Live/ The Deluxe Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)With his "Live At Sunrise" cd out of print, rock legend Dave Mason's latest release "Live At XM Satellite Radio", is more than an adequate replacement. His guitar playing and singing have never been better, and his band is well rehearsed playing a flawless set of classic rock tunes, that proves to be captivating. There is no filler at this show, as every single song rocks the house with vintage Dave Mason early seventies rock n roll. You don't want to miss "Only You Know And I Know". "We Just Disagree", "Look At You, Look At Me", "Dear MR Fantasy", "All Along The Watch Tower", and of course the song that has withstood the test of time like no other "Feeling Alright", which features a blistering guitar duel between Dave and band member John Sambataro. Also included, are some nice bonus tracks of Dave singing the Eagles "Take It To The Limit"[which first appeared live on his 1976 LP ""Certified Live". A duet with the late Jim Capaldi "40,000 Headmen", and a brand new studio track "Deaf Dumb and Blind". Rumor has it that Dave will be releasing a new studio cd in the near future titled "Alone Together Again". If this release is any indication, it proves that Dave Mason is still a talented singer and guitarist who is as good as any of the other so called classic rock guitar legends. After hearing this release, I certainly am looking forward to hearing his long anticipated new studio release in the future.

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As co-founder of the legendary rock band Traffic, Dave Masonhas always been a powerful force in popular music. His tenure as theirguitarist, vocalist & songwriter, along with his friends Stevie Winwood,Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood, netted the quartet several hit singles andalbums including his signature tune Feelin' Alright and internationalsmashes like Hole In My Shoe.While collaborating with his friends like Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones,Eric Clapton, Delaney and Bonnie and George Harrison, Dave Mason continuedto develop his trademark sound, while igniting a solo career that took offwith his first platinum plus debut album Alone Together from 1970.Over the next three decades, Dave Mason continued his legendary status as astaple radio artist, riding the top rung of the many music charts withtunes like We Just Disagree, Let It Flow, All Along the Watchtower, Show MeSome Affection, and Something from the Heart.A few years ago, Dave Mason and his wonderful band entered into the stateof the art XM studios in Washington D.C., and recorded this new album Liveat XM Satellite Radio. This unique session was performed organically infront of an intimate gathering of friends and fans. From start to finish,it is a solid 100% classic Dave Mason concert.Things start off with a nod to his Alone Together album with the prog-rockclassic World In Changes and his Delaney and Bonnie hit Only You Know and IKnow. Mason's vocals and guitar styling are second to none as the crowdroars in approval.We Just Disagree was Dave's most successful venture at Top 40 radio back inthe late seventies. This emotional live reading brings back the memories ofthis era and skillfully shows the interplay between Mason and his goodfriend guitarist John Sambataro (Firefall, McGuinn Clark & Hillman). Thistrack is indeed a defining moment of the show.No Dave Mason concert is complete without the classics All Along TheWatchtower, Traffic's Dear Mr. Fantasy and the surprise groover Feelin'Alright. His fans and new converts will agree, this new live offering willsatisfy the classic rocker in all of us.In addition to this pivotal live recording, Dave has gone into the vaultsand found a very rare live interpretation of the Eagles classic Take It ToThe Limit. Recorded several years ago in the Orange County, Californialocale, this tune takes on a whole new feeling with the Dave Mason magic.As a further gift to his fans, Dave has also included two new studio tracksthat will truly enhance your listening experience. First, there is the veryrare Dave Mason/Jim Capaldi duet of the classic 40,000 Headmen. Recordedshortly before his untimely death, Jim Capaldi truly sings his soul out onthis revisit to the Traffic era. Dave shares on the vocal chores, as wellas an incredible guitar workout throughout.The intriguing closer, Deaf, Dumb And Blind, is one of those tunes that hisfans have been clamoring years for. Dave's vocals are the ticket here, theamazing music he creates is still intact after four decades of recording,and like a fine wine, his career just gets better all the time. This tunewill surely become one of his future classics.

