First day of the month.
First song of the album.
Four songs.
D'Angelo & The Soultronics "Devil's Pie" // Voodoo Tour (2000)
After Voodoo's release, D'Angelo embarked on what would become one of the most fabled series of live soul shows in history, "The Voodoo Tour". Consisting of a live group entitled the "Soultronics", (assumedly assembled by Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson of The Roots) which engulfed arena-size stages with various dancers and instrument players, it was one of the most attended shows of the year. The tour was taken all around the world, one of the most notable performances being the Free Jazz Festival in Brazil. The live show was a thinly-disguised homage to Prince's late 80's shows, in its grandeur and conceptual stage set up/setlist. Slum Village (then in its original line-up of Jay Dee, Baatin & T3) opened for D'Angelo on several dates, and soul-tinged R&B singer Anthony Hamilton sang backup within the band.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 488 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Prince "Do It All Night" // New York Dirty Mind Tour (1981)
That breakdown half way through the song where Prince tells Andre to take it?
Fantastic!
I love it!
This is why I love collecting live shows. Those little musical detours the artist takes with a song truly makes the show. It's not enough to get on stage and regurgitate the album track. I can do that at home for free without the smoke and the crowd. I come to the show for an experience! I want to hear everything you experimented with, but were too scared to release. All those extended solos and riffs that the record label frowns upon because they need the album to fit in this little box, ALL THAT! I want to hear it!
Anyway, this is one of my most favorite live Prince moments. This is what I play for people when they don't quite understand how great this man was. Prince was genius in the studio but wild on stage. Stay tuned this month because I have another concert to showcase.
The Jacksons "Opening/Can You Feel It" // The Jacksons Live (1981)
I remember I went to the mall with my Mom and my aunts one weekend while we were in South Beloit, IL visiting family. When we first got there, I ran to the record store to thumb through the albums. My Aunt Annie said she would buy me two records, but I had to promise to be good for the rest of the mall trip. Shoot, what kid is going to deny THAT deal? So on this day I chose two Michael Jackson albums. One was a Jackson 5 Greatest Hits compilation, the other was The Jacksons Live.
We walked out of the store and I was the happiest kid in the mall. I started walking towards the door thinking, "I got my stuff, let's go." I was wrong. Three hours later and my aunts were STILL SHOPPING! I must have sat on every bench in the mall two times over just waiting for them to stop feeling the fabrics of dresses and trying on shoes. What made it worse, my Aunt Annie wouldn't let me take my new records out of the bag.
"Don't take them out of the bag! Someone will think you stole it."
Don't ask.
This is a phenomenal live album. Growing up I listened to it so much, I recreated the show in my mind using the music as the soundtrack. I envisioned the choreography , the crowd, the back up band, everything...ha ha. This was also the first time I heard "Heartbreak Hotel". I bring this up because eons later when I was in college and I bought the Triumph album, I was upset at how slow the tempo was. The live version, which is much faster, really drives that bass line through the chorus. To me, it's the only version worth listening to.
If you haven't heard this live album, get it. Although it's a combination of songs from their entire tour, it's the Jacksons at their best.
Curtis Mayfield "Mighty Mighty (Spade and Whitey)" // Curtis/Live! (1971)
Superfly is my first choice.
Curtis/Live! is my second.
I love this album for some of the same reasons I love Donny Hathaway's Live joint. Both were recorded in small intimate environments, and the music benefits from it.
"I got to say it louder, I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD!"
I love when he sings that line and the crowd at the Bitter End reacts. It's personal...it's warm. It reminds me of one of my favorite music venues in Chicago, the Hot House on Balbo. I saw a ton of shows there in the South Loop while I was attending school at Columbia, and it was a great feeling hearing a small band get up there to perform. Almost like we were in on this secret. Curtis and his small band didn't need a stadium that night. All they needed were some ears and energy.
If you ever check this album out, listen to the interludes in between the songs when Curtis is talking to the crowd. Artists don't do that anymore. Amazing.
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