Simon & Garfunkel - The Concert In Central Park (35th anniversary)

Today (February 16th) marks the 35th anniversary of the release of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel’s 1982 live double-album The Concert In Central Park. The duo had gone their solo ways over a decade before but they reunited in September of 1981 for a free concert on the Great Lawn of Central Park in New York City. The show was attended by more the 500,000 people and was videotaped for an airing on HBO in 1982. The album spent thiry-four weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 6.

For more on this concert album, click here

Morris Day and the Time live (6/5/16)

Sunday (6/5) was day two for us at the Belle Isle Grand Prix here in Detroit. And the threat of inclement weather was not going to deter us (and hundreds more) from seeing the performance by Morris Day and the Time. And if you even had to guess, yes we had another great spot right at the stage rails. As you'll see below, we were so close we almost could have reached out and touched the stage.

The Romantics live (6/4/16)

My wife and I attended the Belle Isle Grand Prix this past weekend, sponsored by Chevrolet Detroit. There was plenty of racing, lots of automotive displays, a wide variety of food, and also some great music. One of the two concerts we got to see on Saturday the 4th was the Romantics.

Styx - Caught in the Act

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Caught in the Act, the first live album from Styx. The 1984 double-album spent fifteen weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 31. It also reached number 44 in the UK.

Ramones - It's Alive

This month marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of It's Alive, the appropriately named 1979 live studio album from the Ramones. Recorded at London's Rainbow Theatre on December 21st of 1977, the double-album charted at number 38 in Sweden and number 27 in the UK.

Hanoi Rocks - All Those Wasted Years

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of All Those Wasted Years, the first live album from the Finnish rock band Hanoi Rocks. Initially pressings of the album misspelled wasted as "waisted"; this was corrected in later releases. It was recorded in December of 1983 at the Marquee Club in London.

Cheap Trick - Cheap Trick At Budokan

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

This month marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Cheap Trick At Budokan, the first live album from the American rock band Cheap Trick. It was taken from the April 28th and 30th shows from 1978 in Japan (with 12,000 screaming fans in attendance at each show) and released world-wide in February of 1979.

Rufus - Stompin' at the Savoy

On August 10th of this year, Stompin’ at the Savoy celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. This double-album from Rufus, their final release as a group, went to number 64 in the UK, number 50 on the US Billboard Album chart and number 4 on the US Billboard R&B chart.

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Nocturne

Today (November 25th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Nocturne, the first live album from Siouxsie and the Banshees. Taken from the shows at the Royal Albert Hall on September 30th and October 1st of 1983, this double-disk release charted at number 35 in New Zealand and number 29 in the UK; it achieved silver sales status in the UK also. Robert Smith (of the Cure) played guitar with the band for these shows.

Thin Lizzy - Life: Live

Today (October 16th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Life: Live (as it was noted on the original vinyl - later CD releases just called it Life), the double-disk live concert album from Irish rockers Thin Lizzy.

Pat Benatar - Live From Earth

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Live From Earth, the fifth album from Pat Benatar. This 1983 release, which sold over a million copies and reached number 60 in the UK, number 45 in Sweden, number 13 on the US Billboard Album chart and number 2 in Australia, features live concert recordings of eight earlier tracks taken from Benatar’s Get Nervous tour. It then ends with two new studio recordings.

Roxy Music - The High Road

A year after releasing their final studio album Avalon (click here for that review), Roxy Music compiled a four song EP of live recordings from an August of 1982 show at the Apollo in Glasgow, Scotland. It charted at number 67 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and number 26 in the UK. Today we will look at the March of 1983 record The High Road in honor of its thirtieth anniversary.

DVD: The B-52's - With the Wild Crowd

Last October I reviewed here on the blog the CD release of The B-52's - With the Wild Crowd live in concert (click here for that review).

This month, Eagle Rock Entertainment has issued the accompanying DVD of that concert, recorded from Athens, Georgia, on February 18th, 2011.

DVD: Santana - Live At Montreux 2011

Just released by Eagle Rock Entertainment is a two-disk DVD set of a live performance by Santana, recorded in Montreux, Switzerland, in July of 2011.

The show and Santana go together like peanut butter and jelly. The Santana band got its big break by playing Woodstock in 1969. Two years earlier, Claude Nobs established the Montreux Jazz Festival, an annual celebration of music from around the world.

The two came together when Carlos Santana played the festival in 1970, and that was the beginning of a long standing relationship.

Simon & Garfunkel - The Concert In Central Park

Today (February 16th) marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel’s 1982 live double-album The Concert In Central Park. The duo had gone their solo ways over a decade before but they reunited in September of 1981 for a free concert on the Great Lawn of Central Park in New York City. The show was attended by more the 500,000 people and was videotaped for an airing on HBO in 1982.

DVD: Rolling Stones - Some Girls: Live in Texas ‘78

Last month, just in time for a holiday gift idea for that classic rock lover on your list, Eagle Rock released Some Girls Live in Texas ‘78, a concert DVD of the Rolling Stones from their huge 1978 tour. This performance was filmed on July 18th, 1978, at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Forth Worth, Texas; it was right about the time that their Some Girls album was peaking at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 charts.

DVD: Lindsey Buckingham - Songs From the Small Machine (Live in LA)

American singer/guitarist/composer Lindsey Buckingham has enjoyed a successful career for nearly four decades, both as a member of Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. In September of 2011, he released his sixth solo album Seeds We Sow on his own label. In April of 2011, he filmed a concert in support of that album at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills; this month that show has been released on DVD and Blu-ray.

Having the opportunity to review this two-disk package this week, I thought I would share my thoughts with you all.

DVD: Peter Gabriel - New Blood: Live in London

Last month, rock legend Peter Gabriel released his ninth studio album New Blood, a collection of re-recordings of tracks through out his musical career but done with a full orchestra instead of a rock band. The idea for the record came about when he was doing some orchestral work for the second half of 2010 tour. On the record he worked with arranger John Metcalfe.

To go along with the CD, Gabriel filmed two performances in March of 2011 at the Hammersmith Apollo in London to be released as a 3D film experience as well as on DVD and Blu-Ray. I had the opportunity to check out the DVD of the concert this week and thought I would share my thoughts with the readers here.