1.
Jimi Hendrix - Band of
Gypsys (Live at Fillmore East)
Band of
Gypsys (featuring Billy Cox on bass, and Buddy Miles on drums) was pulled from a series of shows at
NYC's Fillmore East 12.31.69-1.1.70. Released shortly before his death in 1970, it was the last recording
Jimi himself authorized. The shows featured new songs written by the band, songs written by Billy Cox, and a number of Hendrix tunes from previous years with the Experience.
This album is of particular historical interest because it was the first show by Hendrix's Band of
Gypsys, recorded in part because of a contractual agreement Hendrix had made with Capitol records in 1965.
Not only was
Jimi ringing in the new decade, and bidding farewell to the 60's, he was doing it with a new band whose sound was quite different from that of the Experience. This band was much heavier, and R&B groove based, while the Experience was much more jazzy and psychedelic. This difference is perhaps most prevalent on "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" where Buddy Miles' drum beat gives the song an entirely new and more pronounced groove. Another song that Miles' drums seem to is take charge is "Power of Soul" in which the beat is just that...powerful.
While the new band provided
Jimi with a creative spark, it was still his guitar skills that elevated this live album above all others. Slow burners like "Machine Gun", and "Hear My Train A-
Comin" were simply launch pads for Hendrix's legendary guitar to take over. The new song "
Izabella" features a classic Hendrix style
wah wah solo, propelled by the funky
bassline from Billy Cox, and pounding drums from Miles.
To me, this Hendrix album stands out above all others because it seemed like he was really hitting his stride, and had found the perfect band to compliment his changing style. The old songs had new life, and the new songs had a fresh groove. Gone was the psychedelic side of Hendrix, opting instead for a stripped down, heavy R&B sound.
While its hard to say "what if?", one can only imagine how Hendrix's sound would have progressed had it not been for his untimely death in 1970. Fortunately though, Hendrix recorded a substantial amount of music in only a few short years, and we are left with gems like "Band of
Gypsys", "Electric
Ladyland" and "Live at Woodstock" to critique and compare.
2. The
Allman Brothers Band - Live at Fillmore East
"Live at Fillmore East" finds the original line-up of the
Allman Brothers Band hitting their stride at Bill Graham's legendary Fillmore East in New York City. It was recorded live 3.12.71 & 3.13.71 by producer Tom
Dowd.
In typical
Allman Brothers fashion, it features a distinct mix of blues and jazz with a touch of the now popular term "southern rock". Tracks include blues standards such as Blind Willie
McTell's "
Statesboro Blues", Sonny Boy Williamson's "One Way Out", and T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday", as well as
Allman originals like "Whipping Post", "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed", and "
Hot'Lanta". Perhaps the highlight of the album is the epic "You Don't Love Me", a 19+ minute blues exercise featuring a searing guitar duel between Duane
Allman and Dickey
Betts.
"Live at Fillmore East" has stood the test of time because it not only captured the
Allman Brothers Band at their early peak, but it also marks the beginning of a genre which has thrived through the years influencing bands like
ZZ Top and
Lynyrd Skynyrd, to
Gov't Mule and The Derek Trucks Band.
3. Eric Clapton - Just One Night
Clapton's "Just One Night" is a double live album released in 1980 culled from Clapton's popular Japanese shows at the
Budokan Theatre in Tokyo, Japan from December 1979. When I think of Clapton.....this is the album I think of. A laid back, yet still flashy Clapton ready to take the songs to new heights at any time.
At first glance, the
setlist looks underwhelming to the casual Clapton fan. To discover true value in this recording, however, one must listen harder. While the album doesn't necessarily sound like a greatest hits type of live album, I think
thats part of what adds to its appeal. Clapton takes a number of relatively obscure songs (blues covers, b-sides from his early solo career and his time in Derek & the
Dominos, and a few from good friend
JJ Cale), and makes them his own. He really shines on slow blues numbers like "Double Trouble" and "
Ramblin on My Mind" both of which he stretches out into the 8-9 minute mark, taking extended solos, and even instructing the band to change keys on the fly.
Another favorite is "Setting Me Up" which features Albert Lee on guitars and vocals. The song takes on a very "
Claptonish" boogie, and the halfway through the song, not Clapton, but Lee takes a very strong guitar solo. Not to be shown up, Clapton follows with a few tricks of his own.
Though the 70's brought their share of ups and downs for Clapton, this live album is proof that he ended the decade in total control, and was as good or better than he had been in the late 60s and early 70's prior to his problems with drugs and alcohol.
4. BB King & Bobby Bland - Together for the First Time
On "Together for the First Time", blues heavyweights BB King and Bobby Bland team up for a live set of blues covers and originals that just oozes soul. The songs have been played countless times, by countless different artists, but listening to this album assures me that they've never sounded this good....and likely never will again. Close your eyes and you can practically picture the smokey little club, and see BB and Bobby up on stage cracking jokes. Their chemistry on this set it top notch, and though they would play together many times over the years after this was released....there's something about the "First Time" that can't be matched on subsequent efforts.
5. The Band - The Last Waltz
One look at the track listing, and special guests on "The Last Waltz", its pretty clear why this is in the top 5. Names like Clapton, Dylan, Dr. John, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.....all there to pay tribute to one of the best (and most underrated) bands of the era.
Recorded on Thanksgiving of in 1976, "The Last Waltz" was The Band's farewell to their illustrious touring career. The album features all of their classic hits such like "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Weight" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", as well as covers of many of their guests songs like Neil Young's "Helpless", and Muddy Waters' "Mannish Boy".
Though they spent much of their early years backing the likes of Bob Dylan and others, The Band eventually received the critical acclaim and success they deserved, largely due to other musicians covering their songs (Aretha Franklin's cover of "The Weight), and the success of this album and corresponding concert film produced by Martin Scorsese.
