BEST OF 2012 (The End)

For a variety of reasons I didn't make it out to a lot of concerts in 2012. For the first time since Nick Farkas founded the Festival I completely missed Osheaga. I barely made it out to JazzFest and for a rare summer did not attend a single day of Tremblant Blues. There were a number of smaller shows that I didn't or couldn't make it out to as well, especially The Sheepdogs at Club Soda and Japandroids at Cabaret Mile End.

But that's not to say I've become a shut-in. Here are a few of my favorite nights out in 2012:

- The Avett Brothers at Corona (Some groups put out a great album but can't match the quality on stage. Others, like The Avetts, sound even better live. Considering the quality of their recorded work, that's saying something)

- John Hiatt at Club Soda (So bizarre we had to wait 15 years for a Hiatt concert in Montreal)

- Kinky Friedman at Petit Campus (Waited 40 years to see Kinky in Montreal, though I did head down to The Lone Star in NYC in the early 90s. Wonderful to see and hear Kinky tell his life story on stage through stories & songs as part of his Bipolar Tour. Also great to see a good Saturday night crowd for him. Has the makings of a one man show)

- Billy Bragg at Metropolis (It's not easy to hold a crowd of 500+ for two hours while alone on stage with just a guitar. Bragg always pulls it off.)

-Steve Earle & The Dukes at Corona (Mostly politics - free Earle and the boys delivered an old fashioned ass-kicking full of spirit and passion)

- Alan Doyle at Hurley's Irish Pub.  On U.S. election night, Alan was performing at a private charity event in Old Montreal but let Hurley's GM Rod Applebee know that he'd like to do a late set with local stalwarts Jonathan Morman & Dave Gossage, not an unusual move whenever Great Big Sea hits town. Promising to keep it quiet (except to close friends and co-workers) until Doyle hit the stage it made for another organic made in Montreal moment.

- The Who at Bell Centre (Had no intention of going but changed my mind a week before, deciding to accompany Knuckles Nilan who had never seen his favourite group live. Sure glad I went. Pete Townshend was shockingly great)

- Sadies/Patti Smith/ Neil Young & Crazy Horse at Bell Centre (Missed the early Sadies set but saw them at Pop Montreal. Patti Smith and her Band couldn't recapture the intimacy of her Pop Montreal gig at Eglise St. Jean Baptiste in '07 but they did their best. Neil & Crazy Horse - arriving on stage to a recorded version of Oh Canada hit blistering levels and long jams that left some of my friends realizing they missed the wrong Neil Young concert. But I loved it. Especially an incomparable version of Mr. Soul)

- Leonard Cohen at Bell Centre (Had to dig deep to make sure I was close enough after weeping through his memorable JazzFest appearance at Place Des Arts. Same kind of concert augmented by several songs from his new album. As Leonard himself says of his back up duo The Webb Sisters, "sublime")

- Tom Russell at Petit Campus (Productive career but should have been at least as big as Steve Earle. A truly great songwriter & story teller. Carrying on the old troubadour tradition. The Pugilist is now in his sixth decade but sounds and looks better than ever. Don't miss him next time!)

- Wide Mouth Mason & Shane Murphy In Studio on Melnick in the Afternoon (Ok not exactly a concert but a late September early evening mini set live on the air consisting of "Get A Hold Of You"  & "Shut Up And Kiss Me" w/ Gordie Johnson on bass along with some lively banter. I've had a lot of musicians perform in studio but this was as enjoyable an appearance as I can remember)

- Shane Murphy Band at Club Soda (Great crowd at official release party for "The Good Years Dirty Work" which is still not available in stores - long story. If not for charity event down the street at Metropolis which featured Doors' guitarist Robbie Krieger, Club Soda would have been packed to beyond capacity.  Already working on two more albums for 2013)

- Andre Williams & The Sadies at Cabaret Mile End (Best single music set I saw all year. The 76 year old Williams sang for barely 40 minutes but what a presence. And as he sang/spit several times, one bad motherfucker)

One other bright music note. Leave it to a Torontonian and sad sack Leafs fan to perfectly capture the spirit of Montreal in song. Nobody had a better 2012 than Dave Bidini:

"Ladies Of Montreal" almost makes up for the continuing absence of Tom Petty, Tom Waits, Randy Newman, The Allman Brothers, Ryan Bingham & Bruce Springsteen in Montreal. And the last minute cancellation of a three night Rheostatics reunion at the Horseshoe Tavern.

Happy New Year.

BEST OF 2012 (Part Four)

Bonnie Raitt - "Slipstream" - American treasure with some of the strongest hands in music. Gorgeous covers (including a couple of hidden gems from Dylan's "Time Out Of Mind") and originals.

Joey Ramone - "...Ya Know?" - Rumours circulating for years became reality in 2012 as Joey's brother Mickey Leigh took original vocal tracks (After eight years of legal wrangling resulted in the Estate of Joey Ramone finally reacquiring the demos) and was able to put out the equivalent of a late career solo Joey Ramone album. It's wonderful. It's also difficult to believe that Joey, Johnny & Dee Dee are gone.

The Rolling Stones - "Some Girls Live In Texas '78" - Tremendous combo blu-ray & cd package. The Stones at their absolute peak on stage. Hard to imagine Keith Richards playing any better than he did this night in Fort Worth on July 18, 1978 when it was all bout the music. Only the music.

John K. Samson - Literate leader of The Weakerthans flies solo for the first time. Still singing about Canadiana, mostly through a lens on the road, plus computer games and hockey (an appeal to get Reggie Leach into the Hockey Hall of Fame). Well read kid from Winnipeg.

The Sheepdogs - "The Sheepdogs" - Major label debut for Saskatchewan foursome is a real winner. Produced by Patrick Carney of The Black Keys, the boys have The Guess Who and BTO DNA in abundance. But it sounds so fresh. Another nominee for rock and roll album of the year.

Shovels and Rope - "O' Be Joyful" - Riding the recent retro folk-country-rock craze, married couple Michael Trent and Carrie Ann Hearst bring energy, originality and desperation to the Americana scene.  "Birmingham" is as good a song I heard this year.

J.D. Belanger (J.D. Slim) - "J.D. Belanger AKA J.D. Slim" - Think what Sugar Sammy did this year is impressive? Anybody else on the local music scene pull off what JD did - a double CD featuring a who's who of the  Montreal blues scene including J.D.'s longtime musical partner Jim Zeller  plus, among others, Stephen Barry, Breen LeBoeuf, Pat Loiselle, Bob Walsh and Guy Belanger? What's so special? One CD in French. The other in English. Now that's Quebec blues.

