Bob Dylan Live at the Stadtpark, Hamburg, June 26, 2011 (Audience Recording)

Relaxed mood, great weather, and a stunning show in the Park - and if you tolerated Bob's once more often erratic keyboard playing you had a good time. I was espacially happy about the Versions of "Tangled Up In Blue", "Cold Irons Bound" and "Forever Young" as the final song (the days before it had been "Blowin' In The Wind"). Some people brought their grandchildren, and they seemed - well, to be interested in this weird phenomenon on the stage, moving funnily in his black suit. Read the discussion on Boblinks.
This acceptable audience recording is sampled on 192 kbps quality. Enjoy!

Tracks

1. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
2. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
3. Things Have Changed
4. I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
5. Beyond Here Lies Nothin'
6. To Ramona
7. Cold Irons Bound
8. Tangled Up In Blue
9. Summer Days
10. Tryin' To Get To Heaven
11. Highway 61 Revisited
12. Visions Of Johanna
13. Thunder On The Mountain
14. Ballad Of A Thin Man
    (encore:)
15. Like A Rolling Stone
16. All Along The Watchtower
17. Forever Young

Here

Arcade Fire - Live at the Knust, Hamburg, May 18, 2005 (Audience Recording)

What - a - show! Arcade Fire came and blew the crowd away. They sang, cried, played, hammered, danced and ran around, some band members even climbed up the stage lights - all that happening during the first song already, collectively even increasing the madness during the show. And it was extremely loud. (I was lucky enough having my earplugs with me.) After this evening everyone of us was sure having seen the concert of the year. It was a positive earthquake we'll never forget. My then-almost-lover S. - a dedicated Cure fan - felt unable to join the rest of us for an aftershow drink. He just slipped away in silence.
By DJFK's special request you find the whole 64 minute show here as a fine audience recording @ 320 kbps. The Knust club still has a small, but very nice photo gallery online where this thumbnail origins from. You might as well like Arcade Fire's superb radio gig on KCRW (aired Jan. 15, 2005), to be heard (and seen!) here.

Tracks

1. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
2. Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
3. No Cars Go
4. Haiti
5. Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)
   
6. Cars And Telephones
   
7. Une annee sans lumiere
8. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
9. Rebellion (Lies)
10. Wake Up
11. Crown Of Love [encore]
    

Here and here

Jeff Buckley - Live at Südbahnhof Frankfurt, Germany, February 24, 1995

On Friday, February 24, 1995, Jeff Buckley and his band attended at the Südbahnhof (southern railway station) in Frankfurt, Germany, to accompany a youth discussion programme of Hessen 3, a regional TV station. During a short break the group played "Grace" as sort of an appetizer. Later nine songs followed, though the transmission ended right in the middle of a second version of "Grace". "Eternal" Life", "Hallelujah" and "Vancouver" were lacking (some sources mention "I Know It's Over" before "Hallelujah" instead of "Vancouver" as the closing tune), and it seems that no soundboard recording of these three songs has surfaced yet, not even in the TV vaults. In Germany every now and then 45 minutes of the gig are re-broadcast without the first (complete) "Grace". Also the official 2009 DVD "Grace Around The World" presents "So Real", "Mojo Pin" and "What Will You Say".
The 51 minute recording here is based on a second generation copy of the original German production tape in superb quality @ 320 kbps with all songs in correct order.

Tracks

1. Grace
2. Chocolate/Mojo Pin
3. (Band Introduction)
4. So Real
5. Last Goodbye
   
6. What Will You Say
   
7. Lilac Wine
8. Grace # 2 (Edit)
   

Here and here

Bambi Kino - Live at NDR Radio 90,3, Hamburg August 16, 2010

The city of Hamburg, Germany, oversaw a unique jubilee, so four American guys had to sit in. Bambi Kino from New York, a band especially put together to celebrate The Beatles' career start in Hamburg in August 1960, did four shows at the famous Indra Musikklub beginning on August 17, 2010 - exactly fifty years after the Beatles' first gig there and the first day they were using this band name.
Of course it was a must-see event for those in the city who are interested in music history at least a little. The day before Hamburg radio station NDR 90,3 recorded an inhouse show (see the still on top from a short report on NDR TV) and brodcasted it on August 17 between 9 and 10 p.m., at the same time when Bambi Kino's great four hour (!) live show of three sets and dozens of rare two minute songs like "Red Sails In The Sunset", "Lend Me Your Comb", "Shimmy Shake", "Leave My Kitten Alone" and "Hallelujah I Love Her So" was running at the incredibly sweaty, sold-out Indra (see the setlist here). This show was recorded by German TV station WDR Cologne for arte television and was aired on August 29 (the 44th anniversary of The Beatles' last live show in SF by the way) and September 2/3 - well, 90 minutes from the whole set.
Here's a complete 44 minute web-based recording of Bambi Kino's radio broadcast taped the day before the event at the Indra. They seem to have played more - the TV report used a snippet of "Ask Me Why" not transmitted by the radio. Also, the mixing engineer obviously forgot to use some reverb for the singers' microphone, so they sound a little dry, but it's fun anyway.
Oh, and you definitely should buy Bambi Kino's fantastic single "Some Other Guy/Falling In Love Again". Available on vinyl - and in mono if you want - from Hamburg-based label Tapete Records (or as a digital three-track EP from Amazon and others). Latest news: The official live album of the August 19 show is finally released now and can be bought here.

