Wrecking Ball and acappella sax solos

There were three exciting revelations on the Backstreets website this morning.

The first, that the new Springsteen album will be called Wrecking Ball and will include versions of Wrecking Ball, Land of Hope and Dreams and American Land (presumably studio cuts, since live versions of these are already available), as well as nine other new songs.

The fact that Bruce has chosen to include two songs he had before Working on a Dream on the new album would suggest that he thinks they will fit well with the rest of the body of songs on the album, so I think we can assume that the new songs will follow a similar thread. And the song titles would seem to bear that out as well, as far as we can guess anything from them: We Take Care of Our Own, Easy Money, Shackled and Drawn, Jack of All Trades, Death to My Hometown, This Depression, You’ve Got It, Rocky Ground,  We Are Alive,  Swallowed Up.

The second, that a song was already available, seems amazing. Although artists do frequently just post tracks online, I would have expected at least a few days notice of a new song appearing. But Bruce does seem to embrace new technology in fits and starts. And to waver between fastidious attention to detail (every album before Lucky Town), and rushing things out in a thrill of excitement (the Live in New York City album, Jersey Devil, Lucky Town). The photo-montage video with lyrics posted for We Take Care of Our Own is definitely in the rushed camp, though there doesn't seem anything rushed about the mixing or sound.

The song seems to sit in the same ball park as Radio Nowhere that will definitely grow on me and be a great piece in his live sets. The sound sounds much more alive and open than it has on much of Bruce's newer work, which also bodes well for the album.

The third exciting revelation this, as recalled by Terry Camp to Backstreets.com following Bruce's Light of Day show this week: "Bruce's 'Big Man!' call during 'The Promised Land,' as the crowd itself sang the sax solo, was quite poignant. I think it was the birth of a moment that would be great to see on the tour, as Bruce, band and audience become one unit paying tribute to Clarence. It felt very natural, and of course the crowd is going to pick up that so-familiar solo. It's an uplifting moment that can stand alone — without an actual sax."

This sounds like an incredible way to replace the key saxophone moments. Was it spontaneous? Did Bruce plan it? Did Bruce trust his instincts that the audience would fill hole, as with Pay Me My money Down over the encore break on the Seeger Sessions tour? I'd love to know how it came about. It'll be great to hear live, too, though I wonder how many times, and how self-consciously, it could be brought out without feeling less natural and all-embracing. I expect, that as with the bridge in Badlands, audiences may just run with it and take it wherever they want.

Now to read the Rolling Stone piece on the 'wild' new, 'sonically experimental' album...

Tribes, Barfly, Camden, 16 January 2012

Setlist: Whenever - Girlfriend - Sappho - Himalaya - Coming of Age - When My Day Comes - Corner of an English Field - Alone or With Friends - Walking in the Street- Nightdriving - We Were Children

There was a real buzz in the queue and in the venue before the band came on. Clearly a group of competition winners seeing their favourite new band in a small venue is more than enough to blow away any London-crowd Monday-night apathy.

The band came on to a stage flooded with dry ice and a barrage of strobes. For the first few songs, we couldn't see the band and they couldn't see us, a slightly odd situation which they commented on. But it did make the band and audience feel very much as one with the songs coming from disembodied misty figures. If the dry ice had cleared faster, it might have the same effect as the Manics entry for the Holy Bible Astoria shows. As it was it was still a great entrance.

They then piled through their classic tunes songbook. All the EP tracks that are on the album, some album tracks they'd not played before, and great versions of Sappho, When My Day Comes and We Were Children.

The crowd were really behind the band the whole way, belting out choruses, throwing pints and even crowd-surfing - no mean feat in an audience of 150.

 

It's a rare treat to see a band play their debut album in its entirety and create such energy amongst the audience that they got the floor shaking.

Album tracks that we hadn't heard before seem slower than those we knew already. They were driven by fairly heavy guitars and some seemingly heart-felt lyrics that touched a chord with the audience.

