[Note- I am fully aware that the above "Tugggets" graphic is terrible. Well get used to that shit since this is probably going to be a recurring Muddd feature. Or design me a new logo, I don't care.]
It's already February and I still haven't come close to finishing all my '09 End-of-Year lists ("more Best Albums"; "more Best Concerts" and "biggest assholes I encountered at shows in '09" are still in the pipeline). And at the moment I'm too exhausted to do anything that actually involves any "creativity." But this should be fun nonetheless.
OK. I have literally thousands of bootlegs. Despite maintaining this blog for over 3 years, I've practically never really resorted into dipping into my archive of music to share the wealth with y'all. For that I am sorry, and I intend to begin remunerating for that shit forthwith.
So here's the first installment in my personal Nuggets, aka "Tugggets." ("Tuddgets"? Nah. "Tudddets"? That sucks too. Sigh. "Tuddd-nuggets?" //BARF) If there's anything y'all want to hear, feel free to make requests... I've been working on a few "best-of live/rare" playlists from different groups (Velvets, Magnetic Fields in particular, and my GbV one is constantly getting additions. Also I think having a compilation of Diamond Dave's or Phil Anselmo's stage banter would be hysterical). So give a shout if there's shit u wanna hear.
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1.) Neutral Milk Hotel [Jeff Mangum solo] - Gardenhead_Leave Me Alone
Totally prefer this version to the On Avery Island version- Jeff Mangum's voice gets positively Cobainian on the "AND SOME YOU LEAVE BEEE-HIIIIIIIIND!!!" line in this one. Taken from an XFM station session in 1998, in which it's also revealed during an interview that Jeff Mangum has never heard of Captain Beefheart. Huh. Anyway, enjoy this shit.
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2.) Various Artists - Distortions Funkadelphia_14_Loving Spell
Somewhere else in the bowels of the Muddd I raved about Distortions Records' From the Kitchen to the Garage compilation (of Dutch girl-fronted bands in the '60s) which came out in '08. Last week I grabbed Distortion's Allentown, PA-centric garage compilation and immediately became obsessed with this song, by Allentown's own Shillings. How was this not a huge radio hit alongside like Herman's Hermits and The Turtles and that type of stuff?! [Here's the link to Distortions Records' website... you can buy most of their stellar comps for $8, and they have a buy-3-get-one-free deal. I'm going to be hearing a LOT more of this stuff in the coming months.]
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3.) Mogwai - Don't Cry [2_17_98]
Yes, this is Mogwai covering -- earnestly, no less -- the classic Guns N' Roses song. Fucking unreal that this exists, and I think they do an exceptional job with the straight cover.
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4.) Guided by Voices - Let the Good Times Roll [live Cars cover]
"Let the story be told,
Let them say what they want.
Let the story be told,
Let them call you a cunt."
--Robert Pollard
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5.) Matthew Sweet - Do Ya [live ELO cover]
This makes perfect sense/it's probably the most Matthew Sweet-ish song ever written by an artist that isn't actually Matthew Sweet himself.
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6.) Lou Reed - Sweet Jane [live Long Island 1972]
Perfect version of the perfect song. In the late '70s, Lou Reed's live band would often trick this song out with a 4 minute Remain in Light-ish guitar solo intro, but this is a version at it's leanest, cleanest and (consequently) meanest. Had to choose between this and a stellar live version of Lou Reed's epic "Street Hassle" from Cleveland in 1977/you'll probably see that one next week.
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7.) Doug Martsch - Pale Blue Eyes [live acoustic Velvet Underground cover]
While we're on the Lou Reed/VU tip, why not another excellent cover.
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8.) Dinosaur Jr - Feel the Pain [live Santa Monica 1994]
While we're on the Indie-Rock-Guitar-Super-God tip, why not some J for that azz.
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9.) Mad Season - Lifeless Dead [1-8-95 Self-Pollution live]
If you were ever subjected to one of my mixtapes between 1995 and 1999, there's a very good chance you've heard this version of this song at one time or another. I fucking love it and think it's probably among the finest 100 or so songs ever written. Mad Season were, of course, the little-beloved Seattle supergroup that consisted of Alice in Chains' singer, Pearl Jam's lead guitarist, Screaming Trees' drummer (who I think eventually became a Buddhist monk) and a guy they met in rehab on bass.
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10.) Van Halen - Tour Song [live Montevideo 1983]
If I were posting shit based on sheer hilarity, I'd post some early club-era Van Halen where they're covering classic rock standards and Diamond Dave -- who clearly didn't bother learning the lyrics to songs by Zeppelin/Mountain/Joe Walsh/etc. -- basically "zibbidy-bop"s his way through the lyrics. But that's not what this song is-- it's a kind of faux-impromptu moment that the Halen whipped out towards the end of their marathon set to thank the fans-- in this case an Uruguayan crowd-- over a simple, pleasant acoustic chord progression. The best part is when Diamond Dave, always the panderer extraordinaire, exclaims that Montevideo is "NUMERO UNO EN FOOTBALL!!!" towards the end of the song. Fuckin' awesome.
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Okely dokely, that's it for this round. Again, any requests just post 'em in the comments section. Mealz.
