Lou Reed - Sweet Jane (Rock and Roll Animal)

Uno de los mejores discos en directo de la historia del rock: "Rock and Roll Animal".

Comienza con una introducción legendaria que da paso a Sweet Jane:

Si no conoces el disco completo, te invito a conocer esta obra maestra del rock. No te arrepentirás.

Eagles - Hotel California

Hace años, solía ir a un local de copas en el barrio de Malasaña, en Madrid. Se llamaba "Hotel California".

Cuando llegaba la hora de cierre, empezaban los acordes de la canción de The Eagles y encendían las luces para que los clientes se fueran marchando...

En el año 2005 pasé por allí y estaba cerrado. Saqué esta foto:

Estas son más fotos que saqué por la zona ese mismo día de diciembre:

También saqué algunas fotos del Café Comercial, que cerró ayer mismo después de 128 años:

Jimi Hendrix - Red House

These are my favourites Red House live performances from the master, Jimi Hendrix:

Some recomended readings about Jimi Hendrix:

 

Kenny Rogers - The Gambler

I love this song by Kenny Rogers. It brings me a lot of familiar memories.

Some pictures with Kenny Rogers performing:

Thelonious Monk - Epistrophy

Thelonious Monk is my favourite pianist!

Epistrophy was called "the first classic, modern jazz composition". It was recorded in 1941!

Listen a live performance here:

Jimi Hendrix - Who knows

Una de mis canciones favoritas de Jimi Hendrix:

Otra versión en directo:

Algunas fotos:

The Beatles - Girl

"Girl" es otra balada de los Beatles que clasifico como "Recomendado". Pertenece al LP "Rubber Soul". Este album es, en mi opinión, el primer gran trabajo creativo del grupo británico.

The Beatles - Girl (Lyrics)

Is there anybody going to listen to my story

All about the girl who came to stay?

She's the kind of girl

You want so much it makes you sorry

Still you don't regret a single day

Ah, girl, girl, girl

When I think of all the times

I tried so hard to leave her

She will turn to me and start to cry

And she promises the earth to me

And I believe her

After all this time I don't know why

Ah, girl, girl, girl

She's the kind of girl who puts you down

When friends are there

You feel a fool

When you say she's looking good

She acts as if it's understood

She's cool, ooo, ooo, ooo

Girl, girl, girl

Was she told when she was young

That pain would lead to pleasure?

Did she understand it when they said

That a man must break his back

To earn his day of leisure?

Will she still believe it when he's dead?

Ah, girl, girl, girl

Ah, girl, girl, girl

Algunas fotos de The Beatles en 1965:

Sting - Every Breath you take [Live,1988]

Mi primer gran concierto, en 1988, fue el de Sting en Madrid:

La crónica del periódico:  Sting alcanzó el duende

Esta es una actuación muy parecida, unos días después (el 11 de junio), en el concierto del 70 cumpleaños de Nelson Mandela en Wembley:

Parte de la crónica del concierto:

En Madrid, Sting ofreció un concierto excepcional, dentro de esa concepción más estándarizada del espectáculo. Musicalmente perfecto, tiene la capacidad de crear diferentes ambientes escénicos que hacen confluir en un instante extensas improvisaciones jazzys de Kirkland y Marsalis con bailes conjuntos del resto de los músicos. El desarrollo musical consigue algo: hacer ágil y sencillo lo que en principio puede resultar complejo. Arreglos difíciles pensados para cada compás se ofrecen naturalmente, como si en el escenario no sucediese nada extraordinario salvo el placer y la diversión. La extremada elaboración de la sensible música de Sting adquiere su máximo atractivo e impacto porque la ofrece de manera simple y sin pretensiones intelectuales. Todos los músicos que lo acompañan son de impresionante calidad, y su adecuación al planteamiento del cantante británico es muy fluido, sin forzar lo extemporáneo, conscientes del clasicismo que emanan las canciones y con un grado de concentración en su trabajo que sostiene la energía interior que desprende el concierto, aunque se añore la posibilidad de locura imaginativa que ofrecía la anterior base rítmica del grupo, formada por Omar Hakim y Darryl Jones.

Led Zeppelin - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You

Otra bonita balada de Led Zeppelin:

Led Zeppelin: "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" (Lyrics)

Babe, baby, baby, I'm Gonna Leave You.

I said baby, you know I'm gonna leave you.

I'll leave you in the summertime,

Leave you when the summer comes a-rollin'

Leave you when the summer comes along.

Babe, babe, babe, babe, babe, babe,

Baby, baby, I wanna leave you.

I ain't jokin' woman, I got to ramble.

Oh, yeah, baby, baby, I believin',

We really got to ramble.

I can hear it callin' me the way it used to do,

I can hear it callin' me back home!

