Grousing The Aisles: I Write The Songs

Wilco 08/22/2007 SBD/AUD Matrix [FLAC, MP3]

Wilco has made a habit of allowing soundboard patches at some of their recent shows. Wilco fans, for their part, have made a habit out of combining the soundboard feeds with audience feeds to give the recordings a much needed touch of life. Just this week we came across a crispy matrix recording of Wilco’s August 22nd gig at the Edgefield Inn in Troutdale, Oregon. Not only does the recording sound great, but Wilco’s performance is top-shelf.

Jeff Tweedy’s voice is in fine form throughout the recording, but the star of this boot is Nels Cline. Cline’s machine gun-like runs on his guitar fit Tweedy’s songs so perfectly it hurts. One of the best tunes from this show is Impossible Germany off Sky Blue Sky. While I like the studio version, Impossible Germany thrives in a live setting from the energy the crowd emits during the peak of Cline’s magnificent solo. Other noteworthy tunes include a special version of California Stars with Peter Buck of R.E.M. and Scott McCaughey of the Minus 5, and a gorgeous rendition of Jesus Etc. Wilco plays their hometown of Chicago tonight, and will be on tour for the remainder of the year.

Matthew Sweet 05/01/1997 Pre-FM SBD [FLAC, MP3]

You couldn’t listen to alternative rock radio for long in the early ’90s without coming across one of Matthew Sweet’s power-pop masterpieces. Sweet wrote some incredibly catchy and beautiful tunes that came alive in the studio. Both 1991’s Girlfriend and 1993’s Altered Beast are must own albums full of well crafted songs. I never had a chance to catch Matthew in concert, so I was excited to download this pristine soundboard from 1997.

Come to California, the opening track of 1997’s Blue Sky on Mars, shows off Matthew Sweet’s insane ability to match catchy words with catchy hooks. From there Sweet ventures back in time to tackle all of the classic songs off of Girlfriend and Altered Beast. The title track from Girlfriend comes alive with the sound of screeching guitars, and gasp!, even a little jamming between members of his band. Divine Intervention is also extended a bit in concert from the original three-minute version. Other highlights of the set include a rockin’ version of Evangeline, and a brilliant cover of ELO’s Do Ya. If you’ve never heard Matthew Sweet, this would be a good time to check out one of his live shows. If you’re an old Matty fan like myself, you’ll love this bootleg.

Paul McCartney 06/27/2007 SBD [FLAC, MP3]

Paul McCartney played a “secret” show at Amoeba Records in June to promote his latest album Memory Almost Full. Every review, including Bob Lefsetz’s ode to Macca, seemed to indicate this was one of McCartney’s finest gigs. KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic recently broadcast an hours worth of highlights from the Amoeba show for everyone to enjoy. And enjoy we most certainly did.

From the beginning of Drive My Car to the end of I Saw Her Standing There, McCartney and his band give an incredible performance that makes you question how Paul can be 64 years old. The crowd is so into the gig that you’d almost think this show was from the Beatlemania period. Even the new songs like Dance Tonight and House of Wax get a well deserved huge ovation. Drummer Abe Laboriel Jr., the best thing to ever happen to McCartney, pushes the old man at every step. Rumor has it Macca will return to the States for a tour next year, but for now check out this incredible recording.

That’s all we have for now, but that’s plenty so we don’t feel bad. What have you been listening to this week? Let us know by leaving a message below…