BEEHIVE CANDY

Having vivid, exciting, and first hand memories of the punk revolution, that was the mid 1970's, I remain surprised that the expression 'progressive rock' remains, as a use-able tag. I suppose one of the saving graces of 'prog rock' from those heady late sixties and early seventies days, was the fact many of the performers were very capable musicians. From a very English perspective, I never really thought of Focus as 'prog rockers' , after all they were from Holland ! Those quirky alto flute riffs, accordion presence, 'different' guitar and drum solos, whistling, nonsensical vocals, falsetto singing, and yodeling, were a by product of being Dutch. Focus remain to this day, and appear comfortable with the 'prog rock' tag, however I would venture to say, that however much my collection of old 'prog albums' grows, I cannot say for certain they belong there. Rock they are, different they are, Dutch they remain, but their old music, h...

This is The Bangles live a couple of years before they hit the big time, with 'Manic Monday'. Having morphed from The Bangs (for legal reasons), the band was part of the so called 'Paisley Underground' scene in LA, which featured groups that played a mixture of 1960s influenced folk-rock and jangle pop with a more modern punk/ garage band undertone. This is the band performing in Valencia, which a quick google suggests, is a pretty up market and wealthy location, sorry I do not know the specific venue. In actual fact the band played two shows on this date, and I am pleased to have both of them to share, hence some songs appear twice, however they are very much to individual performances. This is The Bangles - Valencia, CA, USA on the 27th May 1983. Set lists are as follows: Early Show: Mary Street Hazy shade of winter I'm in line Where were you when I needed you Restless Live Dover Beach The Real world All about you Tell me Want you How i...

I am not a number !! - I am a free man !! - welcome to number six of 'Whats Up Doc' (fans of the sixties TV series The Prisoner, will know what I am on about). The Drive By Truckers new album 'Brighter Than Creation's Dark' , is the top choice for both of the UK's leading music monthlies, Uncut and Mojo Magazine, for their album reviews, in the March 2008 publications. Not surprising, this is one incredible album. Based in Athens, Georgia, though three out of five members (Mike Cooley, Patterson Hood, and Shonna Tucker) originally hail from The Shoals region of Northern Alabama, this is 'southern rock / Alt Country' at it's finest, I cannot recommend this album enough! From the album check out: Links Removed - MP3 Policy. Drive By Truckers - Self Destructive Zones (07).mp3 Here is a live version (unofficial) recorded in Athens, Georgia a month ago, of another track on the new album. Drive By Truckers - 3 Dimes Down (Live Version - 12th Jan 08).mp...

Something tells me, we need a little more current music, and from an act, to young to remember the last couple or so of postings, first time around. Yep 'old timers' we need to take our 'recent tablets'. The Dresden Dolls are a musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts USA. Formed in 2001, the group consists of Amanda Palmer (vocals, piano, harmonica, ukelele) and Brian Viglione (drums, percussion, guitar, vocals). This is the important bit! The two describe their style as 'Brechtian punk cabaret' , a phrase invented by Amanda Palmer because she was terrified that the press would invent a name that would involve the word Gothic . Now any band that includes punk and cabaret along with another word that means nothing to me, as describers of their music gains my attention. Seriously they are very good. Having enjoyed their music for a couple of years, I was delighted to receive the following concert from their recent series of live dates in the USA. Along with their ...

I was still a little to young to appreciate what Jimi Hendrix was all about at the time. I guess by the time I started to really appreciate rock & blues music, Jimi was already a casualty. My clearest recollection of Jimi Hendrix was seeing him performing live on Lulu's BBC Saturday night show 'A happening For Lulu' on January 4th 1969. Fittingly this bootleg is from a performance just nine days later in Germany. On the day Jimi attended an autograph session at Studio Du Monde Book & Record Shop. Part of the event was filmed and later featured as part of the German television program Beat Club. In the evening The Jimi Hendrix Experience performed two shows with support 'Eire Apparent' at Studio Dumont in Cologne, Germany. This then is one of those shows from the 13th January 1969. It is a very good quality soundboard recording . The set list is: 01- Come On (Let The Good Times Roll) 02- Foxey Lady 03- Red House 04- Voodoo Child (Slight Return) 05- Fire ...