Babe, oh, babe... I'm gonna leave you

Oh, baby, you know, I've really got to leave you

Oh, I can hear it callin 'me

I said don't you hear it callin' me the way it used to do? Ooooh

I know, I know, I know I never, never, never, never, never gonna leave you, babe

But I got to go away from this place,

I've got to quit you, yeah

Ooh, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, ooh, don't you hear it callin' me?

Oh, woman, woman, I know, I know

It feels good to have you back again

And I know that one day, baby, it's gonna really grow, yes it is.

We gonna go walkin' through the park every day.

Come what may, every day, ooh

My my my my my, my babe.

I'm gonna leave you, go away...

... Oh I miss you, baby

It was really, really good.

You made me happy every single day.

But now... I've got to go away! Oh, oh, oh.

Baby, baby, baby

That's when it's callin' me

I said that's when it's callin' me back home...

Led Zeppelin - The Rain Song

Gran balada de Led Zeppelin:

LED ZEPPELIN - THE RAIN SONG (LYRICS)

It is the springtime of my loving

the second season i am to know-ooh-oh-ooh-oh

you are the sunlight in my growing

so little warmth i felt before

it isn't hard to feel me glowing

i watched the fire that grew so low

It is the summer of my smiles

flee from me keepers of the gloom

speak to me only with your eyes

it is to you i give this tune

ain't so hard to recognize, oh oh oh

these things are clear to all from time to time, ooooh

Oh hoh, oh hoh

Talk talk talk talk

hey, i've felt the coldness of my winter

i've never thought it would ever go

i've cursed the gloom that set upon us, 'pon us, 'pon us

but i know that i love you so, ohhhhh, whoa

but i know that i love you so, whoa

These are the seasons of emotion

and like the winds they rise and fall

this is the wonder of devotion

i see the torch we all must hold

this is the mystery of the quotient, quotient

upon us all, upon us a little rain must fall

just a little rain

hoooh, whoo yeah-ee-yeah-ee-yeah-ee

Un documento interesante, Jimmy Page en 1957:

Billie Holliday - Fine and mellow

Billie Holiday suena a garito lleno de humo:

En esta ocasión está acompañada, nada más y nada menos, por Ben Webster (tenor saxophone), Lester Young (tenor saxophone), Vic Dickenson (trombon), Gerry Mulligan (baritone saxophone), Coleman Hawkins (tenor saxophone), Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Doc Cheatham (trumpet), Danny Barker (guitar), Milt Hinton (double bass), Mal Waldron (piano) y Osie Johnson (drums).

Billie Holiday - Fine and Mellow (Lyrics)

My man don't love me, treats me oh so mean

My man he don't love me, treats me awful mean

He's the lowest man that I've ever see

He wears high trimmed pants stripes are really yellow

He wears high trimmed pants stripes are really yellow

But when he starts in to love me he's so fine and mellow

Love will make you drink and gamble, make you stay out all night long

Love will make you drink and gamble, make you stay out all night long

Love will make you do things that you know is wrong

But if you treat me right baby Ill stay home everyday

If you treat me right baby Ill stay home everyday

But youre so mean to me, baby, I know youre gonna drive me away

Love is just like the faucet it turns off and on

Love is like the faucet it turns off and on

Sometimes when you think its on, baby, it has turned off and gone

Chet Baker - Milestones

El tema Milestones original es de Miles Davis, pero Chet Baker lo exprime al máximo:

Un par de libros sobre Chet Baker:

Y unas fotos:

Aretha Franklin - I say a little prayer

Este temazo cantado por Aretha Franklin entra directo a mi selección "Recomendado". 

La escuchaba cuando tenía un examen importante antes de salir de casa. Me solía levantar muy temprano para repasar y, mientras recogía los apuntes para ir al examen, la amiga Aretha me daba ánimos. Salía a comerme el mundo...

Aretha Franklin - I Say a Little Prayer (Lyrics)

The moment I wake up

Before I put on my makeup

I say a little pray for you

While combing my hair now

And wondering what dress to wear now

I say a little prayer for you

Forever and ever, you'll stay in my heart

And I will love you

Forever and ever, we never will part

Oh, how I love you

Together, forever, that's how it must be

To live without you

Would only mean heartbreak for me

I run for the bus, dear

While riding I think of us, dear

I say a little prayer for you

At work I just take time

And all through my coffee break time

I say a little prayer for you

Forever and ever, you'll stay in my heart

And I will love you

Forever and ever we never will part

Oh, how I'll love you

Together, forever, that's how it must be

To live without you

Would only mean heartbreak for me

I say a little prayer for you

I say a little prayer for you

My darling, believe me

(Believe me)

For me there is no one but you

Please love me too

(Answer his pray)

And I'm in love with you

(Answer his pray)

Answer my prayer now, babe

(Answer his pray)

Forever and ever, you'll stay in my heart

And I will love you

Forever and ever we never will part

Oh, how I'll love you

Together, forever, that's how it must be

To live without you

Would only mean heartbreak for me