[August 1, 2010] SBS Inkigayo Highlights + Commentary

YAY I've completed another weekend of music show recaps! Woohoo! The winner today was rather surprising, considering the competition, but if you don't know yet, I won't spoil the fun. ;D
Se7en made his comeback, and it seems like Taeyang's back to promoting I Need A Girl. Doojoon made an appearance on G.NA's performance again, so I'm happy.

Credit for all the videos goes to CrazyCarrot350.

G.NA - I'll Back Off So You Can Live (review/The Kpop Panel Review)
She's a lot more comfortable on stage, you can tell, but her sloppiness as a performer has come out because of that. It's like she just flings her arm here and there, steps to the left or right, but she's unsure of whether or not she should've done that - she's hesitating. There's no room for hesitation when you're on stage. I liked Doojoon's part, as usual - the guy knows how to carry himself. The best part? When she sang at the end, backing track-less. She actually sounded good. A bit wild, but good.

Teen Top - Clap
Actually, the second guy who sings is actually better than the guy who gets the most lines - I kinda like his voice. And even if only two guys sing, I do think they're better off than Infinite, if I may say so. They have stage presence, now all the rest of the guys have to do is open their mouths and get proper singing lines. That and they should really get better material. This is decent, but not good enough.

Infinite - Come Back Again
Their voices sound like crap to start with, and then they just have to top it of with a dimension-less performance. Seriously, there's no depth to their actions or their singing - what you see is what you get, and even that isn't any good. I tried, but they really don't have the talent to go where they should go. Sorry Tablo, try again.

MBLAQ - One Better Day
These types of songs match them better than the Oh Yeahs and Ys of the world, but if this is all they're capable of, and all they do, they won't get anywhere. This band has been a lost cause since day 1, I just needed solid proof to say that.

Son Dambi - Queen
Let's just say that yesterday was her best performance of the song. Today was a bit bleh, Next song.

SHINee - Lucifer (review/The Kpop Panel Review)
Now, I'm probably just as disappointed as anyone is right now that SHINee didn't win, but who the hell cares? There's always next week, and at least once Miss A get a triple crown (if they do), there's one less act to compete with. ANYWAY. They just keep getting better - except for that slip towards the end, ONEW WAS HANDS-DOWN PHENOMENAL TODAY. He's like a not-so-direct but still direct descendant of DBSK's Jaejoong - starts out with a nice, smooth voice, then suddenly BAM it develops a deep-ish timbre, without loosing the smoothness. Jonghyun was let loose again today, sorry to say - the guy has to learn to control himself. He did it before, so why not now? Key's voice is slowly getting shriller, and I'm not liking it. I miss the nice timbre he had, and I want it back. And Minho's standing now, hopefully SHINee finally become a 5-piece dancing machine again. Soon.

Taeyang - I Need A Girl
I think I know what's wrong now - I can't stand Taeyang's live singing. On this song, at least. Seriously, I can't. Next song.

Se7en - Digital Bounce with TOP + Better Together (The Kpop Panel Review)
Now that is what I call a performance. Consistent, tight, and worth every second. You see how he just walks out with his hand up and everyone stars screaming - that's what a performer should be able to do. I pretty much have the same opinion as yesterday, I don't think I have to say that his vocals were spot-on, do I? Oh wait, I just said it. LOL.

Miss A - Bad Girl, Good Girl (WINNER)
I wouldn't say they're undeserving of their win, but I do wish that SHINee of Se7en won today. That doesn't mean Miss A are bad though, they're probably one of the best rookie groups since 2NE1. I mean it. Now JYP, stop making them sing like you and give them a better song - once you do that I might just think about worshipping you. Oh, and move them over to JYPE.

Guitar Talk with Legendary Underground Guitarist Terry Swope of JPT Scare Band

With his guitar heroics on full display on the latest JPT Scare Band album, Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden, we thought that is would be a good idea to catch up with legendary guitarist/vocalist Terry Swope. Throughout the album, Swope's plays the guitar like normal people use their voices in conversation. One minute, subdued and docile, laced with melancholy, then that voice becomes more impassioned, a little louder, as if Swope is becoming more animated and excited about the topic of discussion. One thing is for certain, Terry Swope is a six string talent that has been lurking in the shadows for far too long. Jamming with JPT Scare Band since the early '70's, Terry has been hailed as one of the most unheralded guitarists in the world, Swope is often compared to Hendrix, Page, and Clapton in terms of his fret fireworks.

