I've managed to catch all the shows so far; shows 2 and 3 had some terrific and some not so terrific performances. Stirred some memories, although the stuff they've shown so far is still a little before my time. Some of our more experienced listers would have enjoyed these acts immensely :-) Little Feat - Rock'n'roll Doctor. Just how cool was Lowell George?? And how come Kenny Gradney looked like a cross between Phil Lynott and a porn star? Average White Band - I forgot the song title but whatever, it was bloody good, not a song I'd ever heard. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Concrete Jungle. Another ineffably cool turn. How stoned Bob was can only be a matter for conjecture; and how could someone who was from all accounts smoking the Camberwell Carrots every waking hour be so damn productive?? Captain Beefheart - again I can't remember the title (except that it wasn't Making Love to a Vampire with a Monkey on My Knee). I think it was probably from the Clear Spot album. Brilliant! What a superb band, what an out there man - and finally I can hear how he has influenced Polly Harvey. John Lennon - Stand By Me. Without wishing to re-ignite the whole "what is soul" debate, this is one of my favourite soul covers by white performers (the other being Talking Heads' version of Take Me To the River), mainly because he didn't attempt to replicate the feel of the original, or try to sound black. He played it as a rock'n'roll song (it was on his album of that name, after all), and sang the hell out of it - and guess what, he sounded really soulful! Trivia: apparently he wasn't paid in cash but in kind for the gig: to be precise, in black pudding and tinned rice pudding!! Gil Scott-Heron - Johannesburg. What a dude! What a song! Fabulous! Patti Smith - Hey Joe. Well, certainly a unique interpretation, and she was always a compelling performer, but it didn't work for me. Southside Johnny - The Fever. Early royalties for our Brooce. Was Johnny the American Graham Parker, or vice versa? Please discuss on one sheet of paper... Talking Heads - Psycho Killer. David Byrne looking like a bank employee in civilian gear; Tina Weymouth looking like a startled fawn. Marvellous. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird. Erm, I found this to be interminable bilge, seemed to go on even longer than the record, the guitar solos were humdrum, and the singer's voice sounded totally shot. Apparently this was the most requested clip in Whistle Test history. Heavens to Murgatroyd!! (as the funky phantom used to say) That's enough for now, good night to you good people... Azeem in London NP: Caroline Lavelle - Spirit. Ah, musical balm, massage for the soul
