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Here are some music videos of artists I like.
Some you may know. Some you may not.
Some are old, some new. Some nice, some not so.

Since youtube videos get pulled for copyright reasons some vids may disappear suddenly.
I will post new ones periodically when I find that has happened.

Concerts and Tickets from long ago

CLICK HERE to see why 1972 was The Greatest Year in Rock and Roll

Robert Fripp
(of King Crimson fame)
on The Midnight Special (Oct. 4, 1979)

Fripp followed Rick James (!) on this show. You don't get programming like that any more.
This piece is simply breathtakingly beautiful.

Robert Fripp
(of King Crimson fame)
on MTV's "The Cutting Edge" (May 27, 1984)

"Art is the capactiy to reexperience one's innocence.
Craft is how you get to that point.
Maturity in a musician would be the point at which one is innocent at will."

Robert Wyatt
performing Gharbzadegi

and,

Sea Song, which may be his best known song (if not the most memorable performance of it)

Jethro Tull
Skating Away (on the thin ice of the new day) (1977)

The Louisville Leopard Percussionists homepage
This is totally cool. Check these kids out!

KASHMIR

The Louisville Leopard Percussionists on YouTube
You can hear them play, among other things:Metallica, Rush, Low Rider, Black Magic Woman, Ozzy, Jimi, the Beatles.
There need to be more programs for kids like this!

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

The greatest "cover band" in musical history!

check them out here:
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - official site
UOoGB at Myspace
UOoGB at Wikipedia
UOoGB videos on YouTube

Smells Like Teen Spirit

.

For this "traditional english song" the band puts down their ukes and performs A Cappella.

Teenage Dirtbag

Les Menestriers at medieval.org

Les Menestriers were, ABSOLUTELY, the best, rockingest, medieval/renaissance band EVER!
To me they really captured the spirit of the wandering troubadour,
much more like the spirit of Rock and Roll than the standard
stiff-backed, tuxedoed, sheet-music-reading ensemble that one expects from an early music group.

Pere Ubu
in 1981 - Birdies

.

David Thomas and The Brothers Quay
performing March of Greed (2008)
click here for the official video - VERY COOL

.

Oregon (official site)
Oregon at Wikipedia

My Oregon Story:
There is, apparently, very little live footage of older Oregon.
What a shame.
This band's legacy is tragically unrecognized.
Maybe someday their work will be appreciated by more than
the few who know them now.

I was lucky enough to see them in (I think) 1978, in of all places,
the Somerset, KY High School auditorium.
Our car had broken down. We came in late.
We sat in the second row, right behind a running reel to reel machine
taping the whole thing.
Where is that recording now?
It was a wonderful concert.
By the end of the show about a third of the audience had left.
It was apparently too much for them to handle.
We spoke to the band as they were packing up their gear.
They generously offered to assist our transportation problem.
We declined their kind offer.
What a great bunch of guys.

.

Waterwheel (unknown date)

In 1981 a friend and I went to see Ralph Towner perform a solo show in D.C.
During intermission my friend, a classical and 12-string player,
mosied backstage to ask Ralph a technical question about hand positioning.
Towner being the gentleman that he is, spent 15 minutes with my friend
giving him a brief e"lessond" on the different hand positions he uses
for classical vs. 12-string playing. What a guy. Wow.

Zappa Plays Zappa

Click on the above picture, then click on any picture after the window opens

Frank’s son Dweezil takes his father’s oeuvre on the road with some top notch musicians.
I saw them on my 50th and it was without a doubt, one of the best concerts I have EVER attended.

Zomby Woof - with Steve Vai (wow!)
His truly incredible solo starts at the 3 minute mark.

Shirley Collins (official site)

Shirley Collins (wikipedaia)

SHIRLEY COLLINS and (her sister) Dolly Collins perform "Geordie"

Not a video, just a still picture and the music
There is very little film of Shirley performing. This will have to suffice

When I was 14 years old I heard one song, by her, one time on the radio (WGTB-FM).
I became instantly enamored and looked for her records.
I could not find them anywhere, and none of the stores near me could even order them as imports.
I continued to search vigorously for 11 years, (in those pre-internet days)
until finally at the age of 25, I found 5 of her albums at Third Street Jazz in Philadelphia.
I bought them all without hesitation and loved them. Since then I've gotten most of her recorded work.
There is something about her voice that is both very familiar and foreign, and hauntingly beautiful.
On the strength of hearing that one song, one time and vigilant searching
I found an artist whose work has helped form me, has informed me, and given me joy for the better part of my life.
You don't find artists like this very often.

Al Stewart

I've never been one for the singer-songwriter acoustic strummer,
but there is something about Al Stewart's songs (lots are history-based)
and his voice that really moves me. Don't know why.
He is so much more than his two hits "On The Border" and "Year of the Cat".
- anyway, check him out:

Nostradamus
Soho (Needless to Say)
The Broadway Hotel

Peter Pringle
sings, plays harp, lute, organs, theremin, hurdy gurdy, and other stuff.