Take a look at what he has to say.

What made you decide to pursue playing guitar?

Feelings of pleasure and belonging. Music in general and the guitar in particular felt good to me. It felt good to hold the instrument, to feel connected to something. It felt good to slowly gain knowledge and get some positive attention for the effort. Socially it was satisfying to literally have a group of peers to share and learn with.


How quickly did you pick up playing the guitar? Did guitar playing come naturally, or was there a struggle involved?

I picked up the basic chords and strumming techniques fairly quickly. I loved to play and it was not uncommon to spend five to six hours every day practicing. Some days I'd play seven to nine hours. Playing came naturally to me. I found I could pick out parts to songs and learn them. It was also a struggle. I would become frustrated by my inability to get my hands to reproduce what I heard in my head. That struggle continues to this day.

What was the first guitar you owned?

It was an F-hole acoustic guitar that I bought in the record department of the Katz drugstore for $12. I don't remember the brand. Moments after this photo was taken I smashed the guitar against a telephone pole in the backyard.

Who are your primary influences? Guitarists, musicians?

There's a lot stars in the skies aren't there? Let me just name a few of my faves. Larry Carlton, Ritchie Blackmore, Jeff Beck, Allan Holdsworth, Albert King, Joe Pass, Jimi Hendrix, Scotty Anderson, the Beatles, Bela Bartok, Charles Ives and XTC. Locally there's Walt Chambers, Andy DeWitt, Janet Jameson, James Albright, Ken Lovern, Danny Embry and Joe Clyne.



What kind of gear do you use? Guitar? Amp? Effects?

Guitars: Taylor T-5, Fender Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster, Grosh Custom Carve, Eastman T185MX, J. Blackaster . . . Amps: Fender Deluxe, Vox AC50CPH, Bogner Alchemist, Bogner Metropolis, Carvin XV212, Egnater Rebel 20 . . . Effects: Boss GT8, Xotic AC Plus, TC Electronics Nova Modulator
                              
Do you play in standard tuning or do you use an alternate tuning? If so, why?

I'm in standard tuning 99.9% of the time. I experimented early on with a variety of tunings but never stuck with them.

What piece of gear can't you live without? What''s your "secret" weapon?

If I could only have one effect it would be delay. An Echoplex would be the favored type. You can create
spaces, rhythms, layers and even harmonies. Truly the most versatile effect. If I told you what my secret weapon was it wouldn't be a secret anymore. Seriously I don't like to think of weapons when
I think of music. But I will say this - a great compressor gives every guitar a chance to get lucky.

When performing solos, are you aware of where you're going or are you playing purely by mood and feel?

That depends on many different factors. If I'm working on somebody's project I'm going to be looking to please them. If I'm out gigging and covering other people's tunes I want to be in the same ballpark stylistically.

Left to my own devices anything is bound to happen. Music, and specifically the guitar, lends itself to all forms of mood and their communication. Or as Dr Karl Paulnack puts it, "Music allows us to move around those big invisible pieces of ourselves and rearrange our insides so that we can express what we feel even when we can't talk about it."



How has working with Paul (bass) and Jeff (drums) helped your playing? What effect has their abilities as musicians helped your development as a guitarist?


Probably the best thing about the Scareband is its lack of expectation. Throughout my career I've been involved in bands that were focused outward, on making money and being something customers wanted to hear. JPT is pretty much the opposite of that. It's all about what we want. Working with 
Paul & Jeff is really not work. We're just great friends into banging out whatever pops into our heads. The vibe is pretty informal and open-ended when the tape starts rolling. In other words I'm free to play anything I want. Jeff & Paul are very supportive, generous musicians who just happen to love playing in the same cosmic sludge pit as me.


What words of wisdom do you have for young (and old) guitar players who are just getting started?

Number one - enjoy yourself. If you can do that then you're a success. Beyond that learn as much as you can and create as much as you can. As far as the instrument goes get something you can play. It does not matter early on what your guitar might look like or might sound like. All that really matters is that you can put your hands on it and it feels good.

You can hear the magic of Terry's guitar playing on the latest JPT Scare Band album, "Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden."