Joni Mitchell first played Club 47 in Cambridge, MA (USA), in December 1966, she returned for a second time in late April 1967. While she was playing one night during November 1967 at 'The Gaslight South', a club in Florida, David Crosby walked in and was immediately struck by her ability and her appeal as an artist. He took her back to Los Angeles, where he set about introducing her and her music to his friends. David convinced a record company to agree to let Joni record a solo acoustic album without all the folk-rock overdubs that were in vogue at the time, and his clout earned him a producer's credit in March 1968, when Reprise records released her debut album, Song to a Seagull . It is therefore likely that Joni Mitchell's third appearance at Club 47, a three night set of performances, from the 8th to 10th January 1968, were just prior to the recording of her debut album. It is really something then, to have a good quality recording of an artist with th...

Ahead of the 1976 release of the very popular album 'Fly Like An Eagle' Steve Miller spent a reasonable part of 1975 touring. Having gone to Knebworth Park in England, in the summer of 1975, along with 100,000 other fairly typical 'raving and drooling' Pink Floyd fans, I was absolutely 'blown over' by the final band of the day prior to Pink Floyd, namely the Steve Miller Band . This was my introduction to Steve Miller, and I have been after live material from that year, or tour ever since. I have a recording of the Pink Floyd element of Knebworth 75, however the audio is very 'low tech' and I wonder if this particular festival is designated for the memories of those fortunate enough to have attended only. Therefore I am delighted to have obtained a copy of Steve Miller live, from earlier in 1975 and in superb quality. I am not sure if this is a 'King Biscuit' FM broadcast, whatever it is an excellent recording. This then is The Steve M...

Is the glass half full or half empty? Lets go for half full on this occasion. Sometimes broadcasters only cover or transmit part of a concert, and I am guessing (having as a Sparks fan, tried to check this one out) this is what occurred here. Contractual obligation, a lack of appreciation on the part of the producer or presenter, other more 'current favorable artists', and of course available 'air-time' in the 'pre-digital' age, may have resulted in Sparks being cut down to just a thirty minute broadcast on this occasion - who knows? If I had a pound, a dollar (US or any other) or a Euro, for every artists song that has 'lifted' some of Sparks unique style and creativity, I reckon I would be doing very well financially. There are more complete Sparks bootlegs out there, this one stands by the audio quality, and the actual performance on the day. 1994 saw the brothers Mael return with the release of 'Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins', in turn ...

Goldfrapp have a new CD album release ( Seventh Tree ) due out here in the UK on the 25th February 2008. I am an unashamed and somewhat 'gushing' fan of Goldfrapp. No doubt (and based on the last three albums) I will buy the deluxe CD/DVD version of the album for my collection, regardless of the freebie mp3 versions that arrive. Every album they have released, contains a healthy amount of 'new direction' whilst retaining the very essence of Goldfrapp, which is a unique style that skips across genres and keeps music cretins (sorry critics) on their feet. From the fourth coming album here is the initial 'single' release: Goldfrapp - A & E.mp3 Back in 2004 Goldfrapp played Glastonbury, and thankfully a reasonable part of their show was recorded for broadcast, on either MTV or the BBC who were both present at that years event. This is one continuous segment of the performance (except for the first song which opened the show and is edited on). The performan...

In the early days of The Monkees , there was some fuss over the fact that session musicians played on their first couple of albums. Add to this the fact that they had been brought together for a TV series, any thought of artistic integrity or status was a definite no. However they were fun, their fan base included The Beatles, and repeats of the TV series, still appear time and again on cable and satellite channels. However by 1968 the TV series was over, the band completed a far east tour, the last with Peter Tork as part of the band at that juncture, and their very alternative and psychedelic film 'Head' was released. This is from the 'far east' tour, and captures a band that at least live, probably still had something to prove. You can also enjoy a couple of 'hot rocking' Japanese DJ's whose voice overs, bring a huge smile to my face, somehow I think this was pretty serious stuff for them. Clearly from a radio broadcast of the show - FM thankf...