Patti Smith - "Banga" - Still in fine form now on the other side of 65. Beautifully written, sung and played by Patti and her longtime band. Inspiring.

Todd Snider - "Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables" - One of my favourite songwriters and story tellers who's one stop in Montreal came courtesy of those of us at BillyBob Productions (Gary Silverman, Lloyd Fischler, Andy Besner & myself) when we were active on the Montreal music scene (1996 - 2005). Todd played on Oscar night, a freezing Sunday, at the old Club One on lower Crescent. We didn't think he had an audience in Montreal but Todd was managed at the time by Al Bunetta, longtime manager for John Prine (and co-founder with Prine of Oh Boy Records). We had been the first Montreal promotion company to invite Prine to play in Montreal (one music industry type told us we'd be lucky to sell 30 tickets for "An english-american singer-songwriter who's never been here"). Impressed by our persistence Prine agreed to slash his performance fee and forego his usual demand for a theatre venue as long as we took him for an authentic French dinner the night before the concert. Bunetta decided to make a weekend of it as well bringing along a publicist/soundman plus Prine's guitarist and bass player. What a weekend. We took them to Le Mas Des Oliviers on Bishop where we might have emptied their collection of red wine. Bunetta spent the rest of the night looking for a single joint to smoke while I walked Prine back to his hotel. As we crossed Bishop a couple of guys yelled at me "Hey Mitch! Great show!". Want to take this opportunity to thank you guys wherever you are. It's not often John Prine is walking around while fans are saluting the other guy. The next night, Prine played to a sold out Spectrum (with Tom Russell as opener) opening up with "Spanish Pipedream" (She was a level headed dancer on the road to alcohol/ And I was just a soldier on my way to Montreal) after fulfilling my personal request for "Bad Boy" during late afternoon sound check (Prine was quick to seek me out after the concert to apologize for not including "Bad Boy" on his setlist. But added that was the reason he played it in the emptiness of the Spectrum. How about that, huh?). Maybe our greatest night ever. Certainly one to be very proud of. And we actually made a couple of hundred dollars. So Bunetta remembered us as Snider was wrapping up a solo tour of Canada and asked if we would mind having him play for us. For the usual solo songwriter fee of $500. Maybe if it was a non-Oscar or Saturday night there would have been 20 people in Club One instead of 10-12. But I'll never forget Snider playing his heart out as if the place was packed. And we sure enjoyed ourselves at the bar afterwards. Todd Snider is a major talent in the tradition of Prine, Loudon Wainwright III, Robert Earl Keen, Ray Wylie Hubbard and another of his troubadour heroes - Jerry Jeff Walker.

Todd Snider - "Time As We Know It - The Songs Of Jerry Jeff Walker" - A dozen Walker originals including classics "Mr. Bojangles" and "Pissin' In The Wind".

Bruce Springsteen - "Wrecking Ball" - Not a huge fan of Bruce as produced by Brendan O'Brien. So I was happy to hear him move in another direction for this collection of "angry" songs (Ron Aniello who doubles as multi - instrumentalist). It's still a big sound but captured mostly without the E Street Band (Roy Bittan and Gary Tallent are only members of band who do not get credit for working on album). And of course highlighted by the final appearance of Clarence Clemons. There's a lot more here than "We Take Care Of Our Own".  Springsteen kind of nails America 2012. But unlike Ry Cooder's "Election Special" people will be listening to this forever.

Leeroy Stagger - "Radiant Land" - As good a "Made in Canada" album produced all year. Stagger has some Springsteen-esque qualities but he's much closer in spirit to Steve Earle, who's always been more of an outlaw than The Boss (Can't see Bruce writing "Capitalism Must Die!". Can definitely see Steve Earle writing that). Hope to see more of him around Montreal in 2013.

Tedeschi Trucks Band - "Everybody's Talkin'" - Ace musicians - and husband and wife -  Derek Trucks (best slide guitarist in U.S.?) and Susan Tedeschi take their band on the road to soaring and joyous heights in front of live audeience. Magic.

The Tragically Hip - "Now For Plan A" - Canada's best rock band sounding like Canada's best rock band. A let's-cut-it-live-in-the-studio feel to it. Now when does Montreal get to see them again?

Loudon Wainwright III - "Older Than My Old Man Now" - Wainwright doing what he does best. Singing about his life. And losses. With uncanny observatory powers, good humour and sensitivity. Helped out by his son, daughters, sister-in law, surviving ex-wives, best friend (Chaim Tannenbaum) plus a couple of other notables named Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Chris Smither.

The Wallflowers - "Glad All Over" - Welcome return from a group trapped by it's early stardom. Following a couple of roots heavy solo releases, Jakob Dylan brings the boys back together ("Reboot The Mission") with help from one of their idols, Mick Jones. Sounds like they're having fun again.

Jack White - "Blunderbuss" - Anybody not expect White's first solo effort to be as great as it is?  Is there anything he can't do?

"Listen, Whitey! (The Sounds Of Black Power 1967-1974)" - Companion to the Pat Thomas book of roughly the same name, it's a cool history lesson, especially for the hip hop generation who might never have heard of say, Gil Scott-Heron. In addition to the music (including John Lennon & Yoko Ono's tribute to Angela Davis & Dylan's ode to fallen prisoner George Jackson) there are snippets of speeches by Panthers Stokely Carmichael & Eldridge Cleaver and classic stand up from longtime activist Dick Gregory.

Andre Williams & The Sadies - "Night & Day" - Take a high energy, heavy touring Canadian roots rock band, add a forgotten once homeless rough 'n ready R & B singer who's into his 70s and you have a story that can't possibly be created. And maybe a movie. What a great and greasy rock and roll album.

Amy Winehouse - "At The BBC" - Beautiful tribute to troubled soulful songstress.  One CD & Three DVDs featuring BBC Sessions Live, an Amy tribute put together by longtime musician/TV host Jools Holland and a documentary. Still so sad.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - "Americana" - Leave it to a group of Canadian rockers to take an English anthem ("God Save The Queen") and slap it at the end of a collection of folk standards called "Americana".  Just a warm up act.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - "Psychedelic Pill" - So the first rock and roll album made by Neil and The Horse in eight years garners the usual responses - Indulgent. Shoddy. Raw. Self-centered. As Paul McCartney once said about criticism of The White Album, "It's The Beatles. It's the White Album. It's fucking great. Shut up". If you don't like a 28 minute album opener simply hit "skip". I'm with Neil Young all the way. Especially when he plays with his raw, noisy, indulgent shoddy mates.