Tracks

1. A Taste Of Honey
2. Bad Boy
   
3. Besame Mucho
4. Mister Moonlight
5. Red Sails In The Sunset
   
6. Long Tall Sally
   
7. Honey Don't
8. Sure To Fall
9. Ain't She Sweet
10. That's Alright Mama
11. Till There Was You
12. Clarabella
13. Crying Waiting Hoping
14. Memphis, Tennessee
15. Matchbox
16. Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby
17. Shakin' All Over
18. I Saw Her Standing There

Here, here and here

Shearwater - Live at the Magnet Club, Berlin, February 28, 2010 (Audience Recording)

Our indie friends Shearwater from Austin, Texas, played a powerful and concentrated gig in front of maybe 200 enthusiastic fans. Actually (at least) one of them taped the complete 70 minute show in pretty fine quality. (There's also a short video.)

Here

Fanfarlo - Live at the Prinzenbar, Hamburg, February 1, 2010 (Audience Recording)

Fanfarlo surprisingly experienced big pre-fame shortly after releasing their great debut album "Reservoir". Expectations were high, but the result of this impressing evening at the charming Prinzenbar in Hamburg was a stunning gig on their first continental tour together. Extremely packed location, though. (Many thumbers on the guest list, rumours said.) Enjoy this fine audience recording of the complete show (just 55 minutes).

Here

Joan Baez - Three songs from "Silent Running" (1972)

Often labeled as the first ecological Sci-Fi movie, Silent Running experienced a similar fate as "Harold & Maude": after and after it became more famous among fans of the genre. Strange enough, Peter Schickele's soundtrack never came out on CD after several incarnations on vinyl. The original Decca album became a collector's item especially for three songs sung by Joan Baez which never appeared anywhere else, not even on one of her many "Best of"-collections (except for a short-lived single with two of them).
Some years ago I was happy to find an expensive CD on eBay, but it proofed to be a pirate album presenting the original LP content together with a spoken word version of one instrumental together with a re-recording of another instrumental as "bonus tracks". Too bad the producers of this illegitimate CD treated their source's sound to death with some cheap noise killer software. In 2007, the webmaster of Schickele's website responded to my questions about the CD offers on eBay via e-mail, remembering that "the CD sounded like it was recorded off of an LP, complete with the surface noise and some scratches. The bonus track in this case is copied from a videotape of the movie (not even a DVD but a videotape with tape hiss)." The result is absolutely terrible, muffled and no fun at all to listen to.
He added: "I continue to believe that there is no CD reissue of the soundtrack, and that the LP is hard to find. Since it is out of print, you may have no other way of hearing the music but to buy one of these suspicious offers, but beware of low quality. My preference would be to find someone selling the LP on eBay and transfer it to CD myself. Or get the DVD and listen to the music in the context of the movie. The only legitimate CD that contains music from 'Silent Running' that I know about is 'Space 3: Beyond The Final Frontier' by the City of Prague Orchestra. That 2000 recording of selected science fiction themes included four minutes of 'The Space Fleet' from 'Silent Running', which isn't much, but it's something. You can hear samples of that recording on Amazon. I'm sorry that this music is not easier to obtain."
So am I! The more I'm happy to offer here clean versions of Joan Baez' songs; the rest of the soundtrack might follow later.

Tracks

1. Rejoice In The Sun
2. Silent Running
3. Rejoice In The Sun (Reprise)

Here

Elf Otto-Sieger sagen "Danke" (1968 Flexi)

Some people are looking for material like this. More than 40 years ago my dear sister bought an issue of Germany's teenage magazin "Bravo". It included a flexi disc with thank-yous by such different (then-) stars like The Bee Gees (they even sing a-cappella in the beginning), Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg (starring on the TV show "The Avengers", in Germany "Mit Schirm, Charme und Melone"), pop singers Wencky Myhre and Roy Black as well as actors Marie Versini and Pierre Brice.
There's an extensive private Bravo website, including scans of their flexi discs as well as soundclips. Here you find a cleaner version for your pleasure as well. The back cover has transcriptions and German translations where necessary for German listeners.

Tracks

1. Bravo flexi disc 1968 (direct rip)
2. Bravo flexi disc 1968 (clean version)

Here (artwork included)

Heather Greene - Live at the Knust, Hamburg, June 14, 2009 (Audience Recording)

Only a handful of people attended at Heather Greene's 2009 Hamburg concert at the Knust club - but everyone who was there liked the one hour show. Some even said she sounded better than on her two records to date ("Five Dollar Dress" and "Sweet Otherwise"). You might find out yourself by listening to this fine audience recording of the complete gig.

