Comments on: He Is Back . . . Guest Writer Ed Sugar Has Something To Say . . .

By: Robert Langelier

Robert Langelier — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:50:52 +0000

Hey john, nice list!

By: Robert Langelier

Robert Langelier — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:49:25 +0000

“Blows against The Empire’

By: Robert Langelier

Robert Langelier — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:53:31 +0000

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!

By: marcelle london

marcelle london — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:51:30 +0000

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

By: Merrill Dubrow

Merrill Dubrow — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:42:54 +0000

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

By: Claude

Claude — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:48:12 +0000

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.

By: Joe Zinnato

Joe Zinnato — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:22:47 +0000

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

By: Jeff Teller

Jeff Teller — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:30:30 +0000

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!

By: dennisdburns

dennisdburns — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:30:01 +0000

ed– this is what happens when your computer is messed up. sorry for all the comments. see you soon ddb

By: Chris Lissandrello

Chris Lissandrello — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:59:09 +0000

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