ZZ Top - "La Futura" - Rock and roll hall of famers and modern blues greats team up with producer Rick Rubin and his American Recordings label and receive a much needed Black Keys - like jolt.

Special Features tomorrow...

BEST OF 2012 (Part Three)

Norah Jones - "...Little Broken Hearts" - Norah Jones has one of the great voices on the planet. Sultry, seductive and emotional. She also has great musical instincts mostly rooted in jazz and roots. So I'll give her a pass as she hooks up with Danger Mouse to try to reach the kids.

Rickie Lee Jones - "The Devil You Know" - No such pass for Rickie Lee. She's taken some iconic songs from Neil Young, The Band and The Rolling Stones and utterly destroyed them. How does one kill "The Weight"? Singing barely above a whisper, Jones sounds like she's on her death bed. Rickie Lee has always been unpredictable but this is just plain awful. Can't blame producer Ben Harper for falling asleep on the job.

Tom Jones - "Spirit In The Room" - The man to see if you want to record an album of covers. Jones and ace producer Glyn Johns pick up where they left off on "Praise And Blame".

Mark Knopfler - "Privateering" - Double album of material Knopfler's been mining on a regular basis since he broke up Dire Straits. Understated beautiful guitar work. Wish there was a little more up tempo material like "Hot Or What" and "Gator Blood".

Mark Lanegan Band - "Blues Funeral" - This true survivor of the grunge scene (The Screaming Trees, Queens of the Stone Age) has one of the deepest, darkest and most distinctive voices in rock.  Keeps putting out strong material on his own, and with others including Greg Dulli (The Gutter Twins). One of my personal favourites. The boys at Environement Electronique would especially enjoy "Phantasmagoria Blues".

Bettye Lavette - "Thankful N' Thoughtful" - Another master of the covers album, Lavette puts her own spin on songs by Sly Stone, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Patty Griffin and Dan Auerbach among others. My favourite female vocalist not named Emmylou Harris. And better than Aretha.

Led Zeppelin - "Celebration Day" - I understand the desire to put out a record of what was a magical night in London five years ago. It's neat to see Plant, Page & Jones on stage together in their 60s enjoying each other's company and pulling it off. But the blu-ray contains no special features. No behind the scenes look at how the night all came together. No background on the late Atlantic chairman Ahmet Ertegen whom Plant says is the primary reason they came together. No scene setters around the O2. Nothing. A quick cash grab. If you're a true Zeppelin fan you're better off with the magnificent "How The West Was Won" or the earlier - and sloppier - "The Song Remains The Same". While waiting for Jimmy Page to meticulously comb through the archives for upcoming re-releases of their studio albums with, no doubt, a bevy of special features. Just don't keep waiting for another reunion.

Los Lobos - "Kiko" (20th Anniversary Edition) - Los Lobos at their finest.

Marie "Queenie" Lyons - "Soul Fever" - Buried and forgotten 1970 soul classic from a sensational singer who at various times backed up King Curtis, Jackie Wilson, Fats Domino and James Brown. Nobody seems to know much more about Lyons or what happened to her. The title says it all.

Matt Mays - "Coyote" - It's been fun watching Mays grow into one of Canada's top rockers. Coyote is his most heartfelt recording to date. It's Mays' first record in four years and was worth the wait. Classic rock sound.

JD McPherson - "Signs & Signifiers" - How is it that so many young musicians who begin playing punk end up moving over to alt country and/or country based R & B? McPherson is no kid at 35 and his collection of songs (originally recorded in 2010 ) is deeply rooted in the tradition of Sun Records circa 1956. One of the albums of the year. Watch for him.

Van Morrison - "Born To Sing: No Plan B" - It's Van Morrison. Singing about greed. I'll listen to Van Morrison sing the new NHL-NHLPA collective bargaining agreement. Even if there isn't one.

Mumford & Sons - "Babel" - Sometimes a group is really popular because they're really good, not because they're "the next big thing". If you were there at the beginning pat yourself on the back. These guys have worked hard for all of their success. They give so much of themselves in the studio and on the stage. What more can a music fan ask for?

Shane Murphy - "The Good Years Dirty Work" - A lot of Montreal music fans already know how good Murphy is. In the past few years he's become a major attraction at The Writer's Festival at Woody Point, Newfoundland (founded by Stephen Brunt), has a fast growing audience in France and gigs on a semi regular basis in Toronto. But he needs to get his music out. This CD, officially launched at Club Soda early this month, finally has Shane sounding a lot closer to the way he sounds on stage. It's aggressive, raunchy and sweet. Several stand out tracks led by "I Wish I Was Drunk". Available - for now - only on ITunes. Your typical West End-Blues-Soul-Funk-Reggae-Rock kid makes good.

Old Crow Medicine Show - "Carry Me Back" - A modern, youthful, exuberant take on classic bluegrass. With sharp songwriting skills. Not to be missed live.

Our Lady Peace - "Curve" - A proud Canadian band that likes to experiment, stretches out even more. Gotta love the self-confidence. Especially like the first single "Heavyweight" and gorgeous album cover featuring a shot of a youthful and yes, beautiful former Canadian heavyweight champ George Chuvalo.

Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band - "One Of My Kind" - Now that we can finally dispense with the ridiculous "new Dylan" moniker, Oberst pays tribute to the great American 60s songwriter that he most closely resembles by offering up a spirited take on Paul Simon's "Kodachrome". Early fans of Bright Eyes acoustic based material will like this. Not quite in Simon's league, Oberst does posess significant songwriting skills, as long as he keeps his observations to planet earth.

Graham Parker & The Rumour - "Three Chords Good" - What an unexpected, joyful comeback from one of my favourite bands of the 70s. Parker arrived prior to Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson yet never seemed to be able to attract the sizeable audience of his contemporaries and one he so richly deserves. Parker kept producing quality album after quality album for Bloodshot Records (out of Chicago) while living in upstate New York the last couple of decades. Now, reunited with The Rumour - including lead guitarist Brinsley Schwarz - Parker's literary strengths are on display ("They said that you was low class, Perpetual iconoclast..") as is his customary sense of humour and political bite, even if his sneer is a little less pronounced. Featured in Judd Apatow's "This is 40" and poised for a major comeback. Can't wait to see them live. Welcome back boys.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - "The Lion The Beast The Beat" -  Rapidly becoming one of best rock bands in America by way of Burlington, Vermont. Potter has some of the best pipes in the biz. Outstanding live act.