Buy here: JPT Scare Band - Acid Blues

[July 31, 2010] MBC Music Core Highlights + Commentary

Why does it seem like all the music shows this weekend know I'm taking a BIG BIG BIIIIIG exam next week, so not a lot of acts show up and perform? The acts I recap, at least. I'm serious - there were only 6 performances today, usually I have to recap like 10 or 12. Not that I'm complaining or anything! Taeyang finally shows up again after a lul in promo, and Se7en made his comeback with a 2-song "suite". This was also Tiffay and Yuri's last episode as MCs/emcees. Awww.

Video credit goes to CrazyCarrot260. Always brilliant.

G.NA - I'll Back Off So You Can Live (review)
I'm ever so slightly more convinced with her live vocals today, but that lasted only up to the first chorus - it kinda went downhill from here. And YAY Doojoon's back - I'll just go and say that no one can do that rap line better than he can. Coming from someone who doesn't know a lot about rap, at least. And he can actually sing! G.NA's a bit more used to the stage, based on how she moves and carries herself, but there's still this hint of fear in her movements - I want that thrown out of the window as fast as possible. Like, now.

Miss A - Bad Girl Good Girl
Another consistent performance. Nothing special or especially bad, they just REALLY need to work on the breathlessness.

Son Dambi - Queen
Could this be? Is Son Dambi actually singing pretty decently now? There's not much to judge, but from the parts that are melodic, she is singing rather well. Once again, for her standards. All she has to do is keep doing it the way she is, and she'll be decent for me. Now, just give me a good song and we're good to go.

SHINee - Lucifer (review)
Did I just hear several attempts at a harmony? I honestly wasn't expecting they do that, given how demanding the choreography is, but apparently, they tried. They didn't do it exceptionally fantastic or anything, but the harmony was there, and I heard it. Very, VERY strong performance today (except for the crappy sound system) - Onew sounded phenomenal and Jonghyun was a little less wild as well. I kept on saying that DBSK need to make a comeback to show all these new groups how you really do it, but I think SHINee's a good enough replacement. They're not at DBSK's level (yet?), but they're close enough. Second favorite boyband? Second favorite boyband. Sorry, BEAST and D-NA. Hahah!

Taeyang - I Need A Girl
Still bored. Would still rather listen to the recording. Even with the slight change in gimmick and blocking and wardrobe and this and that, I'm still not sold. Well, it's slightly better than it was the last time he performed, but I still don't like it.

Se7en - Digital Bounce with TOP + Better Together
And that, people, is how you do it. I may not be the biggest Se7en fan around and when I talked about him on The Kpop Panel I wasn't all over the new single, but after watching today's performance, I have a newfound appreciation for the guy. He actually has the vocals. I mean, he's not singing an awful lot on these songs, but the times that he does, it just comes out like it's second nature to him. He's a performer - even if I don't like the songs and even if the girls are wearing these horrid bodysuit-like things, he makes me HAVE to watch the performance. Not just want, HAVE. Everything seems so natural for him, and he's living proof of my "you can command an audience just by raising your hand" statement - now I know why he's Rain's biggest rival, because they're basically in a league of their own when it comes to putting on a show. Just by watching this, I wouldn't mind spending my money to see this guy live, even if I'm not a big fan of the material.

Ripple News - TheLiveLine Sponsors the Tantric, Adema, Burn Halo Tour

Irvine, CA based mobile marketers TheLiveLine  has been confirmed to sponsor the TANTRIC, ADEMA, and BURN HALO tour, with FLAW appearing on select dates.  TheLiveLine will be powering all mobile efforts for the tour, including tour mobile clubs, in-venue mobile, and much more.

Text POP to 81899 for all tour updates, contests, coupons, and more!!

TheLiveLine will also be using its innovative in-venue mobile on this tour.  Concert attendees will be able to text NOW1, NOW2, or NOW3 to 81899 to receive a bounce back digital coupon for discounts off merch, exclusive contests, and more.  All in-venue mobile will take place live at the concert, as NOW is the idea here.  Different NOW keywords will be in effect for different venues.

Look out for more tours TheLiveLine will be sponsoring – stay tuned, my friends…

Check out TheLiveLine on the web: http://www.theliveline.com



TANTRIC, ADEMA, BURN HALO tour dates below with presale ticket links.  Buy yourself a pair now!

