Bideodromage
A soupçon of personal favorites, from a decade rich in great material. In order, we have: Edison Lighthouse, Pilot, Lee Michaels, Zager and Evans, Daddy Dewdrop, The Fortunes, The Ides of March, King Harvest, Hurricane Smith, Clint Holmes, Jigsaw, Walter Egan, John Stewart, Looking Glass, Tee Set, and JD Souther.
A sampling of some of the titanic moments created by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. As far as rapid, intense, super-concentrated evolution goes, as well as profound alteration of the musical landscape, The Beatles have only John Coltrane and Beethoven as peers.
One of the greatest performers, ever. Period. The mighty Neil Diamond is here featured, with some of his most powerful compositions, delivered live, with superhuman intensity. Iterations of trademark embellishments, the origins of which remain a mystery to this day, abound.
Some high-water moments from Steely Dan, Albert Hammond, Sr., King Harvest, Hurricane Smith, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Brownsville Station, Sly Stone, Billy Paul, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, Stealers Wheel, The Sweet, Edgar Winter, The Isley Brothers, Dobie Gray, Stories, and Skylark.
Immortal music from Delaney & Bonnie, Lee Michaels, The Carpenters, Daddy Dewdrop {Richard Monda}, Ocean, Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose, Brewer and Shipley, Tommy James, Paul Revere and the Raiders {featuring Mark Lindsay}, and The Stampeders.
Memorable moments from Melanie Safka, Don McLean, Argent, Todd Rundgren, Clint Holmes, The Stylistics, The Main Ingredient, The Hollies, a youthful Michael Jackson, Looking Glass, Gallery, and Climax, featuring Sonny Geraci. So there.
Led Zeppelin, with eight scintillating live performances. Page, Plant, Bonham and Jones are all in top form. Plant, as always, is as powerful, beguiling, and inventive a lead vocalist as any that exists on this planet, and both Page and Bonham demonstrate why they are legends.
The above constitutes a smattering of incredible live performances by this ensemble, mainly the 1980 iteration, which included guitar maestro Adrian Belew. David Byrne, it could be argued, virtually created “New Wave” {or *something*} with the inexplicable, unpinpointable, wondrous peregrinations of his vocals. Plus, the unusual “dancing”{or Nureyev/??-like movements}. Much more than an iconoclast, Byrne simply brought into the time/space continuum, things that were previously Noumenal, undefinable. An epoch-defining genius.
A few comments on our selections {NOT all of them!!}: Cities {1983, 1982, *and* 1980 versions} *might* be David Byrne’s high-water mark as an “umm, what???” vocalist. The Impossible writ upon a landscape. Pulled Up and Mind, at the very least, are looking uneasily over their shoulders. The “He’s come undone” staggerings/lurchings in Psycho Killer {1983} are also enough to keep one alive for several epochs; the 1979 Mudd Club version is electrifying, mystique-laden; ridiculously brilliant. Both versions of Drugs have an eerie, haunting element all of their own; Dollette McDonald and Adrian B contribute mightily. Crosseyed {all versions} is simply a collective singe-fest.
Titanic moments of ecstasy, pathos, and catharsis are the norm for this great man, in his legendary live performances.
The Buzzcocks, founded in 1976 by Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto {who departed to pastures new in ’77}, are one of the preeminent punk bands to emerge from the UK. Extremely lyrical as well as hard-edged, they strung together many brilliant tunes, due mainly to the genius of composer and lead vocalist Shelley. Included here are a few from Pete’s solo career, as well as some particularly rewarding live group efforts.
Bideodromage 