By the end of the packed set, our ears were ringing and the room was buzzing with excitement.

Lanterns on the Lake, Cargo, 12 January 2012

This was a magical, evocative show. The band created cinematic soundscapes but retained the intimacy of their album recorded in a domestic setting.

You could almost feel the concern of the audience when a string broke early in the set but the band and us audiencers were undeterred, 'we've got some broken strings and things but it doesn't matter.'

Performing in a railway arch didn't detract from the music either. On hearing a distant rumble which fitted the evening's mood, we were told 'That's a train going over, thats not an effect'.

The second song went a bit U2, playing guitar with a bow and built until it sounded like it was about to become 'Where the streets have no name'. Then they got a bit country with a song telling us 'don't waste your love you know you need better'.

Overall: Beautiful, cinematic, engaging.

Lyle Lovett Set List from August 23rd in Pittsburgh, PA USA

Set list from Lyle Lovett August 23rd:

Post-Gazette had a very positive review and gave a lot of help for this set list

Opened with an instrumental just like an old soul review. Mr. Lovett does indeed support a very large band. The 14 members consist of:

· Cello – John Hagen

· Guitar – Ray Herndon ( stood at left side of stage )

· Acoustic Guitar/Mandolin – Keith Sewell

· Fiddle – Luke Bulla

· Guitar – Mitch Watkins ( seated at right side of stage )

· Bass – Leland Sklar

· Drums – Russ Kunkel LA session legend, is originally from Pittsburgh

· Percussionist – James Gillmer

· Piano – Jim Cox

· Steel Guitar – Buck Reid

· 3 Male Singers: Willie Green, Jr. , Sir Harry Bowens, Sweet Pea Atkinson

· 1 Female Singer: Francine Reed

1. The Blues Walk from Lyle Lovett and his Large Band ( 1989 )

2. Stand By Your Man from from Lyle Lovett and his Large Band ( 1989 )

3. Penguins from I Love Everybody ( 1994 )

4. Farmer Brown/Chicken Reel from Natural Forces ( 2010 )

5. Here I Am from from Lyle Lovett and his Large Band ( 1989 )

6. Cute as a Bug from My Baby Don’t Tolerate ( 2003 )

7. I Will Rise Up/No More Cane from It Ain’t Big Its Large ( 2007 )

· Lovett tells story about singing national anthem at 1992 world series in Toronto. Bands meets Ted Turner. He asks Willie Green, Jr what he was talking about with him. Green answers, “I thanked him for his cable network”. Here is Lyle singing anthem in 2010 with the same cello player.

8. My Baby Don’t Tolerate from My Baby Don’t Tolerate ( 2003 )

9. She’s Already Made Up Her Mind from Joshua Loves Ruth ( 1992 )

10. Friend of the Devil from Dedicated ( 1991 ) a tribute record to Grateful Dead, which is where Lyle met Sklar/Kunkel, did the vocals with Billy Payne. Says if you listen to the record do keep in mind that Payne was eating a sandwich, but came right in on queue.

11. Fiona from The Road to Ensenada ( 1996 ) – note Julia Roberts middle name is Fiona..

12. Lights of LA County from Pontiac ( 1987 )

13. Nobody Knows Me from Lyle Lovett and His Large Band (1989)

14. Keep it in your pantry from Natural Forces ( 2010 ) band is reduced to Bluegrass core, guitar, fiddle banjo

15. I’ll Come Knockin’ from Step Inside this House ( 1998 ), which reminds Mr. Lovett Of Walter Hyatt and the Uncle Walt’s Band, an Austin Legendary band…

16. Up in Indiana from It’s Not Big It’s Large ( 2007 ) – great segue during song from bluegrass combo to full band, then solos from everybody. Awesome guitar solos.

