The Silver Age Legion of Super-Heroes Volume One

 

While I have always been more of a Marvel Comics fan than a DC (Brand Ecch, as Marvel would say) promoter due to Marvel's more realistic plots (as much as super powered stories can be) and social awareness, I do still have a soft spot for DC's more silly and light hearted 60's tales. The Legion of Super-Heroes were (still are?) a band of futuristic super-powered humanoids from across the galaxy who conquered time travel and so travel back to the 1960's to offer Superboy (as the Legion are all teenagers) a membership. Before they had their own series, their first appearances were in Superboy comics and later in Supergirl - funnily, even though they were time travelers, because Supergirl didn't appear until Superman was an adult, the future heroes that confront Supergirl (in almost an identical story to their introduction in Superboy, right down to getting futuristic ice cream) are the sons and daughters of the heroes that met Superboy. I believe that this completely unnecessary - and potentially confusing - idea was quickly dropped - I assume that the writers realized that time travelers were not restricted to our timeline.

As with the stories, the artwork is nowhere near as sophisticated as the Marvel counterparts but still has its own charm and innocence. And, as with the Marvel heroes, the super powers evolved as time went on - Cosmic Boy, for instance, started out with magnetic rays coming out of his eyes, for some reason! After the introduction of the original trio - Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad (who started as Lightning Boy before they discovered the power of alliteration, I assume) and Cosmic Boy - they slowly bring in the rest of the Legion until we get the team that us readers in the 60's mostly know.

As I said, there are plot devices that require extreme suspension of disbelief, as in the story line where Lex Luthor creates a short wave radio that can send his messages through time and contacts a Legion of Super Villains that Lex simply conjectures exist - so, random radio waves sent to a random time in the future contacts the people that Lex imagined, although didn't know existed! Wow! Lots of other instances that are a little less far-fetched (comparatively) but still pretty wacky, in order to promote the plot. I know that Marvel had some imaginative situations, as well (I remember Thor's alter ego, Dr. Don Blake, being able to create a robot in a matter of hours), but DC seemed to go even farther.

Regardless, this compilation is a fun romp through the goofy side of 60's comics.

Mindful of Race - Ruth King

 

After reading Waking Up White, my lovely wife, who is working on her Buddhist studies, recommended this book as a follow up. Here, King explores race issues and racial identity through the filter of Buddhism and the practice of Mindfulness Meditation. As an African-American, older lesbian, her viewpoint of race and life experiences are extremely different from Debby Irving's in Waking Up White. Overall, I was expecting more about race issues - and she does focus on this in general - but there is quite a bit about meditation practices (in relation and reaction to racial issues), as well, which I am not quite ready to delve into.

But, before she gets into meditation recommendations, she does reference race and racial issues, and refers to racism as a disease - which she also breaks down as dis-ease in the case of race. There are many points made, and once again, there are complaints from people of color about whites wanting to be taught what the issues are for POC, but due to our whiteness, how are we to know or understand without POC explaining? I'm certain that it gets tiresome but what are the options? I suppose the point is for us to research the writings of POC rather than just asking friends and acquaintances.

The point that POC do their best to make, and whites have a hard time registering, is clearly stated by King as "Systemic racial harm and injury is not a POC issue - it is a white privilege issue." This is certainly difficult for many whites to comprehend, especially those who see themselves as the savior rather than the oppressor.  Another major point is that "I don't see race" is an insult, not a compliment as it ignores all that someone has gone through due to their race. And saying that is a privilege relegated to whites - POC do not have that privilege.

