Two good live albums.

For instance, this is what I'm listening to right now, for the first time:

I've had this for a while, but never stuck it on. I decided that nothing ventured was nothing gained, so I slipped it on, for a first-time listen. It's pretty great: the band was amazingly together at this point, which makes sense, considering that they had basically toured for two straight years previous to this. "In My Room" still sparkles, even when smothered in girls' screams. (Oddly enough, they cover "Monster Mash" with Mike Love on lead vocals. It's passable.) At its best moments, it's powerful, trebly surf music, all Strats and loud drums - spin "Let's Go Trippin' " at the end of side 1, to hear what I mean.
And, as a side note, I wouldn't mind having those Fenders that they're playing on the cover. Matching white Strat, Jaguar, and P-Bass with rosewood necks? Are they trying to tempt me to build a time machine and the nerve to steal things?

This reminds me of my favorite vintage live album, so I think I'll listen to that next. Which album is that? It's this one:



It's hard to describe this album - it's a searing example of what Bo Diddley could do if you gave him his guitar, a tube amp, and an able-bodied backing band. It roars, it rocks, and it rolls you into a frenzied, jittery excitement if you listen to it at a loud volume. This was recorded live in July 1963, before those Beatles came across the water - and this proves that Bo was rocking WAY harder than them, even in their seedy Hamburg days. Like, ridiculously harder.
Most of all, this album rips you a new one because it's so unbelievely raw. The amps were definately turned up to eight at this show, and the drummer seems like the kind of guy who will speed everything up double-time if you give him the chance. He takes that chance liberally - like "Gunslinger", which was pretty tame in the studio, is transformed into a fast twister in the hands of this drummer, and Bo responds accordingly, strumming with a speed that you thought he was incapable of - and the rest of the band feeds off of Bo, giving it their all. Caught up in the vibe, Bo felt it proper to shout his vocals for most of the album. His guitar tone in these early years was his signature - sinous, overdriven, and pulsing with vibrato, and unique in the sense that I've never heard anyone else reproduce it. It sounds the best here.
Morever, this album just sounds great. Why? Because my copy is beat to shit. I bought it at a flea market garage sale for two or three dollars. No, it wasn't one of those "Jesus, this thing is pristine, and I got it for a steal!" moments. I knew it was going to sound pretty horrible, and I bought it anyway. The vinyl itself is caked with decades of dirt and fingerprints, and my lame attempts to clean it only left swirls on the grooves. However, I feel like this is the way it's supposed to sound - all muddled and crackly. The dirtiness only helps it sound more raw and heavy, and I don't mind, because it's been loved, and given hours and hours of entertainment in return. This little slab of plastic commands respect.

Everyone is in bed, and I'm trying hard not to blast this record. Maybe I should go to bed too. Look forward to more album reviews soon - I enjoy writing them.