Cat Power - "Sun" - I love Cat Power.  Synthesizers and dance beats? Not so much.

Elvis Presley - "As Recorded At Madison Square Garden" (Legacy Edition) - 40th anniversary of E's first ever concerts in NYC, June 9 - 11, 1972. It's the Vegas era Elvis. Don't ever forget that amidst all the glitz was a great band anchored by drummer Ron Tutt, bassist Jerry Scheff and the great rock and roll hall of fame guitarist James Burton.

More tomorrow...

BEST OF 2012 (Part Two)

Justin Townes Earle - "Nothing's Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now" - Wonderful songwriting and arrangements with references to his dad and his demons. Hopefully Earle can stay healthy.

Dr. John - "Locked Down" - Might be best album of the 72 year old's entire career. An exercise in "tricknology" (Read the liner notes). Produced by Dan Auerbach who helped bring some much needed heaviness back to the Good Doctor's ever present voodoo vibe.

Alejandro Escovedo - "Big Station" - One of my favourite artists continues his late career surge as producer Tony Visconti has again managed to recapture the spirit of Escovedo's early punk days. Jon Landau deserves a lot of credit for getting Escovedo back in The Show.

The Gaslight Anthem - "Handwritten" - Major label debut for Jersey quartet led by passionate vocals of Brian Fallon. And how's this for literary chops - Intro/liner notes penned by Nick Hornby - who suggests the boys are mining the same gold discovered by Little Richard and The Clash. Hard to disagree.

Green Day - "!Uno!", "!Dos!", "!Tre!" - Billie Joe Armstrong closes his rock opera indulgence (for now) only to open up his trilogy playbook. Results are mixed. "!Uno!" is filled with anger, not surprising considering Armstrong's on stage meltdown this year. "!Dos!" & "!Tre!" are more accessible.  Armstrong is going to be something really special. When he grows up.

Buddy Guy - "Live At Legends" - A confusing album. One of the all time great blues guitarists on stage at his own club in Chicago, recorded three years ago. And it's a sub par recording, missing a bottom and featuring sloppy editing. But the disc is saved by three bonus studio recordings that is vintage Buddy Guy. Maybe he owed RCA an album and didn't have enough original material.

George Harrison - "Early Takes Volume 1" - Beautiful stripped down early takes and demos of some Harrison classics and covers courtesy of the Martin Scorsese documentary. Volume 2 please.

John Hiatt - "Mystic Pinball" - Nothing fancy about Hiatt. But he does what he does better than almost anybody in music. Fall concert at Club Soda, his first Montreal appearance in 15 years, was spectacular.

The Hives - "Lex Hives" - Best punks to come out of Sweden since the Ulf boys - Sterner & Samuelsson.

Patterson Hood - "Heat Lightning Rumbles In The Distance" - Second solo outing from frontman of Drive By Truckers. Inspired by the life and death of his Great Uncle, Hood went to work on retracing his youthful steps (and missteps) in Alabama. The result is quiet introspection from one of rock's best songwriters.

Michael Jackson - "Bad25" - 25th anniversary edition of landmark Jackson-Quincy Jones follow up to Thriller. Nine #1 singles. (And the short films to go with them, which eventually led to the creation of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award) A second disc features demos and unreleased material including an early working version of "Smooth Criminal" titled "Al Capone".

Wanda Jackson - "Unfinished Business" - The Queen of Rockabilly gets back to basics. Jack White should be lauded for giving Jackson a much needed boost and return to recording. But the album he produced for her ("The Party Ain't Over") was really a Jack White album sung by Jackson. This time around, Justin Townes Earle is at the producer's console and his lighter touch makes for a more satisfying listen.

Japandroids - "Celebration Rock" - Once in awhile I still buy music the old fashioned way. I look at the cover and think "this is going to sound good" without knowing anything about the artist/band. That's what happened with these guys from Vancouver (Brian King & david Prowse). Eight straight ahead pile driven tunes that remain with you until you decide to play them all over again. And again. And again. Might be the rock and roll album of the year.

More tomorrow...

BEST OF 2012

While waiting for the lockout to end and for the streets and sidewalks to be cleaned, here's some new (and not so new) music I've spent some time with in 2012:

Aerosmith - "Music From Another Dimension!" - Not really. It's Aerosmith. The boys are back, save for a quick nod to Steven Tyler's Idol days as Carrie Underwood gets a guest vocal.  Rock on.

Alabama Shakes - "Boys & Girls" - Old style soul with a rock and roll back beat. Best band to come out of U.S. south since Drive By Tuckers. Britanny Howard sounds like she was born with a voice from the Stax gods. Not a better song all year than "Hold On".

The Avett Brothers - "The Carpenter" - Difficult to follow up a gem like "I & Love & You" but the Brothers mostly pull it off with help from producer Rick Rubin.

The Beach Boys - "That's Why God Made The Radio' - Unlikeliest comeback of the year as Mike Love and Brian Wilson actually did manage to share a stage for three hours a night through a full tour and enough time in the studio to put out an album worthy of the Beach Boys status. It was fun while it lasted. Love reinforced his stature as one of rock's crankiest types by firing Wilson at the end of the tour.

Big Brother And The Holding Company Featuring Janis Joplin - "Live At The Carousel Ballroom 1968" - For those who've always wondered why so many fans of 60s music made a big deal out of Big Brother you get your answer in this wonderfully preserved and presented document from June 1968. It comes from the vault of the late Stanley (Bear) Owsley, who was more well known as a manufacturer of LSD but was, in fact, the early sound engineer for the Grateful Dead and The Carousel. This is epic stuff. You want the true sound of San Fransisco rock and roll circa 1968 get your hands on this CD. Big Brother & Janis parted ways shortly after this concert. And within two weeks The Carousel Ballroom morphed into Bill Graham's Fillmore West.

Ryan Bingham - "Tomorrowland" - Bingham has added a harsher, more aggressive sound to go with his already harsh voice and considerable songwriting skills. More than a nod or two to Bruce Springsteen on a couple of songs.

Billy Bragg & Wilco - "Mermaid Avenue the complete sessions" - You know the story by now. Nora Guthrie, daughter of Woody, had just discovered over a thousand song lyrics left behind by her dad. Avoiding the obvious (Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen) Nora reached out to Billy Bragg and then Wilco to turn the lyrics into complete songs. The collaboration resulted in "Mermaid Avenue" and a follow up. This re-release adds a third disc of previously unreleased material plus a fascinating DVD documentary on the making of the initial album. No question the unsung hero of the entire project was the late Jay Bennett, Wilco's tormented producer and multi-instrumentalist.

