Day 0861 - Live 1966

Bob Dylan "Live 1966" (1998)

Recorded during Dylan's controversial early move to electric music.  The first half of the concert/album is Dylan alone playing acoustic tracks.  For the second half, Dylan is accompanied by his excellent backing band the Hawks, who would go on to find fame themselves as "the Band" (see days 127 and 156).

The book states that Dylan and the Hawks were heckled and jeered during the electric set... maybe that was edited out of the version I listened to because it just sounds like cheers for the duration.

I like the mix of sounds between the two sets and I guess it's an important historical musical recording, but at an hour and a half, this is a touch too much Bob for my tastes.

Day 0692 - Rising Above Bedlam

Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart "Rising Above Bedlam" (1991)

Jah seems to be a bit of an interesting guy, having played in Public Image Ltd with his friend John Lydon and then with members of Can.   There are stories that he set fire to his room-mates' possessions and maybe even the drummer from the Fall, the aptly named "Karl Burns".

Jah had a number of musical collaborations throughout the 80s before releasing his first album with the Invaders of the Heart.  "Rising Above Bedlam" is the group's second release and takes the mixing of cultures/genres popular in London at the time to new levels.  There are middle-eastern chants, synthy noodlings, African rhythms, Spanish guitar, dub, street poetry... bedlam indeed.  Yet, Jah does manage to rise above the musical carnage of the mishmash of genres to present an interesting, cohesive album.