For me, this piece really captures the feeling of the 8th century, when Beowolf was written,
AND combines two of my favorite instruments; hurdy gurdy and theremin.
Now, if he could only add a mellotron and some krumhorns I would be in heaven.

RADIOHEAD
It gives me hope for music that a band that creates such weird music can be so popular.

Barnes and Barnes
Fish Heads (1979)

This is unquestionably, without a doubt, the GREATEST MUSIC VIDEO ever created
The first 2 minutes and 18 seconds is basically an intro.
Stick with it, or jump ahead. It is worth it.

Ivor Cutler
Shoplifter (mid 1970s ?)

More:
www.ivorcutler.org

The Hush Sound

What a shame this band never made it big. They worked hard for five years.
I saw them live 5 times and they never disappointed. They released three albums .

Bloodrock
Bloodrock at Wikipedia
D.O.A. (1970)

It is truly inconceivable that this was actually an AM radio "hit"
Heck, the thing is over 8 minutes long!.
We all knew it We all loved it.
It's a good thing there were no music videos in 1970.
This song is rough enough with just your imagination alone.

CocoRosie

Wonderfully weird. Two sisters, a keyboard/trumpeter, Tez the beatbox.

After the Afterlife (2013)

Midnight Oil
Short Memory (1983)

The Art Bears
The Hermit (1979)

Chris Cutler (drums), Dagmar Kraus (vocals), and Fred Frith (guitar, bass, violin).
What a trio. They did one brief tour in May of 1979.

Formed from the remnants of the band Henry Cow
Henry Cow at Wikipedia
the Art Bears took music to strange and wonderful places.
This may be their most "hummable" tune.
I always liked the meter change when the violin comes in.

This song is NOT representative of the rest of their work, which can be quite challenging listening.

They made no videos.
There is no film of them performing, that I know of.
This "video" is just the album cover and the tune.

Soft Machine
Why Am I So Short? (1967)

.

The Jazz version of Soft Machine in Paris, 1970

Pink Floyd

The Floyd at Wikipedia

R.I.P. Richard Wright who passed on Sept. 15, 2008.

Interstellar Overdrive (1966)

Malicorne

I just love this band!

Le Déserteur - Le Congé (1977)

and

Une Fille Dans le Désespoir(1978)

Eberhard Weber
unknown title (late 70's or early 80's)

Eberhard suffered a stroke in 2007.
His musical future is unknown

CLICK HERE for a solo Eb Web piece

Leon Theremin invented the Theremin in 1919.
Here he demonstrates his invention in 1927

CLARA ROCKMORE was the greatest theremin player of all time.
Here, she plays Haberna by Ravel [VIDEO] in her NYC apartment.

and

Gnarls Barkley's Crazy, on theremin [VIDEO]

Fred Frith
and
Fred Frith at Wikipedia

Improv with Chris Cutler and Tim Hodgkinson (NYC 2006-12-16)

Brian Eno and John Cale
Spinning Away (1993)

A Great unofficial site

Van Der Graaf Generator

VDGG at Wikipedia

Sleepwalkers (May 6, 2005)

Gentle Giant
and
Gentle Giant at Wikipedia

Knots (1974)

Focus
Too funny to not include. The fingers fly over the fretboard
. . . and this too was an actual hit that one heard on the radio. - boy, things have changed.

Hocus Pocus (1973)

Richard Thompson
and
Richard at Wikipedia

One song does NOT BEGIN to illustrate the breadth of this man's work.
Either solo or with a band, Richard Thompson binds spells.
A critical favorite for decades, probably only in death will he receive
the popular acclaim that is his due.

.

I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1981)

Genesis
The Musical Box (1973 I think)

and
Genesis at Wikipedia

The Residents
The Third Reich and Roll (1976)

and
The Residents at Wikipedia

XTC
and
XTC at Wikipedia
XTC officially sanctioned fan site

XTC Senses Working Overtime

This video has been reversed so that the guys are all playing left-handed.

Captain Beefheart
Bat Chain Puller (1980)

and
The Captain at Wikipedia

Keith Tippett
and
Julie Tippetts
Unknown (2007)

Keith at Wikipedia
Julie at Wikipedia

Carla Bley
Unknown (Umbria, 2008)

Carla at Wikipedia

Of Montreal
Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse (2007)

King Crimson
Crimson at Wikipedia

All the "classic" KC (1969-1974) live stuff has been removed from Youtube.

Sheltering Sky (1982)

Franz Ferdinand
Take Me Out (2006)

It's a Beautiful Day
White Bird (1971)

The Natti Love Joys at Wikipedia
The Natti Love Joys at Myspace
The Natti Love Joys at Camp Reggae - check it out

I saw these guys live, warming up for Toots and the Maytals, in 2007. They were fantastic. This video doesn't do them justice.
Their drummer was simply spellbinding.
If they come to a venue near you, GO SEE THEM LIVE!

