, I haven’t really listened to or kept up with the music scene since Sports talk radio came out, not including the three years I was in the car stereo business. With that in mind, I thought I would share something from a different angle, concerts I have attended that played an album start to finish. In our day, these were called concept albums, where every song was part of the story and I think we were lucky to be able to experience these. In no particular order, but limited to ones that I was present for: Quadrophenia by the Who, Passion Play by Jethro Tull, Aqualung by Tull, The Wall by Pink Floyd, Animals by Pink Floyd, and Soap Opera by the Kinks. At my age now, my memory is less than stellar, but other shows pop into my mind as having some importance: Blue Oyster Cult’s Godzilla, which I think set the standard for laser usage. One other show I wanted to mention that I attended, which even deviates more from your requested theme, was the Steve Martin show at the Universal Amphitheater which debuted the Blues Brothers. Ironically, Rockpile (with Nick & Dave) were originally scheduled. When they were bumped for some new and unknown group three days before, I was understandably disappointed. If not for their debut the night before on Saturday Night Live, I might have chosen to skip the opening act. With 6th row center seats, I was able to experience John Belushi & Dan Ackroyd in all the musical glory. Again, I recognize that I did not address your original question, but hey that why they make 31 flavors!
Joe Zinnato says:
I just saw Devo perform the “Freedom of Choice” album at the Music Box in Hollywood 2 weeks ago, which would have been on my wish list. In my fantasy world, The mothers of Invention performing “We’re Only In It For the Money” at the Whiskey a Go-Go, or Robert Wyatt playing “Rock Bottom” at the Baked Potato on Ventura Blvd. I would pay good money for either of those!
Cheers all!
- Joe Z
Claude says:
From what I gathered from Ed, the concept here was to state favourite records (yes, an old terminology but one that needs to be reinstated, especially with vinyl’s return to form over the last few years). Without limitations my list would be too extensive, so I’ve limited myself to 20 titles that have come off the top of my head. The following are just a few of my favourite records in no particular order of importance:
Exodus – Bob Marley
My Aim Is True – Elvis Costello
Howlin Wind – Graham Parker
A Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles
Take Five – Dave Brubeck
Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie
Pet Sounds – The Bach Boys
Cabretta – Mink DeVille
Odyssey and Oracle – The Zombies
New Boots and Panties – Ian Dury
Octopus – Gentle Giant
After the Goldrush – Neil Young
The Bop That Just Won’t Stop – Gene Vincent
Machine Head – Deep Purple
Just Can’t Stop It – The English Beat
Love It To Death – Alice Cooper
Ramones Leave Home – The Ramones
Fulfilingness First Finale – Stevie Wonder
Woodface – Crowded House
Moondance – Van Morrison
To address what others have contributed to this blog, I will say that I have seen many memorable shows over the years (Brian Wilson with a 113 piece orchestra performing Pet Sounds!!!). As such I don’t really have one particular concert that I would love to see per se. However, if this is a fantasy concert, I’ll go along with the concept and say that I would like to see “A Black and White Night’ performed at The Ryman Auditorium (the original Grand Ole Opry) by Roy Orbison and that same extraordinary band and bring my sister as my guest.
ck
Merrill Dubrow says:
Ed,
Great topic and list – some of my favorites would be:
Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run
Billy Joel – Piano Man
Earth Wind & Fire – Discover earth wind & Fire
Beatles – Let It Be
And Any Jimmy Buffet album.
Yes I have odd taste!
Thanks for your contribution and comments.
Merrill
marcelle london says:
well Ed,
have thought about this for a few days and come to the conclusion that young people still love to have and to own a whole album of their favourite band, I feel sorry for them that when a
CD f..ks up it is unusable, where as the old and dusty LPs in my collection are enhanced in a way by the jumps and hisses. When I recently got a CD of Ziggy Stardust I was disappointed to not hear the wrong bits that I had always thought were intentional.
As for hearing a band play a whole LP live, I think it’s gotta be only Quadrophenia because it’s so theatrical.
On radio 1 at the moment there is a programme called masterpieces
which introduces great albums with musicians from and influenced by the album interviewed followed by broadcast of the whole album uninterrupted. It’s really brilliant, I hope you can get it on pod cast so you all can hear it……rock on….xxxx
Robert Langelier says:
Ed, thanks for the invitation to join this conversation. I must admit that this was a chore to distill down to a manageable size.
I have been fortunate enough to have seen a few artists perform entire albums in a live setting. I saw Jackson Browne perform his first album (sometimes known as Saturate Before Using) in the gym at UCR in 1972.
I saw Steely Dan perform “Countdown To Ecstasy” (not in original sequence) at The Swing Auditorium in 1974. I also saw Pink Floyd do “The Dark Side of the Moon” and the suite from “Wish You Were Here” (unreleased at the time) at the L.A. Sports Arena in 1975. I saw Return To Forever do “Romantic Warrior” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in 1976 and Weather Report do “Heavy Weather” at The Santa Monica Civic in 1977.
After whittling down a large list here goes Ed:
1. Bob Dylan & The Band- “The Genuine Basement Tapes” 1967. Where else? Dylan’s basement! (although it is widely assumed that this was recorded at Big Pink, The Band’s West Saugerties NY house, most was recorded in a makeshift studio at Dylan’s Woodstock home set up in the basement by Garth Hudson. From this album The Band was born.
2. Pink Floyd- “The Piper At the Gates of Dawn” 1967. The UFO Club, London.
3. Moby Grape-”Moby Grape” 1967. The Fillmore West.
4. The Grateful Dead- “Workingman’s Dead”/”American Beauty”. 1970. (these are companion pieces) The Fillmore West.
5. John Lennon- “Plastic Ono Band” 1970. The Fillmore East.
6. Tom Waits- “The Mule Variations” 1999. The Wiltern Theater.
7. Neil Young- “Time Fades Away” 1973. Royce Hall, UCLA.
8. The Band- “Music from Big Pink” 1968. Massey Hall.
9. The Band- “The Band” 1969. Fillmore East.
10. John Coltrane- “A Love Supreme Supreme” 1964. Village Vanguard.
11. David Bowie- “Hunky Dory” 1971. Royal Albert Hall.
12. The Rolling Stones- “Exile on Main Street” 1972. Swing Auditorium.
13. Miles Davis- “Kind of Blue” 1959. Birdland.
14. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band- “Trout Mask Replica” 1969. The Golden Bear.
15. Frank Zappa & The Mothers- “Uncle Meat” 1969. Royal Albert Hall.
16. Miles Davis- “Bitches Brew”- 1970. The Fillmore East.
17. Neil Young- “Prairie Wind” 2005. The Ryman Auditorium.
18. Bob Dylan- “Blonde On Blonde” 1966. Free Trade Hall, Manchester, England on May 17, 1966 with The Hawks. The night that the heckler yelled “Judas” and Dylan replied “I don’t believe you”, and turned to Robbie Robertson and said play f****n loud!
19. Bob Dylan & The Rolling Thunder Revue- “Desire” 1975. Harvard Square Theater.
20. Levon Helm- “Dirt Farmer” 2007. Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble.
21. Tom Waits- “Real Gone” 2004. The Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach.
22. Gillian Welch- “Revival” 1996. The Belly Up Tavern.
23. Neil Young- “Harvest Moon” 1992. The Greek Theater.
24. Robert Plant & Alison Krause- “Raising Sand” 2007. The Greek Theater. (we actually saw them here, they didn’t play the entire album)
25. Robert Johnson- “The Complete Recordings” 1936-1937. a roadhouse in the Mississippi delta!