Having posted a number of Jeff Buckley live performances last year, I will try hard not to repeat myself. The previous boots are still available, and continue to be downloaded, I guess by new visitors to the Beehive, and a few who discover us through Googling Jeff etc. This is Jeff live at WNEW (Sony Studios) with a very fortunate audience, who also got to 'enjoy' his wine, as well as the music - it will all become clear when you listen. It is so good to hear him in such a fantastic mood, and the intimacy of the event really makes this performance special. WNEW-FM were at this time just into a new music format, that was promoting, less mainstream 'alternative rock' artists, and Jeff fitted in well to these aspirations. It's a great shame the station did not stick at this, but at least they are back to music these days, rather than the horrendous 'talk radio' set up, that existed a few years back. This then is Jeff Buckley live at WNEW, Sony Stu...

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark or OMD as they are more conveniently referred too, emerged from the Wirral Peninsula in the north west of England. Their live debut was in October 1978, close to home in nearby Liverpool. By the time this concert took place less than five years later, they had already notched up six top twenty singles and three top ten albums in the UK. Not bad for a band, whose electronic and partly Kraftwerk influenced music, was often very different from the mainstream at that time. In fairness founders Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys had an ear for a good tune, and with the likes of former Gong bassist Mike Howlett producing some of the material, they had every chance of the success they achieved. When I first heard 'Messages' I was blown away, having been a fan of the likes of Germany's Can, Kraftwerk, and Amon Duul, at last an English band with enough personal originality was coming up with really classy electronic music, yep this band bring back ...

You may have noticed, January 2008 has arrived. Well although it can be a lean month for new music, I have two bands that I reckon can be pretty big this year, mind you - the competition will be tough. Just look at some of the established acts with new albums lined up, and these are just the ones I am looking forward to right now! In no particular order... Emmylou Harris, Marianne Faithful, Franz Ferdinand, CSS, Madness, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, The Black Crowes, Billy Bragg, Guillemots, Martha Wainwright, Drive By Truckers, REM, David Byrne, Moby, PJ Harvey, Primal Scream, Supergrass, Counting Crows and The Pogues. Musically that's quite a taster for the year to come. However if you want a recommendation right now, then if you have not yet enjoyed No Fixed Abode , can I be the first to share this superb band with you. Their roots may be in folk (predominately modern), however as I listen I hear so many inspirations (The Waterboys, Bruce Springsteen, Fairport Convention and ...

Whiskeytown only released three albums, and yet they are often cited as one of the key elements in the development of the alternative country rock scene or 'Americana' during the 1990's. Ryan Adams and Caitlin Cary were the only two members of Whiskeytown to see the whole adventure through, indeed Ryan Adams had a reputation of being difficult to work with during the bands history, and therefore the overall turnover of members was quite high. Formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1994, the bands first album was released in 1996. Describing this era the entry in Wikipedia states: Faithless Street , released on Mood Food Records in 1996, established the band as one of the genre's leaders, thanks to glowing reviews in publications such as No Depression, and helped the band score a major-label record deal with the Geffen Records imprint Outpost. Faithless was re-released on the imprint in 1998 with nearly a dozen bonus tracks from the era, some of which are new, and othe...

Pink Floyd out takes and demos from 1971 and 1972. There is plenty of Pink Floyd material around from this era, including studio out takes. I plan to feature a couple of live concerts from the seventies in due course, however decided to start with these out takes for one specific reason. The quality is really good, all mp3's are at 320kbps, and the journey from the original masters is a limited one, retaining much of the initial quality. I am personally fascinated by the first track 'On The Run' and where this piece of music may have originally gone, alas - as with all musical history from bands like Pink Floyd there remain so many 'what ifs'. Track listing is: 1. ON THE RUN (OUTTAKE) 1.44m (Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, November 1972) 2. TIME (DEMO) 6.05m (Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, June 1972) 3. MONEY (ACOUSTIC DEMO) 1.38m (Recording location unknown, 1971) 4. US & THEM (DEMO) 5.27m (Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, ...

