David Bowie - 2004-02-07 - Los Angeles, CA (SBD)

David Bowie

2004-02-07

Wiltern Theater

Los Angeles, CA

Soundboard Recording

320 kbps

Artwork Included

01. Audience

02. Rebel Rebel

03. Pablo Picasso

04. New Killer Star

05. Fantastic Voyage

06. I've Been Waiting For You

07. Reality

08. Looking For Water

09. Fame

10. Cactus

11. Battle For Britain (The Letter)

12. China Girl

13. A New Career In A New Town

14. The Loneliest Guy

15. The Man Who Sold The World

16. Slip Away

17. Band Intro

18. Under Pressure

19. Life On Mars

20. Be My Wife

21. Days

22. Hang On To Yourself

23. Ashes To Ashes

24. I'm Afraid Of Americans

25. Heroes

26. Audience

27. Blue Jean

28. White Light, White Heat

29. Five Years

30. Suffragette City

31. Ziggy Stardust

David Bowie - 2004-02-07 - Los Angeles, CA (SBD)

On September 16, 2003, Bowie released the album Reality, his 23rd studio disc. The album received mixed reviews but climbed to #29 on the Billboard charts in the Us, and made it all the way to the #3 spot in the UK.  On October 7, Bowie launched a world tour in support of the album, which included stops in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The tour was cut short in June, however, when after a show in Germany, Bowie was diagnosed with a blocked artery that required an angioplasty procedure. This soundboard recording captures Bowie during the first North American leg of the tour, in Los Angeles on February 7, 2004, 21 years ago today. 

How We Choose What We Post At So Many Roads

Over the nearly 16 years we've running So Many Roads, I’ve gotten numerous questions on how we choose what to post. I’ve also gotten several requests for certain bands or types of music. Given all that, I thought I’d take a minute to explain how we decide on what to post. I consider 4 things in deciding what bands/concerts to post at So Many Roads:

1. Sound Quality: Basically, no show gets posted unless the sound quality is top notch. Over 90% of what we post at So Many Roads are soundboard or FM broadcasts. When I first started this site, I took the advice of Tunzmaster Dino, from the legendary D&P’s Bootleg Tunzworld, that no one wants to hear a show that sounds like it was recorded in your bathroom with the water running. Sound quality is king. And sound quality should never be confused with file type.  Just because a show is captured on FLAC files doesn't automatically mean it sounds good.  Dino's drunken rant on Guitars 101 on the FLAC vs MP3 debate is the stuff of legends! In any event, while we have increased the number of audience recordings over the years, we do our best to make sure they sound great. Occasionally, maybe 1 or 2% of the time, we’ll post a less than great sounding show for historical or sentimental reasons, but 99 out of 100 times, if not more, we’re bringing you a soundboard or broadcast quality show.


2. The Date: Given that this blog has evolved to feature a "this date in history” approach, the show we post each day has to be from that day! So, if its November 22, then we’ll find a concert from November 22 from some year between 1955 and today. When you see posts such as Concerts From Today in History or some other type of announcement, it means I couldn’t find a show from that day that I felt was worth posting.


3. The Monthly Theme: As you know, each month we have a different theme such as Back To Back,  6 concerts 6 decades, Last 20 Of the 20th, etc. Every show we pick for a given month has to fit into the theme.


4. My Taste In Music: In the end, I post shows that feature music I enjoy. You see lots of shows at So Many Roads from the Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Jerry Garcia, Paul Mccartney, CSNY, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, the Allman Brothers, etc. because that’s what I listen to every day. I know its not everybody's taste, but its mine, and since I run the place, I get to post what I want! And I'll continue to do just that for as long as I keep this place going. Besides, no one is paying for anything here - its all free, so you download what you like, and ignore the rest.  I’m not a fan of heavy metal, grunge or progressive rock, so you don’t see any posts from bands that play those styles of music. I like the blues, but in small doses, which is why you only get occasional posts from artists such as Muddy Waters, Robert Cray or Stevie Ray Vaughn. I’m into live music, not studio outtakes, so you’ll see very few of the latter type of posts here at So Many Roads. I know that my musical tastes may differ from others, which is why I link to sites such as The New JDP, Live Bootlegs, T.U.B.E, Hear Rock City, and Floppy Boot Stomp, just to name a few, where you can often find music I may not post. All that said, we've still managed to post shows from almost 250 different artists! By the way, the number of times I post a band usually reflects how much I enjoy their music but not always. You’d see far more Beatles posts, for example, but unfortunately, there are far too few high quality concert recordings available. Same goes for The Band from the Robbie Robertson era, Rockpile, Marshall Crenshaw, and Derek & The Dominos, just to name a few.