This book is definitely written for people who are working on the mindful meditation practices and who want to combine that with racial awakening (for lack of a better term). But, for those of us who are not looking for meditation recommendations, it falls a bit short as a book on race relations. So, I'd only recommend for those who follow these practices.

recommended gigs

 Friday 9-29-23 - The Psyatics, the Minges, the Way Outs at the Double Down

Friday 9-29-23 - Eddie and the Subtitles at the Dive Bar

Friday 9-29-23 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cats

Saturday 9-30-23 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cats

Saturday 9-30-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at brunch at Mabels

Saturday 9-30-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-30-23 - Thee Hypnotiques at Tiki di Amore

Sunday 10-1-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Virgils BBQ

Sunday 10-1-23 - Shanda and the Howlers at Tommy Rockers

Monday 10-2-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday 10-3-23 - Houston and the Dirty Rats, Gob Patrol and the Minges at the Founder's Club

Wednesday 10-4-23 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast with guests the Blvd Bullies and more at the Double Down

Friday 10-6-23 - The Shakewells, the Rebel Set, Isaac The Phantom Rother at Red Dwarf

Friday 10-6-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Virgils BBQ

Saturday 10-7-23 - Huntridge Vintage Party in the Park at Circle Park featuring live music from Thee Hypnotiques and the Souvenairs from 4-7 pm

Saturday 10-7-23 - The Peculiar Pretzelmen with White Sands and Fuzz Solow at Red Dwarf

Saturday 10-7-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 10-9-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 10-12-23 - the Adverts at the Dive Bar

Thursday 10-12-23 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cats

Saturday 10-14-23 - Tav Falco's Panther Burns with Rhythm Ace and the Nu-Tones at the Sand Dollar Downtown

Saturday 10-14-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 10-15-23 -Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Sunday 10-15-23 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cats

Monday 10-16-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-20-23 - The Double Whammys at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-20-23 -Richard Lloyd Group and Fur Dixon with the Shakewells and the Psyatics at the  Sand Dollar Downtown 

Friday 10-20-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Virgils BBQ

Saturday 10-21-23 - the return of Water Landing with the Psyatics, James Jewell and Eric Wilson's Cowboy Mashup Show at the Double Down

Saturday 10-21-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 10-23-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-27-23 - The Unwieldies with Sara Patterson at the Huntridge Tavern

Friday 10-27-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Mabels

Friday 10-27-23 - the Minges, the Wayouts and SSR at Cemetery Pulp

Saturday 10-28-23 - the Love Bombs, War Peggy, Desert Degenerates, Va Voom at Founder's Club

Friday - Sunday 11-10-23 - 11-12-23 - Tecopa Takeover with The Psyatics, Big Like Texas, Pitchfork, Catfish John and more

Saturday 11-11-23 - Black Joe Lewis at The Wall in Area15

Friday 11-17-23 - Fuzz Solow, 1/2 Ast, Dana Plato, DJ Atomic at the Double Down

Sunday 11-19-23 - Atom Age, the Shakewells, Cromm Fallon and the P200 at the Griffin

Thursday 3-14-24 - The Silhouettes at the Double Down

Friday 3-15-24 - the Silhouettes with Fur Dixon and the Psyatics at Red Dwarf

Waking Up White - Debby Irving

 

This is another random purchase that my lovely wife picked up on a whim, and as we are always trying to improve ourselves, we thought we'd see what Irving had to say.

As an extremely privileged white Baby Boomer - think country clubs, summer homes, lawyer father, stereotypical WASP family in Northeastern USA - Irving has her heart in the right place as she tries to understand how white people fit in - and are the cause of - racial relations in this country. From her lifetime of privilege, money and "normality", she has no understanding or experience with first hand prejudice and how it affects not just people of color, but anyone who is not straight, white, middle-or-upper-class or "different" in any fashion. I can't pretend to know what it is like to be a person of color, but I do understand being singled out for being "different" - a freak, strange clothes, unusual attitudes, out of the ordinary passions, etc. Obviously, my experiences pale in comparison to people of color, but I have been picked on my entire life (although it has lessened considerably as I have become an older, more normal looking white man), bullied and singled out by police for my appearance - something that is obvious has never happened to Irving.