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Soundstage: Steve Winwood (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)...you'll want this just for the incredible opener CAN'T FIND MY WAY HOME. I have a copy of this show and it's wonderful. It's beautiful. It's Steve Winwood and that tells anyone who knows anything about great rock music all they need to know.
Other highlights include DEAR MR. FANTASY, LOW SPARK, BACK IN THE HIGH LIFE, and DIFFERENT LIGHT from the last album, "About Time"...tho' to be honest, this is a show full of highlights.
One of the greatest voices in rock, if not the greatest, and a master of the Hammond organ and quite the guitar player, Winwood is one of those artists who personifies quality musicianship and a level of professionalism few other artists match.
I'm a big, big fan...if you can't tell.

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SOUNDSTAGE:STEVE WINWOOD - DVD Movie

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London Sessions Review

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(More customer reviews)Some of the reviews here are waaay too generous, so don't get your hopes up about the quality of this album. One reviewer refers to it as the best blues album of all time: Heck, I can name 10 or 12 other MUDDY WATERS albums that has this beat hands down! Muddy's vocals sound tired, the material is sub-par, and the band isn't particularly good, although Rory Gallagher gets off a few good solos. The organ playing is horrid--and absolutely unnecessary. The album cover art gives a pretty good indication that this wasn't a very serious Muddy Waters blues album. You can steer clear of this one, unless you have all of Muddy's classic stuff and are interested in hearing him on an "off-night."

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Blind Faith (Deluxe Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)Now often overlooked, Blind Faith was guitar god Eric Clpaton's first move after Cream imploded at the end of 1968. Joining forces with the multi-talented Steve Winwood(vocals and keyboards), who has just left Traffic, seemed like an unbeatable idea, and the addition of drummer extraordinaire Ginger Baker and bassist Rick Grech made Blind Faith seem like a "can't miss" project. Six months later it was over. Rushed into the studio by greedy and insensitive managers and then sent on a long and chaotic tour, Blind Faith never had a chance to gel as a band. After one promising album, the original supergroup broke up.
Judged a disappointment at the time Blind Faith's one and only album has some very fine moments. Clapton had yet to develop the confidence needed to be a convincing lead vocalist, so he deferred to Winwood, who was at his peak as a singer. Clapton's guitar work is simply magnificent, as he is already maturing beyond his work with Cream and pointing towards his renaissance with Derek & the Dominoes that began a year later.
Polydor has remastered "Blind Faith" using state-of-the-art technology, and reissued it with outtakes and jam sessions from the original 1969 recording sessions. The original album is a revelation; the sound as crisp and full as is imaginable. The clarity is astounding, and even if you think you know every note of this album, you will be pleasantly surprised by what you hear on this new version. Songs like Winwood's "Can't Find My Way Home" and "Sea of Joy," and Clapton's "Presence of the Lord" have aged very well and sound better than ever.
The outtakes are a mixed lot. A couple have appeared on Clapton and Winwood's anthologies, and several others have circulated for years on bootlegs, albeit with inferior sound. These tracks are interesting but not essential.
The jams, alas, are largely a waste. Playing riffs for ten or fifteen minutes while waiting for a musical idea that's worth keeping is not my idea of fun for the listener. These tracks are not even built around a reliable and basic format like 12-bar blues. There are some fiery moments - how could there not be with these musicians - but, like the three CD "Layla" box a decade ago, most of the unreleased material is disappointing.
Still, fans of Clapton, Winwood and their various bands will probably want to own this set. The remastered "Blind Faith" is a gem, and stakes a viable claim for the album as one of the best of its era.

