Post by Beatle Bob on Jun 21, 2009 3:27:15 GMT
MULTI-DISC REVIEW – NEW LIVE MACCA DISCS
Changes Begin Within Benefit Concert (PCCD-61/62) – Audience Tape
Viva La Joint (PCCD 63/64) – Audience Tape
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (PCCD 65/66/67) - Audience Tape and excerpted Soundboard
The ever present Misterclaudel and related labels such as the off-shoot Piccadilly, have just released a series of live Paul McCartney discs from some of his recent one-off concerts from his performances this past April in New York City, Las Vegas and Indio, California. The speed in which they are able to issue factory pressed discs is timely and impressive. Unfortunately, most of these offerings are from audience tapes that are distant and marred by the usual fan too close to the mike singing along/clapping/hollering and exclaiming one too many “woos!”
Changes Begin Within Benefit Concert’s first disc is quite boring and the recording is distant and of average quality. I’m glad I never attended the benefit concert (April 4, 2009, Radio City Music Hall, NYC) as Moby, Bettye Lavette, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper and Donovan’s sets bored me. Being an audience tape, anything that doesn’t rock out contributes to it being a snoozer. Disc two is worth the price of admission, as this is where it revs up a few notches with Ringo’s set-- but Paul’s band (up next) really shines in comparison. The disc closes out with their first on stage reunion since The Concert For George in 2002. Ringo’s singing is a bit off-key on “With A Little Help From My Friends”, but if you’ve seen the clips on Youtube, you know Paul and Ringo really enjoyed themselves and a spark between them is renewed. I believe Ringo’s drumming on the one-off performance of “Cosmically Conscious” and especially “I Saw Her Standing There” give these songs a much needed boost and is refresing on the later. His style of drumming behind Paul has been sorely missed in my opinion. For historical purposes, this reunion of two ex-Beatles is the only reason you need this set.
Artwork and track listing:
www.giginjapan.com/scan179/paul- ... change.htm
Viva La Joint (April 19, 2090, Las Vegas, Nevada) is also an audience tape recording and like above, is distant and of average quality. Paul opened up the new Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and the band was in excellent form. Like the Coachella set (review below) it offers up some live “Fireman” tracks but is only for completests.
Artwork and track listing:
www.giginjapan.com/scan180/paul- ... y-viva.htm
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (April 17, 2009) Paul headlined and played to an indie record crowd and basically showed them the way a rock concert should be performed. This is a three disc set and warrants both the audience tape and soundboard being included, as we are presented with the full show from a well placed audience tape that has some body to it and is surprisingly one of the better audience tapes I’ve heard in a long time-- and is worthy of listening to straight through. It also benefits from not being marred much by fans talking too close to the microphone, clapping or the incessant male fan “wooing!” The soundboard (I’m told) is from the streamline audio and one I’ve not heard until now. It has some glitches and feels slightly compressed and I hope a full version of the show from soundboard appears in the near future. The unfortunate thing is it’s only 13 songs, though this set comes highly recommended for not only the very good audience tape of the full show and partial soundboard, but for inclusions of songs such as “Dance Tonight”, “Highway”, “Sing The Changes”, “Only Mama Knows”, “Honey Hush” and a fun version of “Let Me Roll It/Foxy Lady”!
Artwork and track listing:
www.giginjapan.com/scan180/paul- ... valley.htm
All the best!
Regards,
Beatle Bob
Changes Begin Within Benefit Concert (PCCD-61/62) – Audience Tape
Viva La Joint (PCCD 63/64) – Audience Tape
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (PCCD 65/66/67) - Audience Tape and excerpted Soundboard
The ever present Misterclaudel and related labels such as the off-shoot Piccadilly, have just released a series of live Paul McCartney discs from some of his recent one-off concerts from his performances this past April in New York City, Las Vegas and Indio, California. The speed in which they are able to issue factory pressed discs is timely and impressive. Unfortunately, most of these offerings are from audience tapes that are distant and marred by the usual fan too close to the mike singing along/clapping/hollering and exclaiming one too many “woos!”
Changes Begin Within Benefit Concert’s first disc is quite boring and the recording is distant and of average quality. I’m glad I never attended the benefit concert (April 4, 2009, Radio City Music Hall, NYC) as Moby, Bettye Lavette, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper and Donovan’s sets bored me. Being an audience tape, anything that doesn’t rock out contributes to it being a snoozer. Disc two is worth the price of admission, as this is where it revs up a few notches with Ringo’s set-- but Paul’s band (up next) really shines in comparison. The disc closes out with their first on stage reunion since The Concert For George in 2002. Ringo’s singing is a bit off-key on “With A Little Help From My Friends”, but if you’ve seen the clips on Youtube, you know Paul and Ringo really enjoyed themselves and a spark between them is renewed. I believe Ringo’s drumming on the one-off performance of “Cosmically Conscious” and especially “I Saw Her Standing There” give these songs a much needed boost and is refresing on the later. His style of drumming behind Paul has been sorely missed in my opinion. For historical purposes, this reunion of two ex-Beatles is the only reason you need this set.
Artwork and track listing:
www.giginjapan.com/scan179/paul- ... change.htm
Viva La Joint (April 19, 2090, Las Vegas, Nevada) is also an audience tape recording and like above, is distant and of average quality. Paul opened up the new Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and the band was in excellent form. Like the Coachella set (review below) it offers up some live “Fireman” tracks but is only for completests.
Artwork and track listing:
www.giginjapan.com/scan180/paul- ... y-viva.htm
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (April 17, 2009) Paul headlined and played to an indie record crowd and basically showed them the way a rock concert should be performed. This is a three disc set and warrants both the audience tape and soundboard being included, as we are presented with the full show from a well placed audience tape that has some body to it and is surprisingly one of the better audience tapes I’ve heard in a long time-- and is worthy of listening to straight through. It also benefits from not being marred much by fans talking too close to the microphone, clapping or the incessant male fan “wooing!” The soundboard (I’m told) is from the streamline audio and one I’ve not heard until now. It has some glitches and feels slightly compressed and I hope a full version of the show from soundboard appears in the near future. The unfortunate thing is it’s only 13 songs, though this set comes highly recommended for not only the very good audience tape of the full show and partial soundboard, but for inclusions of songs such as “Dance Tonight”, “Highway”, “Sing The Changes”, “Only Mama Knows”, “Honey Hush” and a fun version of “Let Me Roll It/Foxy Lady”!
Artwork and track listing:
www.giginjapan.com/scan180/paul- ... valley.htm
All the best!
Regards,
Beatle Bob