The things that astonish her make her appear painfully naive in the extreme - she thought that everyone had the same advantages that she and her (very white) family had and that all you had to do was work hard to get ahead in this country. She and her husband were flabbergasted that people of color did not receive the same gifts that her father did as a recipient of the post-WWII GI Bill, for instance. Her lack of empathy (until she thought about it) for a handicapped person, as another example, is fairly surprising, as well - she never considered her life as other than the one she had.

I am just a couple of years older than Irving, but I had a much less (financially) privileged upbringing, and I was the outsider, the freak, the hippie, the punk, etc., so I have more understanding of living on the outside. And my parents, although products of their time, naturally, did their best to evolve socially and understand and have empathy for the trials of people who did not have the privileges that we had, such as they were. But even with these experiences (and with dating women of many different races), I have certainly been a product of my time, as well, and have made extremely inappropriate jokes, made naive assumptions and much more (although I continually try to evolve, as I said), so it is not too surprising that someone in a much wealthier bubble would have even less ways of processing this information.

Probably the most dramatic concept for me, even though it's not something completely foreign to me, but stating it plainly is important, is the idea that the white majority should not be focused on how minorities can fit in, but how the majority can be more inclusive and learn from the other cultures. Of course, I have always been open to other cultural traditions and concepts, but the fact that the white powers-that-be expect everyone else to fit in with them instead of incorporating other viewpoints themselves is certainly a thought that bears repeating. And, of course, in my old white man way, I am not expressing the concept too well but hopefully I am making some sense.

An interesting read, in any case, and kind of amazing just how sheltered and naive Americans can be - there are many who should be reading this book that would probably never even consider it. I have been reading books from activists and people of color most of my life, but this does make me want to explore the concept of privilege even more and never take for granted the how lucky my life has been.

recommended gigs

 Friday 9-22-23 - Danzig, Twin Temple, Behemoth, Midnight at the Theater at Virgin

Friday 9-22-23 - Trevor and the Swinging Johnsons at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-23-23 Thee Swank Bastards brunch at Mabels

Saturday 9-23-23 - The Implosions, the Hideaway and the Minges at Red Dwarf

Saturday 9-23-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-23-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Dillinger

Sunday 9-24-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Virgils BBQ

Monday 9-25-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 9-29-23 - The Psyatics, the Minges, the Way Outs at the Double Down

Friday 9-29-23 - Eddie and the Subtitles at the Dive Bar

Friday 9-29-23 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cats

Saturday 9-30-23 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cats

Saturday 9-30-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at brunch at Mabels

Saturday 9-30-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-30-23 - Thee Hypnotiques at Tiki di Amore

Sunday 10-1-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Virgils BBQ

Monday 10-2-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-6-23 - The Shakewells, the Rebel Set, Isaac The Phantom Rother at Red Dwarf

Friday 10-6-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Virgils BBQ

Saturday 10-7-23 - Huntridge Vintage Party in the Park at Circle Park featuring live music from Thee Hypnotiques and the Souvenairs from 4-7 pm

Saturday 10-7-23 - The Peculiar Pretzelmen with Fuzz Solow at Red Dwarf

Saturday 10-7-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 10-9-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 10-12-23 - the Adverts at the Dive Bar

Thursday 10-12-23 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cats

Saturday 10-14-23 - Tav Falco's Panther Burns with Rhythm Ace and the Nu-Tones at the Sand Dollar Downtown

Saturday 10-14-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 10-15-23 -Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Sunday 10-15-23 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cats

Monday 10-16-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-20-23 - The Double Whammys at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-20-23 -Richard Lloyd Group and Fur Dixon with the Shakewells and the Psyatics at the  Sand Dollar Downtown 

Friday 10-20-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Virgils BBQ

Saturday 10-21-23 - the return of Water Landing with the Psyatics, James Jewell and Eric Wilson's Cowboy Mashup Show at the Double Down

Saturday 10-21-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 10-23-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-27-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Mabels

Saturday 10-28-23 - the Love Bombs, War Peggy, Desert Degenerates, Va Voom at Founder's Club