17. The Front Porch Song written with Robert Earl Keen, not on any Lovett release

18. If I Had a Boat from Pontiac ( 1987 )

19. Nobody Knows Me from Lyle Lovett and his Large Band ( 1989 )

20. North Dakota from Joshua Loves Ruth ( 1992 )

21. What Do You Do from Lyle Lovett and the Large Band ( 1989 )

22. Wild Women Don’t Get the Blues from Live in Texas ( 1999 )

23. She’s Hot to Go from Pontiac ( 1987 )

24. That’s Right ( You’re Not from Texas ) ( 1996 )

25. Church from Joshua Loves Ruth ( 1992 )

26. It’s Rock and Roll from Natural Forces ( 2009 )

27. You Can’t Resist It from Lyle Lovett ( 1986 )

The Head and The Heart, Bush Hall, London, 18 July 2011

Setlist: Cats and Dogs / Coeur d'Alene / Ghosts / Honey Come Home / Josh McBride / Heaven Go Easy on Me / Lost in My Mind / Winter Song / Sounds Like Hallejah / New Song / Rivers and Roads / ? / Down in the Valley
The venue was busy before the band came and the band arrived to great audience excitement. hen they started playing, the atmosphere was euphoric and the band played with joyful abandon.

The crowd were really enthusiastic, seemingly determined to dispel rumours of London audiences being tricky, cold and apathetic. For a band that are still new to the UK, they had people singing along from the very start.

The show included a quality new song and the encore opened with a solo acoustic number. The set maintained a consistently high standard. It certainly never seemed like a band with one album and an audience waiting for the 'hit' or the couple of songs they new. Everything was wolfed down with gusto, including the new songs.

All through the set there was a fair bit of audience participation on the choruses, with people still singing along on the Tube ride home. It was a really enjoyable, and a times moving, show. Really looking forward to seeing them in the UK again, and will hopefully be able to persuade some more people along for the ride next time.

Paul Thomas Saunders, Bush Hall, London, 18 July 2011

Paul played with another guitarist, a keyboard player and a drummer. Paul has a lovely voice which melded well with the female keyboard player's singing.


The band were pretty accomplished and made a decent amount of noise for the four of them (including great crunching guitar work on one of the songs). The general style, and the guitar playing in particular, brought to mind I Am Kloot. There were even moments with nods towards stadium rock.

The songs were all pretty long and there were only a handful in the half-hour set, but none of them dragged or seemed to have been stretched out beyond their natural limits. A really good opener - look forward to seeing him again.

The Head and the Heart, In-store show at Rough Trade West, London, 18 July 2011.

Setlist
Sounds Like Hallelujah / Honey Come Home / Winter Song / Lost in My Mind / Down in the Valley / Rivers and Roads


An excellent set.

The harmonies seemed slightly changed on a couple of the songs, presumably to suit the stripped-down arrangments.

Winter Song, for instance, was strummed, rather than plucked, which worked well, though a courier did arrive in the middle to collect a package from the shop staff. That didn't put the band off, though they did seem a bit perplexed - wondering if he'd come to sell candy (apparently a US store has similar livery).

Grupo Fantasmo, Habana Bar Backyard, Austin Tx, Saturday 19 March 2011 (SXSW)

Grupo Fantasmo played latin rhythms and created a great, happy atmosphere. A great end to SXSW.

Charlie Mars, 18th Floor at Hilton Garden Inn, Austin Tx, Saturday 19 March 2011 (SXSW)

Charlie sang really softly, gently beating his guitar and reminded us of Jack Johnson, or even a bit Flight of the Conchords. He was really funny chatting between songs and closed with 'Dark Side of the Moon' which got everyone sining along and was quite lovely.

Blue King Brown, Habana Bar Backyard, Austin Tx, Saturday 19 March 2011 (SXSW)

Blue King Brown brought to mind Amparanoia, with lots of funky drums and guitars and soulful female singer and backing singers. The atmosphere felt very reminiscent of the Jazz World stage at Glastonbury.