Rodrigo y Gabriela - Live In Manchester And Dublin (2004)

RATING: 7.5/10

1. Foc
2. Hola
3. One/Take 5
4. Mr Tang
5. Paris
6. Libertango
7. Captain Casanova
8. One

Well I've finally gotten around to ripping my Rodrigo y Gabriela albums and so I thought I'd give this one a review.

For any not familiar with Rodrigo and Gabriela, they are a Mexican duo who play classical guitar. Despite a lot of their work resembling Spanish flamenco etc, their roots actually stem from thrash metal, a fact that doesn’t surprise after just a short listen.

Dublin is where they moved to and eventually got their foot in the door of the music world.

What is so endearing about Rodrigo y Gabriela is not just the fact they are technically both brilliant guitarists, that cannot be denied, but rather the fact that they give a lot of thought into their compositions. Rather than being happy to wow a crowd by their incredibly fast playing, they obviously take a great deal of time thinking about a song’s structure. Indeed, it may all be flamenco/thrash metal on the outside but dig a little deeper and there are very similar elements to classical music and composition. They certainly have a passion for music and a love for expressing their style as each tune is crafted with care and detail, getting the most out of two guitars as one can.

As if anyone were not convinced by their thrash metal influences and background, they are happy to provide covers of songs such as Orion and One by Metallica, the latter of which appears on this album. Once again, even with the covers, they have taken the time to make it sound as good as it can with beautiful arrangements. One doesn’t lose any of its power in the crossover from electric to classical guitar, all of the notes are present, so are the drums in places and the whole thing builds up wonderfully. One is actually performed twice on here; as the last track with a string accompaniment and as the third track which suddenly blends in to the classic tune Take 5. Throughout the recording you will hear snippets of other tunes including Master of Puppets and Seven Nation Army, and as cheesy as it could be, they actually make it work and fit in perfectly.

This entire album is very enjoyable and very accessible, you don’t have to like thrash and you don’t need to be interested in flamenco. Just put it on and enjoy. Also check out their self-titled album and their new album Live in Japan, though I have yet to get this.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Hammersmith Odeon London '75 (2006)

RATING: 8/10

Disc: 1
1. Thunder Road
2. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
3. Spirit In The Night
4. Lost In The Flood
5. She’s The One
6. Born To Run
7. The E Street Shuffle
8. It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City
9. Backstreets

Disc: 2
1. Kitty’s Back
2. Jungleland
3. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
4. 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
5. Detroit Medley
6. For You
7. Quarter To Three

During their career Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band have made a name for themselves as one of the live acts to see. Their peak of popularity and success came in the mid 80s and it all started around here. Recorded on 18th November 1975, just three months after the breakthrough album Born To Run, Springsteen and his band had yet to carve their reputation in stone. Here we have a real treat for the audience, who would mostly know of him and his records, but have yet to hear about and experience the magic made when performing on stage. This was the start of Springsteen trying to break into the UK and Europe.

We open with Thunder Road, one of Bruce’s best loved and well known songs, but here everything is stripped down to a piano and vocals. Roy Bittan really is a great pianist and here is no exception, it’s a beautiful rendition of the song, often sounding like something Jim Steinman would write. A very laid back start to the album.

Tenth Avenue Freeze-out comes next, delivering the energy that, these days, we come to expect from the band. I never really liked this track on Born to Run, but when I first heard it live it changed my opinion of it. The band seem to have a lot of fun with this track and put a lot of energy in it. The best version is on Live In New York, but this one is still great to listen to.

From here on the party never really lulls, the energy is kept cranked up, all members are on full form and are each allowed to shine, especially Clarence Clemons on saxophone enjoying the chance for some solos of his own.

The only downside to a live album such as this, recorded so early in an artist’s career, is that there are a lot of favourite not on here due to them not being created yet. Having said that though, they certainly make the most of what they have, often improving on some of the ‘flatter’ tracks (Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out as already stated).

All-in-all this is a very enjoyable album, even for those not familiar with some of the tracks. This does not read as a ‘best of’ like later live albums would be, but it certainly is an interesting look at the beginning of Springsteen’s career and the birth of his live reputation.

Sam Cooke - Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 (1985)

RATING: 7/10

Here we have one of the greatest voices in music playing to a small live audience. The fact that he is singing live doesn’t have an affect the quality of his sound. This is such an enjoyable performance to listen to, full of soul, energy, enjoyment and banter. Recorded only about one year before his death, this is Mr. Cooke at his best.

One can only wonder what it would have been like to be there that night, to see him in person, to get involved in the show. The people there must have treasured that experience forever. Not all the tracks are the best from his career, but it is the pure quality of his voice, performance and the atmosphere of the audience that makes this album stand out.

1. Feel It: After getting the crowd warmed up he leaps into his first song which just carries flawlessly to the end. ‘Don’t fight it, don’t fight it, don’t fight the feeling’ he sings and it’s hard not to. Such an easy track to get into, nothing amazing, but the beat and the soul that pours forth sets up the mood for the rest of the album.

2. Chain Gang: One of his more well known tracks is next and the transition to live performance is great. Sam has the chance to really get into his zone, grunting and ‘Ah’-ing and the crowd responds to it as you would expect.

3. Cupid: One of my favourite Cooke songs, Sam here makes it a little funkier and it works. Probably his best vocals of the night.

4. Medley: It’s All Right/ For Sentimental Reasons: This is a lesson from Sam to guys about how to talk to your woman. After a brief intro he cracks into this gentle and soulful tune, his vocals as perfect as ever. A seamless link into the second half, as he sings you can imagine him picking out certain women and singing directly to them. He then gets the whole crowd to sing along. Throughout the album he is constantly talking throughout the songs, at the right times, getting the crowd involved and showing us that he is enjoying himself.

5. Twistin’ The Night Away: My favourite Sam Cooke song of all time, this is perfect for a live performance and he delivers it with style and class. What a showcase for his vocals and his ability to sing live and retain that quality in his voice. If the dance floor was sparse before then this song would have guaranteed it to be packed be the end. One of the highlights of the album.

6. Somebody Have Mercy: A cool sax, upbeat rhythm and a great voice carries this so-so track through and makes it fit.

7. Bring It On Home To Me: There is a slow intro that lasts just under 3 minutes, it’s not really something that fits but when the song begins we have the groove and soul back. It feels as though this may be one of Sam’s favourites to sing live, something in his voice and interaction with the crowd shows that there is something more there. Then the track ends with the crowd getting involved once again, they clearly love their evening.

8. Nothing Can Change This Love: Again, top-notch singing is the highlight of this enjoyable track. Not the strongest track on the album but the performance is one of the strongest.

9. Having A Party: This song aptly sums up this album. Everybody’s singing, dancing to the music and they certainly were having a party. Everyone gets involved, you can also picture them swinging away with their friends and partners. A fitting end to a great performance.