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Live from Madison Square Garden (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the CD and the DVD versions of the Clapton/Winwood MSG as a combo from Amazon. The CD (which I reviewed in its listing) I gave four stars to - it's very good, but now that I've seen the DVD, I'd give the DVD five stars, mainly for what it adds to the equation: the visuals. While it might seem counter-intuitive to grade musicians of this caliber by `what you can see', the DVD added such a great dimension to the show, in terms of WATCHING them solo and seeing the interplay between them, and their excellent band (these guys have serious CHOPS), that I think the DVD ups the ante, hence I'm giving the DVD 5 stars. The musicianship is excellent (they make it look so EASY....i guess that's what the best guys do when they're on their game? Plus they're clearly having a good time up there), and it's great to be able to see who's playing what (namely, that Winwood plays guitar on the first two cuts, and then on several others toward the end - he's a very good guitarist, and holds his own with Clapton, sometimes trading solos. I wasn't exactly sure what SW was playing on, just from listening to the CD - Chris Stainton is the other keysman). The picture is very good, and the camera work/composition is excellent, with nice close-ups and some striking angles where they got both guys in the same shot, Winwood on keys and Clapton on guitar. Some have pointed out editing inconsistencies w/ the visuals, but I didn't really notice it, as I was enjoying the show so much. I listened to the sound in DTS-mode (as opposed to straight 2-channel stereo) and it was excellent - really good mix - much preferable to the CD mix. I guess if you couldn't be there, this DVD (with a good A/V system) is about as close as you can get.
As for the extras on Disc 2, they're good - interviews, some background on Clapton and Winwood's 60's exploits, their time together in Blind Faith, and behind-the-scenes prep for the MSG shows. There are also a couple of bonus cuts, which didn't make the `main' concert as presented on Disc 1 - I noticed in spots, there were synch problems (from watching the drummer) between audio and video, but the extra cuts are nonetheless good (including a 7 minute "Crossroads"). Overall, the disc set was definitely worth the dough, and if you're a fan of either Clapton or Winwood, and have any inclination to buy this, then absolutely do so. You won't be disappointed.


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History rocked and rock made historyduring a sold-out three-gig stand atMadison Square Garden in late February 2008 when icons Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood performed a concert togetherfor the first time since their all-too-brief days in the legendary Blind Faith in 1969. Whether they will ever team again is unknown. But with Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood Live From Madison Square Garden, fans everywhere are able to experience the sound and the glory of aperformance on that famous stage bytwo of rock's greatest artists. The second disc of this 2 DVD edition features 'The Road to Madison Square Garden', an exclusivedocumentary featuring new interviews with Eric and Steve, together with rare footage andphotographs of Cream, Traffic and Blind Faith, plus, 'Rambling On My Mind', The final preparation for thethree legendary performances highlighted by an acoustic soundcheck performance by Eric of the Robert Johnson standard 'Rambling On My Mind',plus bonus Madison Square Garden performances of 'Low Down,' 'Kind Hearted Woman' and 'Crossroads.'

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Live from Madison Square Garden Review