7/28 – Denver, CO @ Grizzly Rose - BUY TICKETS

7/29 – Grand Junction, CO @ Mesa Theater – BUY TICKETS

7/30 – Vernal, UT @ Western Park

7/31 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Vegas

8/3 – Sparks, NV @ The New Oasis – BUY TICKETS

8/5 – Santa Rosa, CA @ Chrome Lotus – BUY TICKETS

8/7 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Hard Rock Café on the strip – BUY TICKETS

8/8 – Tempe, AZ @ Club Red – BUY TICKETS

8/9 – Tucson, AZ @ Club DV8

8/11 – Abilene, TX @ Midnight Rodeo III

8/12 – Harker Heights, TX @ The Music Vault

8/13 – San Antonio, TX @ Scoutbar – BUY TICKETS

8/14 – Houston, TX @ The Scoutbar – BUY TICKETS

8/15 – Dallas, TX @ Trees – BUY TICKETS

8/18 – Jonesboro, AK @ The Brickhouse Grill

8/19 – Little Rock, AK @ The Village – BUY TICKETS

8/20 – Charenton, LA @ Rox Nightclub (IN) Cypress Bayou Casino

8/21 – Panama City Beach, FL @ Club La Vela – BUY TICKETS

8/22 – Jacksonville, FL @ Brewsters Pit Live – BUY TICKETS

8/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Polaris – BUY TICKETS

8/27 – Watertown, NY @ The Exhibition Hall – BUY TICKETS

8/28 – Rochester, NY @ The Montage Music Hall – BUY TICKETS

8/29 – Cheswick, PA @ Ches-arena Entertainment Complex – BUY TICKETS

8/31 – Baltimore, MD @ Bourbon Street Quarter – BUY TICKETS

9/1 – Eden, NC @ Modelo Bay

9/2 – Charlotte, NC @ Amos’ Southend – BUY TICKETS

9/3 – Jacksonville, NC @ The Party Zone (no BURN HALO)

9/4 – Fayetteville, NC @ Jester’s Pub (no BURN HALO)

9/5 – Wilmington, NC @ The Soapbox Laundro Lounge (no BURN HALO)

9/9 – Bay City, MI @ Prime Event Center

9/10 – Warren, MI @ The Ritz

9/11 – Glendale Heights, IL @ Shark City – BUY TICKETS

9/14 – Waterloo, IA @ Spicoli’s Grill And The Rever

9/15 – Maplewood, MN @ The Rock Night Club – BUY TICKETS

9/16 – Madison, WI @ The Annex

9/18 – Rockford, IL @ Kryptonite Bar



No ADEMA, now FLAW

9/20 – Syracuse, NY @ The Lost Horizon

9/21 – State College, PA @ The Arena

9/22 – Allston, MA @ Harpers Ferry – BUY TICKETS

9/24 – Providence, RI @ The Ruins

9/25 – Rochester, NY @ The Rochester Opera House

9/26 – Middleton, NY @ Orange County Speedway

[July 30, 2010] KBS Music Bank Highlights + Commentary

*pops confetti* YAY! It was between SHINee and Miss A, so I think you can guess who won by my reaction. Not that many performances, but that's 'coz Se7en didn't show up and I've stopped writing about Narsha. G.NA performed with yet another "special" guest, and Teen Top + Infinite had this collaboration. Which I didn't include, sorry.


Video credit to UnknownCarrot150. Brilliance.

G.NA - I'll Back Off So You Can Live (review)
I'm serious, she looks so uncomfortable on stage. I mean, you can be a good performer and not really move around, but her movements look so strained and contrived. Her vocals aren't as good as they should be, but they're better off than a lot of others, so I shouldn't be complaining. And Thunder just sucked today - no question.

Teen Top - Clap
If Teen Top didn't make me wonder what the other guy's vocals sound like and if they weren't synchronized like hell, I'm pretty sure I'd be bored to death by now. Tight performance, for rookie standards, and actually, pretty decent vocals from the guys who actually sing. Not bad, not bad at all - they just don't captivate me or anything.

Miss A - Bad Girl Good Girl
It's been what, almost a month since they started promo, and I'm still not sick of seeing them perform. I've never really liked the song as a recording and I would never really listen to it willingly on my iPod or anything, but they have the ability to make me shut up, watch the performances and somewhat be impressed with them. The breathlessness has improved A LOT, so I expect them to sound flawless by the time they start promoting their second single!