Friday - Sunday 11-10-23 - 11-12-23 - Tecopa Takeover with The Psyatics, Big Like Texas, Pitchfork, Catfish John and more

Sunday 11-19-23 - Atom Age, the Shakewells, Cromm Fallon and the P200 at the Griffin

Thursday 3-14-24 - The Silhouettes at the Double Down

Friday 3-15-24 - the Silhouettes with Fur Dixon and the Psyatics at Red Dwarf

recommended gigs

 Friday 9-15-23 - Nowhere Fast, Funeral Haze, Mdnight Clover at Artifice

Saturday 9-16-23 Thee Swank Bastards brunch at Mabels

Saturday 9-16-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 9-18-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 9-20-23 - It's OK, Suburban Resistance, Crom. Fallon and the P200 at the Dive Bar

Friday 9-22-23 - Danzig, Twin Temple, Behemoth, Midnight at the Theater at Virgin

Friday 9-22-23 - Trevor and the Swinging Johnsons at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-23-23 Thee Swank Bastards brunch at Mabels

Saturday 9-23-23 - The Implosions, the Hideaway and the Minges at Red Dwarf

Saturday 9-23-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-23-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Dillinger

Sunday 9-24-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Virgils BBQ

Monday 9-25-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 9-29-23 - The Psyatics, the Minges, the Way Outs at the Double Down

Friday 9-29-23 - Eddie and the Subtitles at the Dive Bar

Saturday 9-30-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at brunch at Mabels

Saturday 9-30-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-30-23 - Thee Hypnotiques at Tiki di Amore

Sunday 10-1-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Virgils BBQ

Monday 10-2-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-6-23 - The Shakewells, the Rebel Set, Isaac The Phantom Rother at Red Dwarf

Friday 10-6-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Virgils BBQ

Saturday 10-7-23 - The Peculiar Pretzelmen at Red Dwarf

Saturday 10-7-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 10-9-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 10-12-23 - the Adverts at the Dive Bar

Saturday 10-14-23 - Tav Falco's Panther Burns with Rhythm Ace and the Nu-Tones at the Sand Dollar Downtown

Saturday 10-14-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 10-15-23 -Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Monday 10-16-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-20-23 - The Double Whammys at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-20-23 -Richard Lloyd Group and Fur Dixon with the Shakewells and the Psyatics at the  Sand Dollar Downtown 

Friday 10-20-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Virgils BBQ

Saturday 10-21-23 - the return of Water Landing with the Psyatics, James Jewell and Eric Wilson's Cowboy Mashup Show at the Double Down

Saturday 10-21-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 10-23-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-27-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Mabels

Saturday 10-28-23 - the Love Bombs, War Peggy, Desert Degenerates, Va Voom at Founder's Club

Friday - Sunday 11-10-23 - 11-12-23 - Tecopa Takeover with The Psyatics, Big Like Texas, Pitchfork, Catfish John and more

Sunday 11-19-23 - Atom Age, the Shakewells, Cromm Fallon and the P200 at the Griffin

Thursday 3-14-24 - The Silhouettes at the Double Down

Friday 3-15-24 - the Silhouettes with Fur Dixon and the Psyatics at Red Dwarf

Alice Cooper - School's Out - Expanded Version

Again, this is a record that I owned in vinyl version since its release and CD version for decades, but had to pick up this extended release for the live show and studio outtakes. And again, CD 1 is the original album remastered and it sounds great, although I couldn't give you any real examples of any audio differences between this and the original album. Great record, of course, but it's the second CD that is the selling point.

This recording is taken from a show in Miami on May 27, 1972, just a month and a half after the show that appears on the Killer expanded version and so the set list is almost a duplicate, with a couple of songs moved around and the addition of "School's Out" (officially, this time, instead of just an instrumental jam, as on the earlier set). It's still super, naturally, and there are some variations here'n'there, and it is neat to hear how they changed things live, but it is too bad that it isn't a later set with more tunes from School's Out added.

