It was a fun event. The sound system was woefully underpowered, so we listened to the FM simulcast. Great setlist, all the classics, they did a great version of ‘Can’t find my way home’. Probably my 100th Jukes show, haven’t seen too many clunkers. Beautiful night, felt good just to get out.
Thank you. Yeah, it really looked like a blast. That's a band that seems to really improve with a live performance. I remember getting Hearts of Stone and the ones leading up to that when I found out Little Steven was involved. I find myself going back to those often. I do miss my concerts and club shows.
Nowadays they do a great mix of his own stuff, Stevens stuff, Bruce’s stuff, and a few covers. The current band is also his longest-tenured band (by a lot), and they’ve become a well-oiled machine. 45 years running, pretty amazing.
A little off topic, but if any Springsteen fan hasn't heard SSJ's Hearts Of Stone - please seek it out immediately. It is one of the lost classics of Rock n Roll. Great songs, Max is the drummer, lots of Springsteen involvement and Miami Steve is all over it. SSJ is in great voice and the Jukes kick a**. Just a great record.
I’ll add several must have ESB-related albums. -First 3 Jukes albums -Gary US Bonds Dedication and On The Line -Little Steven Men Without Women. -Ronnie Spector Say Goodbye to Hollywood All recorded between 1976-1982. Bruce and the ESB all over these albums (in many cases uncredited). Essential.
I've seen SSJ five times going back to 2002, three of them in the last six years. The man gives it all he's got no matter how small the crowd or empty the hall. He has played at my high school auditorium twice in three years. It's half-full at best and the crowd sits most of the time, but you wouldn't know it from his performance. He also played in a bigger auditorium in Jacksonville which was probably a quarter full, but he keeps coming back. Pills and Ammo and especially Soultime! are his best albums since Love Is a Sacrifice.
OK. The Billy Joel song, was a minor hit? Speaking of Billy Joel, just read an interview with Liberty DeVitto on his new memoir. I didn't know he played with Mitch Ryder. Sounds like a good read.
Yeah Liberty and Billy have been a long running soap opera. Great drummer, hits em really hard. He’s in that sidemen doc on Netflix. Also, Steve's recent box set has some interesting seminal 1973-1977 stuff on the bonus disc. Beautiful version of I Wish It Would Rain with SSJ and bobby bandiera. Worth the price for that alone. Also available on iTunes I believe.
Out of all the archive series, the most disappointing artist is the Boss in my opinion. It has nothing to do with performance, because it's hard to top Bruce. It's primarily sound quality and choice of material to a degree. To me Dylan wins hands down with McCartney coming in second with the Stones and then Bruce. To be fair, Dylan( the 1966 set is pretty great as is TRTR) and McCartney are primarily outs, demos and some unreleased tunes. The Stones are tight with the unreleased stuff and that maybe due to the fact that they weren't Dylan level prolific. Then there's the whole ABKCO catalog, which they limited with. The River box was ok as was the Darkness box. However, I find his bootlegs more enjoyable. My main beef is with his Live Archive series. It is called Archive. It could be so much better, especially for an artist of his stature.
Pretty much agree with what you say re sound quality being the big disappointment. Would throw The Grateful Dead and Neil Young in your list of the archival release winners. And Zappa.
Even though its a Christmas/Holiday song Darlene Love's "All Alone on Christmas," which was written by Steve is pretty much an E Street Band effort. I would probably add it to the "essential" list.
Yeah, I forgot about Zappa and Neil Young. That's what happens when you've been baked well over half your life.
Elvis Presley’s FTD archival/collectors label has done tremendous audio work on session material (including a windfall of outtakes) over the past 12-14 years.
Hired Gun Liberty deVitto was in the band that played my parents' wedding in 1972. He was also in a the band Big People with Derek St. Holmes who is also in Hired Gun. Great guy. I got to meet him a few times when we both lived in Atlanta.