Infinite - Come Back Again
It's not the band who carry the performance, it's the instrumental. Seriously! It's like the roles were reversed. The instrumental is spunky and has character, and then these guys are singing to it and they sound horrid. I do hope, for the sake of the money their agency put into them at the very least, that their second single makes them sound much better than they do right now.

MBLAQ - One Better Day
To a certain extent they do sing this better than Y, and they've improved since their debut, but do we have to go through this sermon week in and week out? I don't think they've heard me (metaphorically, at least) - they're too pre-occupied with looking good on stage to care about singing, and they don't deserve to be singers if that's all they wanna do. Please, at least give me something worth my time.

Son Dambi - Queen
Well, I like the piano loop? LOL. Her vocals have gotten probably as strong as they can get, given her vocal ability, so I think I should be content with the state she's in right now. Still not as big a fan of the song as I was before I saw any of her live performances, but the slightly better vocals have helped a bit. Even then, the only part of the song that's really any good is the chorus - it's nice and cheery and explosive and all. And I gotta hand it to her, she kinda pulls it off well.

SHINee - Lucifer (review) (WINNER)
*dances around room* WOOHOO! SHINee won today! *pops confetti* Now, this was truly a deserving win. You put gorgeous voices and fantastic performers together with a good sound system and you have magic. I love it. Right now, my only problem is Jonghyun - he's trying to jump through hoops and fire, but it doesn't always work. I mean yeah, when it does work he sounds good and it's not sloppy, but when it doesn't work, it just doesn't work. He either needs to learn to control himself, or be more consistent - either will solve the problem. But otherwise, fantastic performance - I got goosebumps again!

Salif Keita - La Difference

The descendant of warrior princes, the son of two black African parents, Afro-pop pioneer Salif Keita was born “white.” Inheriting albinism, a lack of skin pigmentation, Keita instantly stood out among other Africans and stood out as a spokesperson for tolerance in all forms.

On La Différence, the legendary singer addresses this deeply personal issue–albinism in Africa—and gives it an urgent global resonance that takes his songs from Bamako to Beirut. As Keita’s famed “golden voice” cathartically croons in the title track, "I'm a black man, my skin is white and I like it, it's my difference/I'm a white man, my blood is black, I love that, it's the difference that's beautiful."

The distinction is often interpreted as an ill omen in his native Mali, and invited a life of ridicule, making Keita an outcast in his own community. Society, including public schools in Mali, perpetuates harmful beliefs about albinos, and they are often shunned, ridiculed, and even killed for superstitious purposes.

Although he and others have come to terms with albinism, Keita has struggled long and desperately with the stigma attached to his skin color. Though born into a noted caste of musicians with direct links to Sounjata Keita–the heroic 13th-century warrior-prince who edified the ancient Malian Empire–Keita was forbidden to play music growing up. He was also disowned by his father, kicked out of school, and rejected by the local aristocracy.

Filled with unrealized musical ambitions, Keita had no choice but to leave Mali as a young man. Armed with the strength of his convictions, he travelled to neighboring Ivory Coast, then Paris, London, and New York, where his skin color could not keep him from expressing his artistic vision. His perseverance paid off throughout the 1970s and 1980s, as he became an internationally recognized icon thanks to his gravely voice, innovative musical arrangements, and profoundly poetic lyrics.

In 1997, Keita’s fame helped him to overcome the stigma attached to albinism that persisted in West Africa, allowing him to make a triumphant return to Mali. Cautiously re-entering a community that once shunned him, he discovered a newfound acceptance, which allowed him to re-establish roots there, including building a studio in the capital of Bamako.

La Différence is the latest in a trilogy of acclaimed acoustic oriented recordings (Moffou 2002, M’Bemba 2006) that were primarily recorded at Keita’s Bamako studio. The intimate acoustic environment of La Différence allows Keita’s vocal timbres to shimmer and soar, highlighting their poetic nuances and the poignant themes of his lyrics. While the album is dedicated to the plight of albinos in Africa, leading with its title track that aims to increase the global awareness of this cause, the remainder of the album delves into a wide range of social and political issues.

Over a thick sanguine female vocal chorus and rhythmic guitar riffs, “Ekolo d’Amour” seeks to inform listeners about the ecological devastation that has befallen Africa. Fusing the powerful traditional tones of the 21-stringed kora with a contemporary guitar-rich, down-tempo, polyrhythmic groove, “San Ka Na” cites a specific example of ecological destruction, alerting audiences of the need to protect Africa’s Niger River, upon whose banks Keita played as a child. With a rough and urgent voice, Keita scorns local politicians for their neglect and complacency regarding such problems.