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(More customer reviews)Two discs 65 and 63 minutes each approximately. The sound is immediate yet warm,especially the vocals. The booklet has photographs of the band and song titles and that's it. The booklet omits the song "Low Down" on the track listings,but the listening order is as the jewel case lists them.
If anyone thinks that this is yet another release by yet more musicians trading on their past glories-think again. This is music that everyone has been waiting for for ages. It's powerful,good-time music that will please anyone who likes Clapton and/or Winwood. Its safe to assume that listeners are familiar with both Winwood and Clapton at this point. Winwood,from his teenage years,first came to prominence in the SPENCER DAVIS GROUP,then went on to form TRAFFIC,then BLIND FAITH (with Clapton),and then made several solo albums. Clapton,likewise,gained acclaim in the YARDBIRDS,then his stints with John Mayall's BLUESBREAKERS,CREAM,the previously mentioned BLIND FAITH,DEREK AND THE DOMINOS,and then he recorded many solo albums under his own name.
Why these two musicians waited this long to record together again is anyone's guess. Neither one needs the money,so there must be a better reason. Perhaps it's friendship over all these decades-coming up together in England's music scene,they surely must have formed some kind of bond. No matter,this music is a reaffirmation of much of their respective careers.
The band consists of Winwood,Clapton,Willie Weeks-bass,Chris Stainton-keyboards,and Ian Thomas-drums. There is also a horn section (uncredited) that help("Them Changes"),yet never get in the way. The compositions range from tried and true blues numbers ("Sleeping In the Ground","Double Trouble"),Robert Johnson ("Rambling On My Mind"),to J.J.Cale ("Cocaine","After Midnight"),to Hoagy Carmichael ("Georgia On My Mind"),to Hendrix ("Little Wing","Voodoo Chile"), to a number of tracks from Winwood's days with TRAFFIC,and a few Clapton tunes ("Presence of the Lord" and others he made famous)-together they weave a fiery concert setting that will make you wish that you were there.
Clapton's guitar is front and center on most tracks,and he plays like someone who has been given a second chance. Likewise,his vocals are very forceful and emotional. Of interest is the Robert Johnson tune,"Rambling On My Mind",where Clapton sings this solo,accompanied by his electro-acoustic guitar-a nice change of pace. Of course many tracks are used as jumping off points for jamming-something this band can do effortlessly,but here the entire group sound very together,playing as if this may be their last chance. Winwood's keyboards have that familiar bouncing sound to them,that in contrast with Clapton's guitar,is a real treat. His guitar playing is still fiery and alive. Together they weave in and out of each other,and I defy anyone to keep their body still when the fireworks get started. Its nice to hear these old chestnuts from the past reinvigorated by these masters (including the entire band) who take these songs and put some real life into them. From a pop sound (or as close as they ever came) to slow blues,this is the real deal. Clapton's vocals really shine on "Double Trouble",an old Otis Rush blues that shows his reverence for Rush. His vocals have that lived-in sound that elevates this tune to something else entirely. His guitar cries yet soars through this track,letting every doubter know that he can still feel and play the blues. Winwood's vocals are similarly aching and have that lived-in sound,which he proves over and over again on this set. If anything,his voice has deepened a bit,which gives his vocals an extra punch. It's interesting that Winwood started out imitating Ray Charles,and here he still retains a lot of Charles' sound and vocal inflections. Listeners will have their own favorites here,with a song selection that's designed for just that effect.
Anyone who likes Clapton from his DEREK AND THE DOMINOS days will find much to like here. These tracks have that old magic from days gone by. Its great to hear that these two masters still have that certain something that enables them to reach out and move listeners like they do here. This will be something that will be played over and over again by listeners,and every time something new will be heard.


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2 CD edition. History rocked and rock made history during a sold-out three-gig stand at Madison Square Garden in late February 2008 when icons Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood performed a concert together for the first time since their all-too-brief days in the legendary Blind Faith in 1969. Whether they will ever team again is unknown. But with Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood Live From Madison Square Garden, fans everywhere are able to experience the sound and the glory of a performance on that famous stage by two of rock's greatest artists.

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40,000 Headmen Tour: Live Review