Johnny Cash - "The Soul Of Truth Bootleg Vol. IV" - Easily the most compelling of the Cash bootleg series, it features Johnny as gospel singer including an entire unreleased album from the mid 1970s.

Johnny Cash - "We Walk The Line" (CD/DVD) - An 80th birthday celebration held in Austin last April. Some highlights include a passionate cover of "Folsom Prison Blues" by Brandi Carlile, Buddy Miller 's take on "Hey Porter", Lucinda Williams' brave version of "Hurt", The Carolina Chocolate Drops concert stealing moment on "Jackson" and Waylon's kid, Scooter Jennings and Jamey Johnson - standing in for Johnny - to complete a latter day Highwayman reunion with Willie Nelson & Kris Kristofferson. Lowlights include host Matthew McConaughey leading the all star band in "The Man Comes Around".

Eric Clapton - "Slowhand" (35th Anniversary Edition) - It's Clapton at his MOR and J.J. Cale -influenced best. Bonus tracks include a previously unreleased cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "Looking At The Rain". Second disc is an April 1977 concert at Hammersmith Odeon featuring an incendiary version of "Further On Up The Road". There's some good stuff in here but Clapton is still years away from the robust vocals that will eventually match his guitar skills.

Gary Clark Jr. - "Blak And Blu" - Multi talented guitar slinger and singer. He's got it going on. The real deal. But please stop with the Hendrix comparisons.

Jimmy Cliff - "Rebirth" - Beautiful return to form by the reggae master himself with tunes as meaningful today as when he showed Bob Marley a thing or two back in the 60s.

Leonard Cohen - "Old Ideas" - Any other 78 year olds putting out music as deep and beautiful as this? Proof of the greatness of this album is Leonard singing about half of it live on stage alongside so many of his classics and not one of them sounded out of place.

Ry Cooder - "Election Special" - The suddenly prolific Cooder taps into the mood of his country pre-election 2012. And he kind of nailed it. He said he put out the album because he was angry. It shows, as he takes aim at BP, Wall Street, Mitt Romney, The Tea Party and even some Democrats. The tour de force is "Take Your Hands Off It" ("Get your dirty hands off my Constitution now...)" As it turned out, Cooder need not have worried so much. About the election.

The Doors - "Live At The Bowl '68" - The album is one thing. The Doors, barely three records into their career, at their performance peak. But you really have to see (and hear) this on Blu-ray. The footage is astounding. The concert took place at the Hollywood Bowl - in the Hollywood Hills high above Hollywood Boulevard - July 5, 1968. The quintessential L.A. band playing a venue that was mostly reserved for classical and jazz music giants, save for The Beatles and The Rolling Stones (Robbie Krieger recalls sitting way up high to watch Mick prance around the stage). Krieger, drummer John Densmore (a real treat to listen to as part of the "making of" special feature) & organist Ray Manzarek are all locked in tight, as is Jim Morrison, especially so considering he dropped acid just before taking the stage. Morrison is healthy, mesmerizing, dark, and playful. Watch him before the days when the booze made him sag in every way. Producer Bruce Botnick performed some magic to get this out. A real gem.

Alan Doyle - "Boy On Bridge" - Seems like Mr. Doyle has been building for his first solo outing. Well worth the wait. Terrific songwriting and performing with help from producer Hawksley Workman and input from Colin James, Jim Cuddy, Doyle bud Russell Crowe and noted composer Mike Post (yes that TV theme guy). GBS now have a couple of more anthems to play with.

"Chimes Of Freedom: The Songs Of Bob Dylan" - A four CD collection to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International. Close to 100 artists each take a page out of the Dylan songbook. Personal favourites include Rise Against's blistering version of "Ballad Of Hollis Brown", Charlie Winston singing "This Wheel's On Fire", Steve Earle with Lucia Micarelli on the haunting "One More Cup Of Coffee (Valley Below) and yes Miley Cyrus ("You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go").

Bob Dylan - "Tempest" - The word play is brilliant. The vision is once again apocalyptic. The music is rooted in the early 20th century but, frankly, missing a gear. On the other hand, the fact that an artist of Dylan's stature continues to produce great work into his sixth decade of performing is something to behold.

More tomorrow.

AIN'T MESSIN' 'ROUND (HAPPY NEW YEAR)

The Best of Melnick In The Afternoon 2012 Set List:

1. "Here Comes My Man" - The Gaslight Anthem - "Handwritten"
2. "Hold On" - Alabama Shakes - "Boys And Girls"
3. "Mississippi Queen" - Mountain - "Climbing!"
4. "Theme From An Imaginary Western" - Mountain - "Climbing!"
5. "Do You Feel Like We Do" - Peter Frampton - "Frampton Comes Alive"
6. "They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore" - Kinky Friedman - "Kinky Friedman"
7. "Breed" - Nirvana - "Live In Reading"
8. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana - "Live In Reading"
9. "Feeling Good" - The Sheepdogs - "Feeling Good"
10. "Doom And Gloom" - The Rolling Stones - 2012 Single
11. "It's All Over Now" - Wanda Jackson - "Unfinished Business"
12. "That's Why God Made The Radio" - The Beach Boys - "That's Why God Made The Radio"
13. "We're Alright Now" - John Hiatt - "Mystic Pinball"
14. "One Eyed Jacks" - Andre Williams & The Sadies - "Night & Day"
15. "The House That Heaven Built" - Japandroids - "Celebration Rock"
16. "Knock Knock" - Band Of Horses - "Mirage Rock"
17. "Knock On Wood" - Eddie Floyd - "Atlantic Rhythym & Blues 1947-1974 Volume 6 1966-1969"
18. "Rock And Roll" - Led Zeppelin - "Celebration Day"
19. "I Wish I Was Drunk" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years Dirty Work"
20. "We Take Care Of Our Own" - Bruce Springsteen - "Wrecking Ball"
21. "We're From Pointe Ste Charles" - Betty Bernier - Live at Hall of Recognition Ceremony 2009
22. "Reboot The Mission" - The Wallflowers with Mick Jones - "Glad All Over"
23. "Man Of The World" - Alejandro Escovedo - "Big Station"
24. "My Time Is Coming" - The Hives - "Lex Hives"
25. "Ladies Of Montreal" - Bidini Band - http://davebidini.ca/
26. "Ain't Messin' 'Round" - Gary Clark Jr. - "Blak And Blu"
27. "The Lookahead" - The Tragically Hip - "Now For Plan A"
28. "Nuclear Family" - Green Day - "!Uno!"
29. "I've Seen A Little" - Alan Doyle - "Boy On Bridge"
30. "London Calling" - The Clash - "London Calling"
31. "New Year's Eve" - Tom Waits - "Bad As Me"

IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT (AND I FEEL FINE)

Melnick In The Afternoon Set List:

1. "Love Slave" - Sons Of The Desert - "Sons Of The Desert"
2. "Slowly Building" - Sons Of The Desert"
3. "Local Girls" - Graham Parker & The Rumour - "Squeezing Out The Sparks"
4. "Nervous And Shakey" - The Del Fuegos - "The Longest Day"
5. "Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc." - Dwight Yoakam - "Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc."
6. "The Streets Of Bakersfield" - Dwight Yoakam with Buck Owens - "Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room"  (For Brian Williams)
7. "He's Calling" - Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush - "Real Live"
8. "Crossroads" - Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush - "Real Live"
9. "It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" - REM - "Document"
10. "I Wish I Was Drunk" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years Dirty Work"
11. "Gloria" - Patti Smith - "Horses"  (Happy 66th Birthday)
12. "The House That Built Me" - Miranda Lambert - "Revolution"       (For Pierre McGuire)
13. "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" - Ray Charles - "A Jazz & Blues Christmas"
14. "Road Runner TV Theme" -   - "Televsion's Greatest Hits"
15. "Here Comes Santa Claus" - The Ramsey Lewis Trio - "A Jazz & Blues Christmas"
16. "LA Grange" - ZZ Top - "Tres Hombres"
17. "Merry Christmas Baby" - The Dukes Of Dixieland Feat. Luther Kent  - "A Jazz And Blues Christmas"
18. "(I'm Spending) Hanukkah In Santa Monica" - Tom Lehrer - "The Remains Of Tom Lehrer" (Box Set)
19. "Machine Gun" - Jimi Hendrix - "Band Of Gypsies"
20. "San Antonio Girl" - Steve Earle & The Dukes - "Exit 0"
21. "Happy Birthday" - Noel Butler - Live on air June 12, 2009

KID

Melnick In The Afternoon Gary Carter Tribute Set List:

1. "In My Life" - The Beatles - "Rubber Soul"
2. "Pain In My Heart" - Otis Redding - "Pain In My Heart"
3. "The Sky Is Crying (Live)" - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - "SRV" (Box Set)
4. "(Just Like) Starting Over" - John Lennon - "Double Fantasy"
5. "All Things Must Pass" - George Harrison - "Early Takes Volume 1"
6. "New York, New York" - Frank Sinatra - "The Reprise Years" (Box Set)
7. "New Kid In Town" - The Eagles - "Hotel California"
8. "He Touched Me" - Johnny Cash with Rodney Crowell - "The Soul Of Truth: The Bootleg Series Vol. IV"
9. "Misty Blue" - Etta James - "the dreamer"
10. "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" - Jimmie Dale Gilmour - "Spinning Around The Sun"
11. "One More Cup Of Coffee (Valley Below)" - Steve Earle & Lucia Micarelli - "Chimes Of Freedom The Songs Of Bob Dylan"
12. "The Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley - "Grace"
13. "When I Was Young" - Eric Burdon & The Animals - "Retrospective"
14. "Forever Young" - Bob Dylan - "Planet Waves"
15. "Blood Brothers" - Bruce Springsteen - "Greatest Hits"
16. "How Sweet It Is" - The Funk Brothers - "The Best Of The Funk Brothers"
17. "Piece Of My Heart" - Bettye Lavette - "Do Your Duty"
18. "Shooting Star" - Bob Dylan - "Oh Mercy"
19. "Kid (A Tribute To Gary Carter)" - Annakin Slayd - www.annakinslayd.com

HAPPY (BIRTHDAY KEITH RICHARDS)

Melnick In The Afternoon Set List:

1. "Season's Upon Us" - The Dropkick Murphys - "Signed And Sealed In Blood"
2. "I Gotta Pee" - NOFX - "45 or 46 Songs That Weren't Good Enough To Go On Our Other Records"
3. "New York, New York" - Ryan Adams - "Gold"
4. "LA Woman" - The Doors - "LA Woman"
5. "Wet Dream" - Sons Of The Desert - "Sons Of The Desert"  *
6. "Slowly Building" - Sons Of The Desert - "Sons Of The Desert"
7. "Love Slave" - Sons Of The Desert - "Sons Of The Desert"
8. "Come On!" - The Hives - "Lex Hives"
9. "Reboot The Mission" - The Wallflowers w/Mick Jones - "Glad All Over"
10. "New York City" - Joey Ramone - "...Ya Know?"
11. "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" - The Ronettes - "A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector"
12. "Happy" - The Rolling Stones - "Love You Live"  (Happy 69th Birthday Keef)
13. "Winter Wonderland" - Darlene Love - "A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector"
14. "Radio Gaga" - Queen - "The Works"
15. "Rags To Riches" - Tony Bennett - "Mob Life: 16 Great Tracks From The Films Of Martin Scorsese"
16. "Take It So Hard" - Keith Richards - "Talk Is Cheap"
17. "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" - Ray Charles - "A Jazz And Blues Christmas"
18. "Laughing" - The Guess Who - "The Best Of The Guess Who"
19. "Ladies Of Montreal" - Bidini Band - http://davebidini.ca/

* 25th Anniversary Reunion Concert Thursday Dec 20 La Salla Rossa 48 Bvd. St. Laurent Tickets $15 at http://www.liftticketsystem.com/events/casadelpopolo

SEASON'S UPON US

Melnick In The Afternoon Set List:

1. "Too Much Blood" - The Gaslight Anthem - "Handwritten"
2. "Here Comes My Man" - The Gaslight Anthem - "Handwritten"
3. "Must Be Santa" - Bob Dylan - "Christmas In The Heart"
4. "Machine Gun" - Jimi Hendrix Experience - "Band Of Gypsys"
5. "Get Rhythym" - Andy Grammer - "We Walk The Line: A Celebration Of The Music Of Johnny Cash"
6. "Past Time" - The Baseball Project - "Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes And Dying Quails"
7. "Fair Weather Fans" - The Baseball Project - "Vol. 2: High And Inside"
8. "Radio Radio" - Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Live on SNL December 19, 1977
9. "Alright Now" - Free - "Fire And Water"  (Happy 63rd Birthday Paul Rodgers)
10. "The Season's Upon Us" - The Dropkick Murphys - "Signed And Sealed In Blood"
11. "Doom And Gloom" - The Rolling Stones - 2012 Single
12. "Easy Money" - Bruce Springsteen - "Wrecking Ball"
13. "Wet Dream" - Sons Of The Desert - http://www.reverbnation.com/sonsofthedesert  *
14. "Sunshine Of Your Love" - Cream - "Disreali Gears"
15. "Ain't Messin' 'Round" - Gary Clarke Jr. - "Blak And Blu"
16. "In Exile" - Thrice - "Beggars"    (For Mitch Gallo Happy 27th Birthday)