Here and here

Reunion - Live Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me (1974 Single)

That one was fun back in 1974. I couldn't afford the single then, but I taped it from my favourite radio programme, and once a week DJ Werner Reinke played the top 20 charts without any talkovers. Of course I could not understand this song's lyrics completely, but I was deeply impressed by the singer's abilities. Much later I felt a little betrayed when I realized all the edits in the recording - and that initially he might be recorded slower. Anyway, that early rap stuff seems to be the only release by this "group" called Reunion (in fact "Yummy Yummy Yummy" singer Joey Levine and session musicians). It went to top 8 on the Billboard charts, and maybe there is another single, but they never made a longplayer.
I was very surprised when I heard a cover version pretty close to the original in my car radio in 1983 - Tracey Ullman singing "Life Is A Rock" as part of her album "You Broke My Heart In 17 Places". Now here you can compare them both. In addition you find Reunion's rare, though completely ridiculous reggae-stylish single b-side "Are You Ready To Believe".
Everything worth to be known about the song is mentioned here, including detailed comments about the almost complete lyrics. And, sure, Wikipedia shows up, too.

Tracks

1. Reunion - Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)
2. Reunion - Are You Ready To Believe [Vinyl Rip]
3. Tracey Ullman - Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)

Here (artwork included)

The Velvet Underground - Squeeze (1973)

Released early in 1973, no founding member of the original Velvet Underground line-up was involved in production of this album, and since its release, it is discussed extensely: Is it the Velvets or not? As most commentaries I see it more as a Doug Yule solo project, for he wrote, arranged and produced it alone with a little help by Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice. Yule replaced John Cale after Lou Reed fired Cale between the group's second and third LP. The album definitely isn't as bad as many say. To my ears it prolonges the tradition of "Loaded", even though Doug as a songwriter can't really compete with Lou. But I still like the music, and if you're interested to learn more about it, you can read the whole "Squeeze" story on Wikipedia and on a well researched Website.

Tracks

1. Little Jack
   
2. Crash
   
3. Caroline
   
4. Mean Old Man
   
5. Dopey Joe
   
6. Wordless
   

1. She'll Make You Cry
   
2. Friends
   
3. Send No Letter
   
4. Jack & Jane
   
5. Louise
   

Here

Joan Armatrading - Live at the Bijou Café, Philadelphia, February 18, 1977 (1977 Radio Promo)

This club recording was meant to promote the self-titled "Joan Armatrading" album which came out in 1976, seen as her best output by many. The majority of the live tracks can originally be found on that LP, except for three which first appeared on "Back To The Night" the year before: "Cool Blue (Stole My Heart)", the fantastic "Dry Land" - here is the only live recording of that song I know - and a powerful solo version of "Stepping Out". All in all it's great to hear Joan at an early point of her carreer, in best mood and together with a great band in front of a small audience. Too bad this nice, very good sounding club recording never came out officially on LP or on CD, and it probably won't ever. The same sad story as with "Back To The Night": Collectors have to pay between 50 and 150 Dollars for a good CD copy nowadays. Where are avoidable reissues?

Tracks

1. (Introduction)
2. Join The Boys
   
3. Down To Zero
4. Help Yourself
   
5. Cool Blue (Stole My Heart)
   

1. Dry Land
   
2. (Introduction Of Band)
   
3. Love And Affection
4. Water With The Wine
5. Tall In The Saddle

Here

Randy Newman - Un Samedi en Decembre (1983)

I captured this one once by chance at eBay as a double pack in a regular LP cover together with (another) copy of "Trouble In Paradise". This live-in-the-studio-recording, taped on December 10, 1982, is a real gem.
randynewman.info says: In France, ["Trouble In Paradise"] was released with a unique limited-edition promotional album titled "Un Samedi en Decembre" (WEA PRO 1016) - "A Saturday in December" in English - issued to commemorate a television special aired that year. The album offers the unique experience of hearing Newman perform some of his classics in a studio with just vocal and solo piano ("Sail Away", "It's Money That I Love", "Rednecks") and others with full orchestral accompaniment ("Louisiana 1927", "Old Man", "Marie") most of which are faithful to the original studio album arrangements. Just how some of Newman's warmly sarcastic between-track asides ("I hope you love me ladies and gentlemen, cause I love you so much. I love Paris.") made it past the French engineers working on the project remains a mystery.
And in the end Randy closes the piano cover, grumbles "Good night, thank you!" and leaves the studio.

Tracks:

1. Ragtime (Thème du film)
2. Louisiana 1927
3. It's Money That I Love
4. Sail Away
5. Old Man
6. Love Story
7. Short People

1. X Mas In Cape Town
2. Rednecks
3. Baltimore
4. I Think It's Going To Rain Today
5. You Can Leave Your Hat On
6. Marie
7. Ragtime

Here (artwork included)