Dave Brubeckat Wikipedia
Dave Brubeck official site
Take Five (1961)

It just doesn't get much better

. . . and finally . . .

FRANK ZAPPA

One song could never begin to hint at the breath of this great artist's 30 years of work.
Here is his first television appearance.
If you look at it philosophically
maybe it gives you an idea of what Frank was trying to do with music
throughout his career.... or maybe not . . .

Frank plays the Bicycle on the Steve Allen Show (March 14, 1963)

Frank at Wikipedia

The official website ZAPPA.com
BUY some stuff.
Dweezil and Gail are doing a nice job
of keeping Frank's music alive

5 - LES MENESTRIERS - Il Etait Une Fillette - 1972
5a- LES MENESTRIERS - at Folk Yourself

6 - JETHRO TULL - Thick as a Brick - 1972

7 - EBERHARD WEBER - The Colours of Chloe - 1973

8 - ROBERT WYATT - Rock Bottom - 1974

9 - MALICORNE - Alamanch - 1976

10 - PERE UBU - Dub Housing - 1978

11 - XTC - English Settlement -1982

12 - ROBERT FRIPP - Pleasure in Pieces (bootleg) - 1978
12a- Info about the show
12b- ROBERT FRIPP The Midnight Special TV Show - video from 10-05-79
This is quite similar to his 1978 NYC performance. It was part of his "Small Mobile Intelligent Unit" tour of record stores and pizzerias in 1979.

Fripp's debut solo performance (Pleasure in Pieces) is really special to me.
I got a cassette recording of this about 8 months after the performance.
So far, it has not been officially released.
It has been a regular part of my life, off and on, for over thirty years.
These 70 minutes have touched me in a way that no other music ever has.
Should my survivors have a memorial service for me, I have told them that
this is the music that I have requested be inflicted on any attendants of said service.
* From the book "ROBERT FRIPP - FROM CRIMSON KING TO CRAFTY MASTER " by Eric Tamm
On Sunday, February 5, 1978, Fripp made his first official solo appearance in over three years, at the Kitchen in Soho: this was also the first time he used the name "Frippertronics" for his tape-delay system. The concert came about almost by accident: originally Fripp and Joanna Walton had intended to give an intimate performance for invited friends in Walton's apartment; evidently they feared it might get too noisy, and moved the event to the Kitchen.
The concert was written up in the Village Voice by John Piccarella, who describes the atmosphere of anticipation, long lines of people waiting to get in wrapped around the block in the cold. Fripp, perhaps wishing to defuse some of his own anxiety as well as to brace the audience for some very un-King-Crimsonish music, began by comparing his new music to intimate "salon" music; he reportedly "reserved the right to be boring and unintelligent."
The sound, if not the ineffable presence and ambiance, of this event has been preserved on a two-LP bootleg, Pleasures in Pieces. This curious artifact contains five Frippertronics pieces, starkly titled "The First," "The Second," "The Third," "The Fourth," and "The Fifth," as well as a text-music piece by Walton, Fripp, and others, which functioned as an interlude between two Frippertronic sets.
The Frippertronics improvisations from this concert are among the very finest I have heard, quite outstripping similar efforts on Let the Power Fall and other records. Particularly noteworthy are the almost constant changes of texture, from drone-based to melodic/motivic to harmonic, so that the overall mass of sound, though formed out of almost endless repetition of fragments, tends to develop significantly from one minute to the next. Fripp's potential for seemingly unending flights of melodic imagination is nowhere more evident. From a musician's point of view, I find Fripp's control of mode and key in these pieces masterful. "The First," for instance, begins with staccato points outlining the F-major triad; a short melodic riff C-Db-Eb introduces a menace of F-minor modality; before long, the note Gb darkly plays against the prevailing F tonic; A and Ab make explicit the tension between major and minor; eventually, after many ambiguities and modal excursions, the music slides effortlessly into Bb major, and later into Gb major.
Piccarella summed up Fripp's Kitchen soloing as "dazzling, wandering up and down scales like John Coltrane, bending and screaming atonalities like Schoenberg gone punk. He warps notes into imaginary territory the way television spills electrons into an image."

CLICK HERE to see why 1972 was The Greatest Year in Rock and Roll

(scroll up for some cool vids)

GO HEAR SOME LIVE MUSIC
IN A SMALL VENUE !!!!

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Real Music written by a
Real Composer and played by
Real Musicians really well.

You can't beat it!

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You'll have a much better time.
People are better behaved
Concerts are cheaper.
You'll go to more shows!
You'll discover new bands - (the support acts)
There are lots of local bands. Learn about them. Support them.

There's LOTS of good live music happening.
Heck, I'd go to more if I could.
Get out there! Find some! Have fun!