Hope all the above helps. Thanks for visiting So Many Roads and enjoy the tunz.

The Alarm - 1988-02-06 - Glasgow, UK (FM)

The Alarm 

1988-02-06

Apollo Theatre

Glasgow, Scotland

FM Broadcast 

320 kbps

Artwork Included

00. Announcer Intro

01. Strength

02. Knife Edge

03. Howling Wind

04. Presence Of Love

05. Blaze Of Glory

06. This Train

07. Hallowed Ground

08. One Step Closer To Home

09. Rescue Me

10. 68 Guns

The Alarm - 1988-02-06 - Glasgow, UK (FM)

When they released of their self titled debut album in July 1983, and served as the lead in for U2 that same summer, The Alarm were quickly heralded as perhaps the next "big thing". The similarities in their style to that io U2 brought on the inevitable comparisons, which may have been simply unfair to a band just starting out. In any event, The Alarm never quite reached the heights U2 did, but they most certainly produced some fine tunes, including The Stand, 68 Guns and Rain In The Summertime (my favorite), just to name a few. This FM broadcast captures The Alarm on tour 5 years after their debut, on February 6, 1988, 37 years ago today.

Elton John - 1972-02-05 - London, UK (FM)

Elton John

with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

1972-02-05

Royal Festival Hall

London, UK

FM Broadcast

320 kbps

Artwork Included

01. Your Song

02. Take Me to the Pilot

03. The Greatest Discovery

04. Sixty Years On

05. The King Must Die

06. Indian Sunset

07. Border Song

08. Madman Across the Water

09. Burn Down the Mission

10. Goodbye

Elton John - 1972-02-05 - London, UK (FM)

In late 1971, Elton John released the album Madman Across The Water, which rose to #8 on the Billboard charts. The two singles from the disc, Levon and Tiny Dance, would climb reach chart at #24 and #41, respectively. The songs on Madman, similar to those on his 3 previous albums, Tumbleweed Connection, the self titled Elton John, and Empty Sky, would often feature strings and lush orchestration. Numerous session musicians performed on the disc, as his record company limited Elton to using his touring band for only 1 song per album. Given the arrangements of these early tunes, it was a natural fit for Elton to perform them with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. This FM broadcast captures that performance on February 5, 1972, 53 years ago today in London. Yet, even while Elton was performing with an orchestra, his music was about to go in new direction. He was in the process of completing the album Honky Chateau, a more rock influenced disc which would eventually become his first of numerous number 1 albums in the US. Perhaps, then it was only fitting that his last song with The Royal Philharmonic was entitled Goodbye, as Elton was about to leave one stage of his career and move on to world wide super stardom.

New Year - Read A New Book: TEN RULES OF THE ROAD I LEARNED AT MY FIRST CONCERT: AN ORDINARY GUY'S LIFETIME OF LIVE ROCK & ROLL

Start your year reading a book with great ratings and reviews!
- a 4.40 star rating on Amazon with 32 5-star reviews out of 41

- a 4.46 star rating on Goodreads with 9 5-star reviews out of 13

BUY IT HERE IN THE US!

Here's just a sample of what folks are saying about TEN RULES OF THE ROAD I LEARNED AT MY FIRST CONCERT:

- "As a fan of rock shows myself, this book written by a fellow fan was fun to read, and reminded me of many of my own long-forgotten concert stories. Definitely recommended." 

 -"Insightful, poignant and just plain joyful." 

- "Truly a book for music fans of the 70’ s onward. Love the personal thoughts of sharing the music with his wife and kids." 

 - It was a lot of fun to hear about the author's experiences from the time of his first concert to sharing those experiences with his teenage boys. There is a lot of truth in his "rules" 

 - "The book is well-written and a fun reminder of my younger days. Just an enjoyable read!" 

 - "A hero for our times - he sees great shows, learns about life, and gets the girl. What's not to like?" 

 - "The author takes you on a tale of wonder through the ups and downs of going to concerts." 

- "I would recommend this book for anybody who loves live music - especially those, like me, who enjoy the anticipating and reliving almost as much as actually being at the concert." 

 - "I've got to say that Speedy's book is a little known gem and a real joy to read... the author's genuine love of live music comes through wonderfully." 

 - "Excellent account of the rock concert experience from 1976 to today. Very well written and extremely entertaining." 