* 25th Anniversary reunion concert Thursday night Dec 20 at La Salla Rossa 4848 St. Laurent

BLOWIN' IN THE WIND

Friday Scrum/ Melnick In The Afternoon Set List:

1. "Come As You Are" - Nirvana - "Unplugged In New York"
2. "Nuclear Family" - Green Day - "!Uno!"
3. "The Lookahead" - Tragically Hip - "Now For Plan A"
4. "The Song Remains The Same" - Led Zeppelin - "Celebration Day"
5. "Hold On" - Alabama Shakes - "Boys And Girls"
6. "Respectable" - The Rolling Stones - "Some Girls Live In Texas '78"
7. "All Apologies" - Nirvana - "Unplugged In New York"
8. "Blowin In The Wind" - Bob Dylan - "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan"
9. "Silent Night/7 O'clock News" - Simon & Garfunkel - "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme"
10. "Born As Ghosts" - Rage Against The Machine - "The Battle Of Los Angeles"
11. "He's Calling" - Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush - "Real Live"
12. "What's Going On" - Marvin Gaye - "What's Going On" (Legacy Edition)
13. "Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today)" - The Temptations - "Gold"
14. "Please Come Home" - Gary Clark Jr. - "Blak And Blu"
15. "Everything Is Broken" - Bettye Lavette - "Thankful N' Thoughtful"
16. "Riot In My House" - Mark Lanegan Band - "Blues Funeral"
17. "Imagine" - Bill Frisell - "all we are saying..."
18. "World Upside Down" - Jimmy Cliff - "Rebirth"
19. "The Sky Is Crying" - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - "SRV" (Box Set)
20. "The Land Of Hope And Dreams" - Bruce Springsteen - "Wrecking Ball"
21. "Blowin' In The Wind" (Live Version) - Bob Dylan - "The Best Of Bob Dylan Vol. 2"

YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO YOUNG

Melnick In The Afternoon Set List:

1. "You Make Me Feel So Young (Live)" - Frank Sinatra - "The Reprise Years" (Box Set)
2. "In The Year 2525" - Zager & Evans - 1969 Single
3. "You Can't Let Go And Still Hold On" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years Dirty Work"
4. "Sweet Marilyn" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years Dirty Work"
5. "Skinny Jeans" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years Dirty Work"
6. "I Wish I Was Drunk" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years Dirty Work"
7. "It's All I Know" - Big Sugar - "Revolution Per Minute"
8. "Nuclear Family" - Green Day - "!Uno!"
9. "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 - Bob Dylan - "Blonde On Blonde"
10. "Ramblin' Man" - The Allman Brothers - "Brothers And Sisters"
11. "I Get A Kick Out Of You" - Frank Sinatra - "The Reprise Years" (Box Set)
12. "Out Go The Lights" - Aerosmith - "Music From Another Dimension!"
13. "Oh Yeah" - Aerosmith - "Music From Another Dimension!"
14. "When The Whip Comes Down" - The Rolling Stones - "Some Girls Live in Texas '78"
15. "Easy Money" - Bruce Springsteen - "Wrecking Ball"
16. "Working Man" - Rush - "Rush"
17. "Crossroads" - Eric Clapton - "After Midnight L:ive"
18. "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed" - The Allman Brothers - "Idlewild South"
19. "Bangla Dhun" - Ravi Shankar - "The Concert For Bangladesh"

THE SPIRIT OF RADIO

Melnick In The Afternoon Set List:

1. "The Spirit Of Radio" - Rush - "Permanent Waves"
2. "He Got Game" - Public Enemy - "He Got Game"
3. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band" - The Beatles - "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
4. "With A Little Help From My Friends" - The Beatles - "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
5. "Rebel Without A Pause" - Public Enemy - "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back"
6. "Love Me" - Elvis Presley - "As Recorded At Madison Square Garden (An Afternoon In The Garden)" (40th Anniversary Legacy Edition)
7. "Suspicious Minds" - Elvis Presley - "As Recorded At Madison Square Garden (An Afternoon In The Garden)" (Legacy Edition)
8. "Fly By Night" - Rush - "Fly By Night"
9. "Tom Sawyer" - Rush - "Moving Pictures"  (For Warren Cromartie)
10. "Bring It On Home To Me" - Sam Cooke - 1962 Single
11. "Crazy On You" - Heart - Live on The Midnight Special March 4, 1977
12. "I Am What I Am" - Merle Haggard - "I Am What I Am"
13. "Mr. Jones" - Counting Crows - "August and Everything After"  (For Pierre LeBrun)
14. "I Think It's Going To Rain Today" - Randy Newman - Live on Soundstage 1994

RESPECT/ TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS

Melnick In The Afternoon Set List:

1. "Adreneline Nightshift" - Japandroids - "Celebration Rock"
2. "The Lookahead" - The Tragically Hip - "Now For Plan A"
3. "Heavywight" - Our Lady Peace - "Curve"
4. "Boom Boom Mancini" - Warren Zevon - "Sentimental Hygiene"
5. "Hanukkah In Santa Monica" - Tom Lehrer -  "The Remains Of Tom Lehrer" (Box Set) (For Pat Hickey)
6. "Misfits And Lovers" - The Wallflowers w/ Mick Jones - "Glad All Over"
7. "Nuclear Family" - Green Day - "!Uno!"
8. "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" - Otis Redding - "The Very Best Of Otis Redding"
9. "Glory Days" - Bruce Springsteen & E Street Band - "Born In The USA"
10. "Respect" - Otis Redding - "Otis Blue"
11. "New York City" - Joey Ramone - "...Ya Know?"
12. "Try A Little Tenderness" - Otis Redding - "Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary Of Soul"
13. "Shackled And Drawn" - Bruce Springsteen - "Wrecking Ball"
14. "Evil's Sway" - Japandroids - "Celebration Rock"
15. "The State Of Massachusetts" - The Dropkick Murphys - "Live On Lansdowne"
16. "The Nights Of Wine And Roses" - Japandroids - "Celebration Rock"