That said, they again open with a wash of feedback, power chords, snappy drums and looping bass lines that kick into an edgy "Be My Lover", then more heavy chords, great lead work and some twin guitar attack for "You Drive Me Nervous" that segues immediately into the great "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" which gives Alice a chance to show off his considerable harmonica skills. They take a breather before Michael starts off their mega-hit "I'm Eighteen" with some mournful organ, which builds as Glen adds some cutting lead lines and the group powers in. Alice scats until the pre-chorus and by then, they are ready to take off for an amazing version of this anthem. A spot on take of their spy-themed epic "Halo of Flies" follows, then the drama of "Dead Babies" (Alice name-checking Miami for crowd reaction) and "Killer" (terrific dual guitar lines and dual guitar melodic feedback!) and Alice's execution. The band comes back with a somewhat formless jam that melds into "Long Way To Go" (somewhat clumsily, if I am to be truthful, but the song rocks fiercely - Neil really drives this one), then a quick transition to the latest hit, "School's Out", which is not easy to pull off in a live setting, so there are some changes made, and a longer solo added, and Michael makes a fast change from organ to guitar, there's a bass/drum breakdown (you'd be hard pressed to find a better rhythm section, ever), the band comes back and builds in intensity'n'speed until they can't go any farther so they stop and jump back into the tune! Whew! (And somehow, sometime, Michael finds time to get back on keys!) Back for an encore of "Is It My Body" with its wonderfully macabre ending and a wilder than usual jam section.

The sound is great throughout - I know that I heard bootlegs in the 70's that were pretty atrocious sounding, so I appreciate the clarity - and the band is pretty damn flawless. I only hope that they find more shows that were taped, as I'm sure there were more from this School's Out period.

The studio extras include the single version of "School's Out" (powerful as hell, still!), an edited, single take of "Gutter Cat" (surprisingly, abruptly shortened when you're used to the album version), an earlier version of "Alma Matter" that is much softer around the edges, but retains the basic arrangement, although Alice's rap is quite different. As "Reflected" evolves into "Elected" the structure appears pretty much fleshed out (other than the breakdown) but Alice's lyrics are extremely changed, although with the same concept - neat to see/hear the evolution before the announcer was added and before they knew how to end it!

As with the expanded Killer set, the booklet here is a real treasure with each surviving member talking about each song giving all kinds of background on the writing and how it relates to the rest of the record along with who was responsible for what, what extra personnel appeared and lots more. Again, this is the stuff that I love to read about and even being a huge AC fan, I certainly learned several things here. And again, there is an overview of the live CD, some cool pix and Bill Holdship's liner notes.
 

Another must have for fans!

Alice Cooper - Killer - Expanded Version

Of course, I have owned the Killer album since it first came out and have had the CD version for pretty much as long as I can remember but, also of course, I had to pick up this new expanded version. The original album appears on the first CD in a remastered version - I am not a real audiophile so I can't really tell a big difference, but it does sound crisp'n'clear and there may be some parts that pop out a little more clearly than in past versions.

But the reason for buying this version is really CD two - a live set from 4-2-72 in Puerto Rico, of all places, along with a few studio outtakes. The band was truly at the peak of their powers at this time, with each'n'every band member firing on all cylinders and with no extra instrumentalists - just the band as they should be heard and before lead guitarist Glen Buxton succumbed to the ravages of alcoholism.

They open with waves of feedback, power chords, rollickin' drums, rollin' bass lines and a blast into their then-current single, the fantastic rocker, "Be My Lover" - a great, straight-forward version, although Michael is a little buried in the mix. A second to tune then their next stomper, "You Drive Me Nervous", highlighted by Glen's lead work as well as the twin guitar attack of Michael with Glen that segues with some feedback into "Yeah Yeah Yeah", where the guitars rule once again (the two really worked great together with harmony lines) as Alice takes a few melodic liberties and blows a fine  harmonica break (he was a great player) and although they seem to get a little lost coming back from the solo, they pull themselves together with relative ease for a strong closing.

