Brrr, feeling the Winter chill down here in Round Rock. It was 81F (27C for our non-USA members) a couple of days ago, but only reached into the lower 40s (5-6C) yesterday. Luckily, it's heading back up towards the 70s (21-24C) over the next couple of days.
Anywho, I started this morning's listening with one of Neil Young's “Archives Performance Series, Disc 3” entitled, “Massey Hall 1971”. This is an all acoustic set and is definitely a “must have” for Neil's fans. The pressing is stunning in the audiophile sense and the music is like hearing these songs for the first time. It is a very intimate sounding recording (it's like you were sitting front row, center) and I can't say enough good things about this album. I've also got Disc 2 in this series and recommend it also, but this one is my favorite of the two. If you know where I can get the first disc in the series, please let me know – thanks.
Next up was Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, “Texas Flood”. This reissue has an extra album of songs included. While the song, “Tin Pan Alley” debuted on Stevie's “Texas Twister” album in '84, this record includes a version he recorded with producer John Hammond at this '83 session. This song alone is worth the price of the record, as it is recorded with stunning dynamics and presence. To me, it has far more impact than the '84 commercial version. It is also very interesting to compare the two versions and see the song's development. Note that the version on the “Texas Flood” album is incomplete, though. There are three other songs, not included on the original release, that are included on this release.
Last up was Johnny Winter's “Live Bootleg Series Vol. 1” double vinyl album (all of these were double
vinyl). This is on 180 gram vinyl and is put out by Friday Music. There are some great guitar performances (hey, it's Johnny Winter), but the sound recording quality is hit or miss. Worth it for the playing, but not for the “audiophile” quality.