HAPPY CHANUKAH

Friday Scrum/ Melnick In The Afternoon Set List:

1. "Come As You Are" - Nirvana - "Nevermind"
2. "Take Five" - The Dave Brubeck Quartet - "Time Out (50th Anniversary Legacy Edition)"
3. "Ain't Messin' 'Round" - Gary Clark Jr. - "Blak And Blu"
4. "I Wish I Was Drunk" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years Dirty Work"
5. "Everybody's Talking At The same Time" - Tom Waits - "Bad As Me"  (Happy 63rd Birthday)
6. "Welcome To The Jungle" - Guns N' Roses - "Appetite For Destruction"
7. "The Waiting" - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "Hard Promises"
8. "Which Side Are You On?" - Ani Difranco - "Which Side Are You On?"
9. "Till I Am Myself Again" - Blue Rodeo - "Casino"
10. "Brain Damage" - Pink Floyd - "The Dark Side Of The Moon"
11. "The Great Gig In The Sky" - Pink Floyd - "The Dark Side Of The Moon"
12. "Riot In My House" - Mark Lanegan Band - "Blues Funeral"
13. "Travis County" - Gary Clark Jr. - "Blak And Blu"
14. "The Chanukah Song (Part 1 1994)" - Adam Sandler Live In Chicago - www.adamsandler.com
15. "Satisfied" - Tom Waits - "Bad As Me"
16. "Easy Money" - Bruce Springsteen - "Wrecking Ball"
17. "Princeton University Tigers Fight Song" - The Princeton University Band - www.youtube.com (For Pierre McGuire)
18. "You Can't Let Go And Still Hold On" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years Dirty Work"
19. "Hold On" - Alabama Shakes - "Boys And Girls"

DAZED AND CONFUSED/PATIENCE

Melnick In The Afternoon Set List:

1. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme From 2001: A Space Odyssey) - "Elvis As Recorded at Madison Square Garden (40th Anniversary Legacy Edition)"
2. "That's All Right" - Elvis Presley - "Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden (Legacy Edition)"
3. "Proud Mary" - Elvis Presley - "Elvis As Recorded At Madisaon Square Garden (Legacy Edition)"
4. "The Bottle Let Me Down" - Merle Haggard - "Swinging Doors"
5. "Ain't Messin' 'Round" - Gary Clark Jr. - "Blak And Blu"
6. "The Waiting" - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "Hard Promises"
7. "Brain Damage" - Pink Floyd - "The Dark Side Of The Moon"
8. "Dazed And Conused" - Led Zeppelin - "Celebration Day"
9. "No Quarter" - Led Zeppelin - "Celebration Day"
10. "Money" - Pink Floyd - "The Dark Side Of The Moon"
11. "Can't Buy Me Love" - The Beatles - "A Hard Day's Night"
12. "I Fought The Law" - The Bobby Fuller Four - 1966 Single
13. "Patience" - Guns 'N Roses - "G N' R Lies"
14. "Adreniline Nightshift" - The Japanroids - "Celebration Day"
15. "End Theme (Orchestra) ("Elvis Has Left The Building..) - "Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden (40th Anniversary Legacy Edition)"

LONG TALL SALLY

Melnick In The Afternoon Set List:

1. "Pennies From Heaven" - The Dave Brubeck Quartet - (Live at Newport Jazz Festival) "Time Out" (Legacy Edition)
2. "Blue Rondo a la Turk" - The Dave Brubeck Quartet - "Time Out" (Legacy Edition)
3. "Past Time" - The Baseball Project - "Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes And Dying Quails"
4. "Skinny Jeans" - The Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years Dirty Work"
5. "Long Tall Sally" - Little Richard - 1956 Single  (Happy 80th Birthday)
6. "Bright Lights" - Gary Clark Jr. - "Blak And Blu"
7. "Splinter" - Ani Difranco - "Which Side Are You On?"
8. "The Future" - Leonard Cohen - "The Future"
9. "Tutti Frutti" - Little Richard - 1955 Single
10. "Brain Damage" - Pink Floyd - "The Dark Side Of The Moon"
11. "Nuclear Family" - Green Day - "!Uno!"
12. "After Midnight" - JJ Cale - "Naturally"  (Happy 74th Birthday)
13. "Rip It Up" - Little Richard - 1956 Single
14. "Nashville Cats" - The Lovin' Spoonful - "Greatests Hits"
15. "Kid (A Tribute To Gary Carter)" - Annakin Slayd - www.annakinslayd.com  (For Paul Hollingsworth)
16. "Take Five" - The Dave Brubeck Quartet - "Time Out" (Legacy Edition)

HAVIN' A PARTY

Melnick In The Afternoon Set List:

1. "I Wish I Was Drunk" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years (Dirty Work)"
2. "Skinny Jeans" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years (Dirty Work)"
3. "Tore Down" - Wanda jackson - "Unfinished Business"
4. "Nobody's Fault But Mine" - Led Zeppelin - "Celebration Day"
5. "Ain't Messin' 'Round - Gary Clark Jr. - "Blak And Blu"
6. "I Need Your Love" - John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers - "John Mayall Plays John Mayall (Live at Klooks Keek)"
7. "Mad Men Theme (A Beautiful Mine)" - RJD2 - "Magnificent City Instrumentals"
8. "Sweet Marilyn" - Shane Murphy Band - "The Good Years (Dirty Work)"
9. "Dirty Work" - Shane Murphy band - "The Good Years (Dirty Work)"
10. "Havin' A Party" - Southside Johnny & Brice Springsteen - Live at Agora in Cleveland 1978
11. "Big Pimpin'" - Jay-Z - "Vol. 3...Life And Times Of S. Carter"  (Happy 43rd Birthday)
12. "Southern Man" - Neil Young - "After The Gold Rush"  (For Pierre LeBrun)
13. "Congratulations" - The Travelling Wilburys - "Vol. 1"
14. "I Shall Not Be Moved" - The Million Dollar Quartet (Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash & Elvis Presley) - Recorded at Sun Studios Memphis, Dec 4, 1956
15. "Glory days" - Bruce Springsteen & E Street band - "Born In The USA"
16. "Brain Damage" - Pink Floyd - "The Dark Side Of The Moon"
17. "I Wish I was Drunk" - Shane Murphy Band (Reprise)