Duran Duran - Youtube Unstaged - 2011

As you may have guessed, for my final night of live shows, I've chosen to do a set of Duran Duran shows.  Big surprise, right?

I'm starting with the "bonus" show (I've decided to do 3 instead of 2) because it's a fabulous show, and I didn't even have to make a fabulous cover to match.  It's already been made!

When D2 started touring for AYNIN, there were these wonderful soundboard shows that started popping up that were absolutely amazing.  An unknown fan (RomanDuran?) like myself started making these beautiful covers that matched the album like no other.  In fact, they look better than the actual album art.  I implore you to seek these shows out, and find these great covers, as they are a worthy addition to any D2 collection.  I collected all of them (about 12 shows, I think) and burned them all off and printed the covers to match.  Now, when I start flipping through the Duran section in my CD library, I'm greeted by a host of discs just waiting to be played.  Problem is, it's really tough to choose a favorite, because they're all so good.

This is one of my favorites.  It's great because the show is crystal clear and professionally engineered for broadcast.  The production is very tight, and I'd put it as a better show than the Diamond In the Mind concert that they released commercially.  The instrumentation is balanced and Simon's vocals are solid and on key from start to finish.

So, this is the bonus...  On to tonight's other two shows!

Duran Duran - Youtube Unstaged - 2011

U2 - Live in Mexico City - 2011

 

I know that there was a commercial release of this tour.  It's a great release, and has a lot of awesome shots, and the video for it kicks ass.  Yes, yes, I know.  But, there is so much more.  From what I understood of the tour, nearly every show was recorded through the soundboard.  Why?  I don't know.  I'll leave that for others to explain.  All I know, is that you can find over a dozen perfect soundboard recordings from this tour, and choosing just one is hard to do.  This one kicks ass....

I prefer actual bootleg recordings of concerts over commercial releases in a lot of cases.  The commercial releases edit out a lot of banter, false starts, etc.  They also tend to re-engineer into a studio session.  When you get these raw live performances, and leave in all the flaws and "extras", it helps, I think, to bring to the Live experience.  That's what I like.

As for U2

I honestly thought that the 360 Tour was mediocre.  Not really one of my favorites.  Mind you, I think seeing that stage would have been larger than life, but that's it.  I think my favorite Tour of theirs would still have to be the original ZooTV Tour, followed by the Elevation Tour, then the Joshua Tree Tour, and the Unforgettable Fire Tour.  I think that 360 really comes out just after that, maybe.  Hard to tell.  I will say that their latest tour, the Innocence one, from what I've seen and heard so far, comes in dead last.

U2 - Live in Mexico City - 2011 - Pt 1

U2 - Live in Mexico City - 2011 - Pt 2 

 

The Wild Swans - The Coldest Winter for a Hundred Years - 2011

Had I known when I first heard this album that it would be their last, I probably would have listened to it differently.  Instead, I absorbed it thinking it was to be the first of a new era of greatness.  Regardless, I now listen to it with a sense of loss and the closing of a door.  Insert a crying emoji here.

The Wild Swans - The Coldest Winter for a Hundred Years - 2011

Motorhead - 2011 - The World Is Yours

I've waited a while for this one.  I knew if I posted it right off the bat, it might scare some people away.  But, I think that you all can tell by the material I've posted, what I'm capable of.  So, just trust me on this one.

I've always loved Lemmy, ever since I first saw him on the Young Ones singing Ace Of Spades.  He held true to his image and style, and his music simply got better over time.  This one, released when he was in his late 60s (!!!!) happens to be one of my favorites.

You could call Motorhead a "British alternative to Metal".  It's Heavy Metal, but it's nothing like American Heavy Metal.  It is distinctive.  While everyone is trying to sound like James Hetfield, Lemmy sounds the same, that growl, ripping voice that tears through flesh.

The only thing I DIDN'T like about the album was the cover.  In fact, I don't like most of Motorhead's covers.  It's because they all have that horned demon dog thing on a solid black background.  I took this cover and dropped an industrial steel texture in the back, a group shot for the back, and dig the typeface for the songs - I made it look like they were stamped/chiseled into the metal.  Yeah.  And those three dudes are the baddest sons-a-bitches I ever seen.  They look like they could beat some ass right now.  Gotta love them!

As for the tracks - same order, no b-sides, nothing.  Just the album.  All that's needed.  Best tracks are Born To Lose, Get Back In Line and Outlaw.  All of them will scare your mother, though.

Turn this one up to 11.

Motorhead - 2011 - The World Is Yours