- "This is a very entertaining and enjoyable book... you can pick it up, read a chapter, put it down, and come back to it again and again. If you're a music fan, especially of live performances, I highly recommend this book."

- "Great for anyone who loves live music... Lots of fun anecdotes and details that really make you feel like you're sitting with someone, listening to stories about concerts."

- "It's a love letter to live music."

- "If you grew up in the 1960s or 1970s and enjoyed going to.rock concerts, then Speedy's story is your story. This tale reminds you of the best and worst parts of attending concerts, and captures the magic of those moments when the music was truly transcendent. Well written, engaging and filled with truth is stranger than fiction moments, Ten Rules is a must read for any rock music fan."

BUY IT HERE IN THE US:

The Rules:

Rule #1: You Can’t Get Good Seats, But The Scalpers Can

Rule #2: Expect The Unexpected On The Way To Or From The Show

Rule #3: No Concert Ever Starts On Time

Rule #4: Rejoice - There Is No Opening Act

Rule #5: Rock Concerts Are Rarely Played At A Venue Meant For Music

Rule #6: Enjoy The Special Guests - They’re a Rare Event

Rule #7: The Set List - The Bad News - The Band Will Never Play Everything You Want To Hear

Rule #8: The Set List - The Good News - The Band Will Always Play An Unanticipated Tune You’ll Never Forget

Rule #9: Elvis Has Left The Building - Once The Houselights Come On, The Show Is Over

Rule #10: Don’t Miss The Moment - Go To Every Show You Can

BUY IT HERE IN THE US:

- Just $6.99 for the Kindle

- Only $12.99 for the paperback 

- And always FREE on Kindle Unlimited! 

 Also available in Kindle in: UK, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, JP, BR, CA, MX, AU, and IN 

Also available in Paperback in: UK DE FR ES IT JP

Jerry Garcia Band - 1982-02-04 - Palo Alto, CA (SBD)

Jerry Garcia Band

1982-02-04

Keystone Palo Alto

Palo Alto CA

Soundboard Recording

320 kbps

Artwork Included

1st Set:

01. How Sweet It Is

02. Mississippi Moon

03. Mystery Train

04. Valerie

05. Deal

2nd Set:

01. Second That Emotion

02. Sugaree

03. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

04. Dear Prudence >

05. Tangled Up In Blue

Jerry Garcia Band - 1982-02-04 - Palo Alto, CA (SBD)

Accordng to the blog Lost Live Dead, between 1977 and 1986, the Jerry Garcia Band played 76 shows at the Keystone in Palo Alto, the sister club of the Keystone Berkely, where the band played over 200 times between 1971 and 1984. If you add in the 7 times in 1975 & 1976 that Garcia played the club when it was called Sophie's, that makes for 83 concerts at the venue located at 260 S. California Ave in Palo Alto. The club was so close to Stanford University that the school's football players were often hired as bouncers, including, according to legend, John Elway! In any event, this soundboard recording captures Garcia at the Keystone Palo Alton on February 4, 1982, 43 years ago today.

U2 - 2002-02-03 - New Orleans, LA (TV SBD)

U2

2002-02-03

Super Bowl XXXVI

Louisiana Superdome 

New Orleans, Louisiana

TV Soundboard Recording

320 kbps

Artwork Included

01. Intro > Beautiful Day

02. MLK >

03. Where The Streets Have No Name

U2 - 2002-02-03 - New Orleans, LA (TV SBD)

As mentioned in our Springsteen post 2 days ago, countless rock legends played the Super Bowl half time show in the last 1990s and early 2000s.  Perhaps the most memorable of all those performances, was the one by U2 in New Orleans at Super Bowl XXXVI, on February 3, 2002, 23 years ago today. Less than 5 months after the tragedy of September 11, U2 demonstrated why music matters and can make a difference. As Bono launched into MLK, the stadium’s lights went off. Two giant sheets rose from the field toward the giant dome’s ceiling, like the now-gone, side-by-side Twin Towers. The names of all who died on the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, categorized by headings such as “United Airlines Flight 93,” scrolled up the sheets all the way up onto the Superdome’s ceiling. Then U2 segued into  Where the Streets Have No Name as the names – 2,973 of them   –  continued to scroll up behind the band.  When Bono capped it all off by opening his jacket to reveal an American flag sewn into the lining, we all knew we were going to survive that day and emerge even stronger.  This TV soundboard recording captures that legendary day.  Go here and you can see it the video - and if you shed some tears, that's a-ok. I already have.