La Différence also finds the singer re-imagining a few previous recordings with a new palette of sounds. Harnessing the deeply echoing, bluesy textures of guest guitarists Bill Frisell and Seb Martel, an intimate rendition of 1995’s “Folon” offers a stripped-down, horn-absent version that allows Keita’s haunting voice to pierce the mellow cosmopolitan soundscape. With producer John Henry, Keita reaches back to the 1970s, recalling his days with the Ambassadeurs du Motel band in Bamako, with a new incarnation of “Seydou.”

Departing from the original track (“Seydou Bathily”), this softer version bathes Keita’s voice in a rich sonic world of resonant vocal refrains, Arabic-tinged string arrangements, interlocking guitar tones, and a multilayered percussion ensemble that merges sounds from Africa and the Middle East. Given that these songs have been refined by Keita and his band over the course of many years, some for decades, it is no wonder why his delivery comes across with a relaxed, sophisticated confidence.

Further linking La Différence with Keita’s long musical career, the melody of “Djélé” is decorated by the intricate balafon work of Keletigui Diabaté, a monumental figure in Malian music and one of Keita’s most faithful musical partners, helping him to develop as a guitarist over the course of almost four decades. Drawing on his international sojourns, “Djélé” reinforces Keita’s cosmopolitan approach to this album as the breathy tones of an accordion dance with a concert piano over top a bed of deep electric bass, legato orchestral strings, plucked African lutes, and a global array of polyrhythmic percussive timbres.

La Différence is an intimate journey into Keita’s personal struggles. Singing a hymn of universal tolerance Keita poetically claims, "some of us are black, some are white/all that difference has a purpose…for us to complete each other/let everyone receive love and dignity/the world will be a more beautiful place.”

-- provided to the Ripple by World Music News Wire

buy here: La Difference

Otis Redding - Live on the Sunset Strip

It’s hard to believe that Otis Redding was only 24 years old when these live shows were recorded in Hollywood, California back in April 1966. Even though he was still a young man, he was an old pro by the time he hit the stage of the famous Whiskey A Go Go having experienced many hit singles and successful albums on the legendary Stax-Volt label. Otis usually recorded with Booker T & The MG’s but rarely toured the United States with them since they were so busy with studio work in Memphis.

There are plenty of live documents of the 1967 European tour and landmark performance at the Monterey festival, but this 2CD set lets you hear exactly what Otis did to audiences night after night with his road band. Most of these have been available in edited form, first on 1968’s LP In Person at the Whisky a Go Go and then more selections were released in 1993 as Good to Me: Live at the Whisky a Go Go, Vol. 2. Even if you already have those, you need to pick this up. You get 3 complete sets of Otis and his tighter than hell road band rocking the stage of a small club. Taj Mahal’s old band Rising Sons (also featuring Ry Cooder) were the opening act for these shows. In the liner notes he’s quoted as “His was one of the most amazing performances I’d ever seen and I’ve seen some great performances. I’m talking about being in the same room, not watching a film or being at some big festival. This cat just had the rafters falling down.” You gonna argue with that

It’s all here. Every grunt, whoop and holler from the Otis and from the crowd, too. When they do fast ones like “I Can’t Turn You Loose,” “I’m Depending On You” or his version of the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” you can feel the everyone rocking. Otis liked to do his uptempo ones twice as fast at the record, but he also liked to do ballads twice as slow. “These Arms Of Mine” is even more powerful than the original and “Chained and Bound” gets the full dramatic treatment with some heartfelt testifying in the middle. His hit “Respect” is given a high energy workout. It’s interesting to compare it to the live version from Monterey a year later when he mentions that “some girl” just stole his song, meaning Aretha Franklin’s hit version. Two of the sets come from the last night of his 4 night run at the club. Otis mentions that now that they’ve been paid they can “goof off.” His idea of goofing off includes an incredible 10 minute version of James Brown’s “Papas Got A Brand New Bag” that gives JB a run for his money.

Since it was the norm for artists to do 2 shows a night, several songs are duplicated but when it comes to The Big O can you really have too much? Otis gave us so much incredible music in his way too short life and this is guaranteed to make you feel good no matter how bad your day is going. Play this one loud.

--Woody

buy here: Live on the Sunset Strip