Bruce invokes some eerie organ work that provides the basis for a twisted take on their massive hit, "I'm Eighteen", with lots more variation in the vocals'n'arrangement and lets Glen stretch out with some ferocious licks and they build this incredible powerhouse of a song into a crazed climax with an extended ending (including a touch of "American Pie" and some scat singing from Alice) and a feedback finale. So freakin' good! This is followed by their terrific "opus", "Halo of Flies", with its intricate arrangement, multiple changes and hip spy theme (Alice even name-checks "Diamonds Are Forever"), done flawlessly, which moves right into Love It To Death's wonderful "Is It My Body", a riff-rocker with an added extension at the end with a slinky, stripper beat and a morbid theme of "going to the graveyard to pick up some bones" that builds back into a powerhouse end for the song. (Loved this when I first found it on a bootleg and covered it back in my Tommyknockers days).

The centerpiece of the show at this time was, of course, "Dead Babies", a song about child neglect which was showcased by Alice chopping up baby dolls (causing understandable confusion about the topic) followed by the title song, "Killer", which, of course, led to Alice's "execution", at this time by hanging. But naturally, Alice is resurrected and returns with a blistering take on "Long Way To Go"  (which ends with a burst of feedback and a wild jam on the "School's Out" riff) before hitting "Under My Wheels" (with a breakdown for Alice interact with the audience and hand out some cash while singing the 60's tune "Money") for a breathless closer!

The bonus studio tracks are a very different "You Drive Me Nervous" - the verse lyrics are almost completely changed and the lead track has some variation - along with an alternative take on "Under My Wheels" (not nearly as divergent but with a changed - and great! - solo section and an abrupt ending), and "Dead Babies" that really just has some minor contrasting bits.

The booklet is a real prize here, with all of the surviving member talking about each of the songs, who wrote them, what they were thinking about, what influenced them, what they were trying to do and who came up with what parts. This is the stuff that I love and there's some amazing information, even if some of the memories (unsurprisingly) conflict. I never considered, for instance, that "Halo Of Flies" was supposed to be their "prog rock" opus to show that they could really play and to give "ELP a run for their money"! There's also talk of extra people who just happened by the studio and sat in (Rick Derringer, for one), a bit of information about the accompanying live show and some liner notes from Creem magazine's (and AC fan) Bill Holdship. 

 

All in all, a terrific package and well worth it - a must have for fans!

Jimi Hendrix Experience - Los Angeles Forum April 26, 1969

 

Of course, I am a huge Hendrix fan and have been for almost as long as I can remember - there is little that he ever did poorly in my eye, so consider that whenever you read anything I have to say about the man. Of course, even I consider some of his work better than others, but this one is especially ferocious! In light of the fact that the Experience would break up in just over a month's time, the performance here is incendiary - everyone is on fire as they blast through a mix of little known numbers as well as their biggest hits.

Opening with Jimi's fun, free-form rappin', they go into "Tax Free", a "song" they picked up from Hansson and Karlsson, a Swedish instrumental jazz duo, Jimi turns it into a 16 minute loose jam - while their playing is terrific throughout (although the extended drum solo is a bit ostentatious), there is basically no song structure to speak of. Heck, some of Jimi's obvious jams have more changes'n'variations. Interesting way to start a set! I guess it just goes to show that Jimi wasn't too worry about pandering to those who just wanted the hits!