I hate the expression 'back to basics'. Yet The White Stripes even when enlisting the bag pipes as part of their sound, have such a raw primal energy, they takes rock'n'roll music 'back to b... I cannot think of another two piece band that generates such an impact (actually I am struggling to think of another two piece rock band as I write this - go on, shame me with the obvious). This is The White Stripes earlier in 2007, performing live for BBC Radio One, in front of an audience of very fortunate fans. Unfortunately there is a little bit of Radio One 'speak' early on, however once the band get going, its all good stuff. Set list: 01 Icky Thump (Performed for Jo Whiley Live Lounge - followed later by Zane Lowe hosting the remaining full show) 02 Let's Shake Hands 03 Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground 04 The Denial Twist 05 I'm Slowly Turning Into You 06 Effect and Cause 07 The Same Boy You've Always Known 08 I Think I Smell A ...

Back in July, I ran a piece on the 1991 'Alanis' album, and the rather dated 1980's 'disco' sound. This was rather cruel considering how young she was at the time (1991 that is, not last July!). I am, I hope in my own small way, something of an advocate for some of the excellent artists that have come out of Canada and achieved international recognition. Alanis Morissette is no exception, indeed as previously mentioned, she was absolutely fantastic when I saw her live in London some years ago. So in order to address the balance here is a concert of Alanis from 1996. This is from a CD boot that seems to have emerged from the Czech Republic on 'Oxygen' records. The album title is 'Miss Thing' which considering that the CD back cover, claims to have 'art direction and design' , makes me wonder about the creativeness amongst bootleggers in that part of the world, (anyway is is now digitized and free of charge). This is Alanis Moris...

The Beatles - The Alternate Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and A Little More, was released by Dolphin Productions (CDP 790103 - 2 CD set) in 1997. Like a lot of bootleg CD releases, the packaging attempted to make the album look official, however the back cover failed to list the track contents accurately, and the front shown here was a little predictable. However the music is the key factor, and on this occasion the album is something of a gem to put it mildly. For nearly every track there's the mono mix at some stage in production, and a few stereo versions along the way. There are a lot of fragments from 'The Making Of Sgt. Pepper's' with George Martin playing back the individual tracks and explaining things. There's Anthology stuff, snippets from interviews, songs previously released on the Unsurpassed Masters series by Yellow Dog, tracks from 'The Lost Pepperland Reel' (like the Good Morning Good Morning animal noises) and more. ...

The Devo credentials 'are all there'. The pivotal moment for the formation of Devo was the first hand witnessing by one of the bands founders Gerald Casale of the Kent State University shootings of May 4, 1970. The first form of Devo was the 'Sextet Devo' which performed at the 1973 Kent State performing arts festival. They are 'discovered' by David Bowie and Iggy Pop in 1976, and subsequently record ' Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! ' which was produced by Brian Eno . They are referenced as 'punk', 'new wave', 'post punk', 'art rock', and into the 1980's as the acceptable face of 'synth pop'. That's not a bad selection of street credibility references in any ones books is it? There is so much to Devo, that I am going to take the easy way out, and provide a link HERE to wikipedia. Actually I have read through it and learned a lot more, and of course been reminded of the fantastic visual...

First of all the radio bit. WPLJ became in late 1970, a '100% live free form' rock format station. By September 1971 they had developed into the very first AOR (adult orientated rock) station in the USA. The station would play the music of artists such as Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Deep Purple, Rod Stewart, and The Allman Brothers. The station would also play more 'popular' songs from artists such as James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Carly Simon. All in all, and compared to the ' AOR format' in later years, at least the music was new or relatively new back then, and throughout the 1970's WPLJ was one of the most successful stations on the planet! Procol Harum sat comfortably in WPLJ's 'free form' rock format, back in April 1971. Having moved on from the psychedelic pop music phase that was 1967's 'A Whiter Shade of Pale', Procol Harum were a well respec...