MEDIA REVIEWS
ALBUM
Pink Floyd
Wish You Were Here —
Experience Edition
EMI
In the pantheon of gargantuan classic rock
records, Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, is
a bona fide, mega-monster. Given its ubiq-uitousness on the airwaves to this day, it’s a
safe bet that many of us could go without
hearing a single WYWH track and do just
fine. While the fine re-mastering job here
will make many of these songs a fresh listen
again, the real treat of this edition is Disc 2,
on which we get to hear the Floyd shaping
tracks from WYWH and 1977’s Animals in
their preferred laboratory—the stage.
It’s virtually inconceivable to imagine
a band of Pink Floyd’s stature undertaking such an experiment in the modern age,
when fans count on greatest hits sets to
justify big ticket prices. But here we hear
the Floyd just a year on the heels of their
platinum breakthrough Dark Side of the
Moon, trying out a new sprawling epic called
“Shine On You Crazy Diamond.” David
Gilmour has not yet worked out the flour-ishes that Floyd heads now know note for
note, and his tone is more blues grit than
the illuminated alien dew droplets we now
associate with the tune. But there is a rough
beauty to the version that’s a thrill to behold.
More interesting still are two early
attempts (from the same 1974 Wembley
date) at what would become “Sheep” and
“Dogs” on Animals—known here as “Raving
and Drooling” and “You’ve Got To Be
Crazy.” The former is slower here and more
plodding and less funky that what it would
become, that is, until we reach Gilmour’s
descending chord outro, where the band
kicks into the groove that would ultimately
define the best-known version. “You’ve Got
To Be Crazy” is jazzier and considerably
less menacing than “Dogs.” And Gilmour’s
cluttered, scat-styled vocal is awkward and
klutzy when juxtaposed against the streamlined architecture of the Animals track. The
point here, however, is not perfection, but
a fascinating glimpse of a band at work and
on the move—at a time when superstars and
open-minded audiences could share in the
creative process. —Charles Saufley
Must-hear track: “Wish You Were Here”
(with Stéphane Grappelli)
John Doyle
Shadow and Light
Compass Records
A founding member of Solas—one of the
most influential Irish-American ensembles
of the last decade—John Doyle is a leading force in Celtic acoustic guitar. His
fluid chording, percussive rhythms, and
haunting modal lines merge timeless Irish
sounds with the crisp, ringing tones of
bluegrass flatpicking.
On Shadow and Light, Doyle’s second
solo album, we’re treated to two beautifully
crafted instrumentals (combined, these
intricate medleys total almost 15 minutes)
and a rich collection of original songs that
tell the story of Irish soldiers, immigrants,
lovers, and lost
souls. Whether
he’s playing his
Muiderman,
McConnell, and
Fylde flattops, or
picking mandola,
mandolin, and
8-string bouzouki, Doyle delivers his parts
with supple speed and shimmering clarity.
Often, he’ll layer flattop and bouzouki to
create harmonized lines that evoke a fretted-string ensemble.
Doyle’s songwriting gifts are especially
evident on Shadow and Light. His lyrics
unfold like short stories, with each verse
moving the narrative forward with a level
of detail you just don’t encounter in typical
rock or pop music, and his exquisite rhymes
are as carefully woven as the strands of a
Celtic knot.
His musical compadres—including
Stuart Duncan and John Williams on
fiddle, Tim O’Brien on mandolin, Alison
Brown on banjo, Todd Phillips on bass
and accordion, and the legendary Kenny
Malone on percussion—are all virtuosos
who effortlessly follow the dynamic ebb
and flow of Doyle’s epic songs. If you’re
unfamiliar with this lefty’s unique approach
to flatpicking, seek him out on YouTube
and then explore Shadow and Light. It’s an
inspiring journey. —Andy Ellis
Must-hear track: “The Arabic”
DVD
The Rolling Stones
Some Girls Live in Texas ’ 78
Eagle Rock Entertainment
During the mid ’70s, the Stones had lost
much of their raunchy, charismatic zeal.
They had released Goat’s Head Soup, It’s
Only Rock ’n’
Roll, and Black and
Blue—albums that
were commercially
successful, but tepidly received by
critics who claimed
the rockers had
become stale and
predictable compared to the punk and disco
music that had taken over the airwaves.
However, with 1978’s Some Girls—one of
the Stone’s biggest-selling studio albums—
and its resulting US tour, the band reconnected with their gritty, groovin’, and brash
roots. Here again was the group that first
swaggered out of London in the late ’60s
and early ’70s, and the album’s songs and
attitude restored the lads to their rightful
place in rock ’n’ roll royalty. This rowdy
energy powers the DVD and Blu-ray concert
film Some Girls Live in Texas ’ 78.
The action starts with a burning cover of
Chuck Berry’s “Let It Rock” and an equally
overdriven rendition of Exile on Main St.’s
“All Down the Line.” On the latter, Keith
Richards uses a ’50s blonde Tele, although
for most of the concert he relies on a black
’ 75 Telecaster Deluxe driving a Mesa/
Boogie Mark I. From there, Live in Texas
offers up blistering takes on “Tumbling
Dice,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” and “Star
Star.” During the latter, Mick Jagger ad-libs
“Jimmy Page is quite the rage, I couldn’t see
the reason why.”
Key cuts include the stone-cold classic,
“Beast of Burden,” a country-fried “Far
Away Eyes” (with Ronnie Wood on lap
steel), and a one-two combo of the phaser-
driven, art-rock “Shattered” and punk-
meets-Berry “Respectable.”
Picture quality isn’t great on Some Girls,
and bonus features are pretty much limited
to a 1978 appearance on Saturday Night
Live, but the band’s raw talent and powerful
musicianship more than make up for that.
Yes, it’s only rock ’n’ roll, but we like it, yes
we do. —Chris Kies