But, from there we are treated to a powerful "Foxey Lady", he shows his mastery'n'knowledge of the blues - past, present'n'future and all the tricks of the trade - in "Red House" (did Jimi ever do a bad version of this one? He always let loose in the best of ways when he played this live with imaginative use of his whammy and wah-wah with plenty of his patented sound "tricks"), and it seems that he always extended "Spanish Castle Magic" in a live setting and he definitely trips out here with some fantastical sounds including an almost jazzy, middle breakdown. This is followed by an early take on the "Star Spangled Banner", with a bit less bombasticness than the later Woodstock version, but still with some finely abrasive'n'beautiful noise. As with Woodstock, they segue into their incredible hit song, "Purple Haze", which is given a pretty straightforward reading, although with a bit of a spectacularly extended solo section and an incredible ending, before going into one of my faves, the semi-nihilistic "I Don't Live Today", filled with Native American-styled drumming and more gorgeous noize (and yet another reference to the Smothers Brothers, although there is no explanation as to why) - my gawd, this must have been amazing to experience live! The finale is another one of Jimi's more perfect live numbers, "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)", which again highlights the mid-boggling playing of the band as they extend the jam and include a bit of "Sunshine Of Your Love" as a tribute to Cream, as they would at this time. The transitions can be a little awkward, but it's still pretty terrific.

The booklet included has a nice remembrance from Billy Gibbons, whose Moving Sidewalks playing with Jimi now'n'again and who actually witnessed the show at the Forum. The rest of the text, though, is just a generic overview of the times and a super brief background of the stadium - nothing particularly informative or interesting. I'm sure that a lot more could have been said, especially as this must have been one of the last shows that the Experience played, as Jimi has Gypsy, Suns and Rainbows at Woodstock just a few months later. Some nice photos of Jimi, though.

Overall, this is another extra-special live show from the original Experience. Highly recommended for fans!

recommended gigs

 Friday 9-8-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Mabels

Saturday 9-9-23 Thee Swank Bastards brunch at Mabels

Saturday 9-9-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 9-10-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Virgils BBQ

Monday 9-11-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 9-15-23 - Nowhere Fast, Funeral Haze, Mdnight Clover at Artifice

Saturday 9-16-23 Thee Swank Bastards brunch at Mabels

Saturday 9-16-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 9-18-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 9-20-23 - It's OK, Suburban Resistance, Crom. Fallon and the P200 at the Dive Bar

Friday 9-22-23 - Danzig, Twin Temple, Behemoth, Midnight at the Theater at Virgin

Friday 9-22-23 - Trevor and the Swinging Johnsons at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-23-23 Thee Swank Bastards brunch at Mabels

Saturday 9-23-23 - The Implosions, the Hideaway and the Minges at Red Dwarf

Saturday 9-23-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 9-24-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at Virgils BBQ

Monday 9-25-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 9-29-23 - The Psyatics, the Minges, the Way Outs at the Double Down

Friday 9-29-23 - Eddir and the Subtitles at the Dive Bar

Saturday 9-30-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at brunch at Mabels

Saturday 9-30-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-30-23 - Thee Hypnotiques at Tiki di Amore

Monday 10-2-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-6-23 - The Shakewells, the Rebel Set, Isaac The Phantom Rother at Red Dwarf

Saturday 10-7-23 - The Peculiar Pretzelmen at Red Dwarf

Saturday 10-7-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 10-9-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 10-12-23 - the Adverts at the Dive Bar

Saturday 10-14-23 - Tav Falco's Panther Burns with Rhythm Ace and the Nu-Tones at the Sand Dollar Downtown

Saturday 10-14-23 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 10-15-23 -Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Monday 10-16-23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-20-23 - The Double Whammys at the Golden Tiki

Friday 10-20-23 -Richard Lloyd Group and Fur Dixon with the Shakewells and the Psyatics at the  Sand Dollar Downtown 

Saturday 10-21-23 - the return of Water Landing with the Psyatics, James Jewell and Eric Wilson's Cowboy Mashup Show at the Double Down

Friday - Sunday 11-10-23 - 11-12-23 - Tecopa Takeover with The Psyatics, Big Like Texas, Pitchfork, Catfish John and more

Sunday 11-19-23 - Atom Age, the Shakewells, Cromm Fallon and the P200 at the Griffin

Thursday 3-14-24 - The Silhouettes at the Double Down

Friday 3-15-24 - the Silhouettes with Fur Dixon and the Psyatics at Red Dwarf