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(More customer reviews)One of my favorite albums of all time is Dave Mason's 1970 epic 'Alone Together'. Aside from the songs 'We Just Disagree' and 'Feelin' Alright' (both included here), Dave didn't do a lot else of consequence to me... but he didn't have to either. Mason built a career around 4 of the 'Alone Together' songs featured here ('Sad and Deep As You', 'World In Changes', 'Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave' and 'Only You Know and I Know'), in addition to 'Waiting On You' and 'Look At You, Look At Me'. With each successive album, I hoped against hope that Mason could replicate this masterpiece, but it wasn't to be. Fortunately, Dave's voice is every bit as vibrant as it ever was, so he can continue to reinvent these songs as he does here. I have no problem with that. Mason is also an overlooked electric guitar maestro, so it is always a treat to hear the new plucks and twangs he puts on these numbers. He accentuates his use of the wha-wha less than in the 70's, which is understandable, but I miss it a bit.
But before 'Alone Together' there was the memorable band 'Traffic' from the late 60's and early 70's, which early-on teamed Mason with Steve Winwood and percussionist Jim Capaldi. This reunion of Mason and Capaldi then features many of Capaldi's best compositions with 'Traffic', such as the kicking opener 'Pearly Queen', '40,000 Headmen', 'The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys', and a straight forward, less psychedelic 'Dear Mr. Fantasy'. The setlist is rounded out with another Capaldi composition, the love ballad 'Love Will Keep Us Alive', and a cover of Bob Dylan's 'All Along the Watchtower', a staple of Mason concerts for many years. Except for 'Pearly Queen' and 'Dear Mr. Fantasy', Capaldi handles the vocals on all of his own compositions, and the songs fit his gravely vocal cords well. Needless to say, there isn't a loser in the bunch.
Some of the highlights of the concert are every solo played by Mason, and occasional keyboard runs by Steve Thoma. Capaldi's unique percussion skills are on display, especially his conga accompaniment on 'Sad and Deep As You' and 'Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave', supplanting the usual drum kit. 'Shouldn't Have...' features a one-verse segue into John Lennon's 'Dear Prudence', and 'Low Spark...' is performed sans percussion as Capaldi adeptly accompanies Mason's wailing electric guitar with an airy acoustic guitar. We're looking at some talented musicians here.
And this recording is crisp, perhaps the sharpest live recording I've heard. The instruments blend nicely, yet remain distinct, and the vocals are clear and strong as well. While Capaldi writes in the liner notes that the mix is derived "with no overdubs or repairing whatsoever", it is obvious that sound tech John Taylor has been experimenting with the audience noise. Between songs, you will feel you are listening to a bootleg tape made from the 50th row of the auditorium, clearly picking up snippits of conversations among members of the audience as you struggle to make coherant Mason and Capaldi's on-stage banter. Yet with the beginning of each song, the audience is back in the can and you may as well be sitting in front of the drum kit with Mason on your left and Thoma on your right. It's an interesting recording endeavor, not overlooked and not without effect.
If you enjoy 'Alone Together' and Traffic, you'll enjoy this. The 3 song opener and 4 song closer rock the house down, and the middle section is mindful reflection. These guys have been around, and know how to deliver.

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Live: 40,000 Headmen Tour Review

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(More customer reviews)I had the pleasure of attending the Hartford CT show where much of this cd was taped and it was a magical night, witnessing two of rocks most underrated legends perform great songs. There was magic in the air and it comes through on this cd. 40,000 Headman, Dear Mr. Fantasy, and Low Spark will bring you back in time, yet with a fresh sound for the 90's. Daves Feelin Alright, World in Changes and Only You and I Know show his masterful guitar playing and strong voice. Pearly Queen and Watchtower will keep you rocking. Treat yourself to a great classic rock listening experience. I've played it no less that 100 times in the last 6 weeks.

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12 previously unreleased live tracks recorded by these two founding members of Traffic between February & April, 1998 on the 40,000 Headmen tour. Over an hour long, it contains fantastic versions of classic Traffic cuts, some of Mason's solo hits and an amazing rendition of Bob Dylan's 'All Along The Watchtower'. 1999 release.

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ERIC CLAPTON BEHIND THE SUN TOUR Review

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(More customer reviews)There is a reason this dvd is under 10 bucks. It stinks. Actually my copy was a bootleg copy. If it wasn't so cheap I would have sent it back. I noticed it as soon as I opened it. It is a burned dvd with a light scribe photo on the front of it. It should be removed from amazon. The sound quality sucks and the lighting is dark as if it was cheaply transfered from a vhs. If you are a E.C. fan as I am, there are way better DVD's out there. This one will go on my shelf with the rest of them but it won't get much playing time. BEWARE!

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1.TULSA TIME - (E. Clapton)2.MOTHERLESS CHILDREN - (E. Clapton)3.I SHOT THE SHERIFF - (B Marley)4.SAME OLD BLUES - (E. Clapton)5.BLUES POWER - (E. Clapton)6.TANGLED IN LOVE - (E. Clapton)7.SHE´S WAITING - (E. Clapton)8.WONDERFULL TONIGHT - (E. Clapton)9.LAY DOWN SALLY - (E. Clapton)10.BADGE - (E. Clapton)11.LET IT LAIN - (B Bram Lett/E. Clapton)12.COCAINE - (E Clapton)13.FOREVER MAN - (E. Clapton)14.LAYLA - (E. Clapton)

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