Cotton Mather - In the USSR + Back In the USA (Live 2017 + 2019)

St. Petersburg, Russia  
July 2, 2017
(opening for The Aquarium)

audience recording (sound quality VG; taper was near the stage and, judging by the results, must have used high-quality equipment)

 

Cotton Mather opened for Russia's legendary Aquarium

01 Wheels

02 Robert speaks

03 High Society

04 It's Better Not to 

     Be the King

05 Life of a Liar

06 Never Be It

07 Spin My Wheels

08 My Before and After

09 The Cotton Mather Pledge

10 Fighting Through

11 Candy Lilac

12 Close to the Sun

13 Girl With a Blue Guitar

14 The Book of 

     Too Late Changes

15 Life of a Liar

        (live on Nevsky Ave. July 4th)

Cotton Mather, on the streets of St. Petersburg,
Russia, playing on borrowed equipment

  
Guero's
Austin, TX
April 10, 2019
'Texas Radio Live' broadcast

preFM source (sound quality: VG++; this was a webstream capture, so the FLAC version offered below is a lossless recording of a lossy source)
  

01 High Society

02 Better Than a Hit

03 California

04 Mighty Girl

Gotta love Robert's willingness to attack his guitar

05 Girl with a Blue Guitar 

06 Homefront Cameo

07 Candy Lilac

08 Close to the Sun

09 band intros

10 It's Better Not to 

     Be the King

11 Never Be It

12 RH speaks, song intro

13 Vegetable Row

14 Sun Radio outro

15 Sun Radio interview

ROB SEZ: I'm taking a break from re-posts this week to bring you the ab fab Cotton Mather. In case you're not familiar, Robert Harrison's band plays his rock-pop confections, influenced by artists we love: Beatles, Kinks, Who, Squeeze, Elvis Costello — but certainly not the "slavish imitation" variety no ones needs. Harrison's songs are inventive, tuneful, lyrically thoughtful, and engagingly performed. Between these two performances, I prefer the first — even though the second has better sound quality. Must've been something about Cotton Mather opening for Russia's legendary The Aquarium in front of many hundreds that brought out an extra spark. The very recent hometown show in Austin inspired a solid, but at times workman-like performance. MEGA THANKS to Andre Minaev for the St. Petersburg recording and to Sun Radio for broadcasting the Austin show, which I streamed and recorded in real time. The blog will take an Easter break next Friday and be back the following. 

Happy Holidays / Happy Spring / happy vacation time to all
  

Young Life & Other Mysteries, Cotton Mather's latest collection, can only be had via the band's Patreon monthly subscription service. But it's well worth the modest amount of money to obtain exclusive songs, videos and posts by Robert Harrison (the above is an actual CD in a cardboard sleeve) There might also still be a few copies of the band's early, rare Crafty Flower Arranger mini album left, also available only through Patreon. 

CHECK IT OUT HERE & here:

FLAC (Austin show in lossless; St. Pete show = MP3@320)

MP3@320

The dB's - Chapel Hill, N.C. 1985 (FM)

LOSSLESS RE-POST

Cat's Cradle
Chapel Hill, N.C.
March 26, 1985
  
FM recording (sound quality VG+; transfer from master recording, with some brief cuts due to transmission problems as noted below)
  

Recording and artwork by the same talented soul

  
01  Rendezvous
02  Not Cool
03  Molly Says
04  Big Brown Eyes
05  Amplifier
06  I Lie
07  pH Factor
08  Big Black Truck
09  Nothing Is Wrong
10  White Train
11  She Got Soul
12  Neverland
13  Spitting In the Wind
14  Love Is For Lovers
15  Black & White*
16  See No Evil*
17  Spy In the House of Love
18  Suspicious Minds
19  Louie, Louie*

*Three songs featuring the guitar talents of Mr. Mitch Easter — the “Fifth dB”. Chuck Dale Smith (from Mitch's old high school band, Sacred Irony) also contributes on "Louie Louie."

TT: 73 mins.
  
MEGA THANKS TO a certain someone for recording and sharing
  
WAV lossless files
  
MP3@320

In his original share, the taper said: “This show was broadcast live over the UNC student radio station WXYC. I debated on going to the show and staying home and taping, the staying home and taping won out. There were sound problems with the live feed from the club so the first few songs of the set are not included. Not sure exactly how many songs are missing but as I recall it couldn't be more than one or two. There are a few cut-outs in the first 3 songs or so, but they are very brief and don't detract from the show. Mitch Easter makes a guest appearance on three songs. When making the cover years ago I failed to note that Mitch Easter also played on the finale 'Louie, Louie'.”

The dB’s:

Peter Holsapple — guitar, vocals, keyboards

Will Rigby – drums, backing vocals

Gene Holder — lead guitar

Rick Wagner — bass

Alex Chilton - Two 1977 NYC shows

LOSSLESS RE-POST
EARLY, classic Alex Chilton live shows

          

Fab photos of LX in NYC by Stephanie Chernikowski

Alex Chilton
Max's Kansas City
New York, N.Y.
March 1977
   
audience recording (sound quality: GD+; not bad for a tape source of this vintage)
Note: first set only; second was either lost or not recorded

ROB SEZ: This is among the first LX solo shows (and earliest-known recordings thereof).  
Dig the punked-up version of "The Letter" included in this set.

BIG OL' THANKS to the taper and to 38f for sharing.

1. All the Time

2. My Rival
3. Can't Seem to Make You Mine

4. Way Out West

5. September Gurls
6. Shakin' the World

7. Night Time

8. The Letter
9. Windows Hotel

10. Back of a Car

    
Alex Chilton

CBGB

New York, N.Y.
Sept. 14, 1977

audience recording (sound quality: GNARLY)
"Gnarly" = more or less "Good," but that's it. "Listenable" (if you add air quotes), but sounding pretty much like a 40 year-old, multi-generation tape source with distortion and other issues much of the time. MY ADVICE: keep your expectations low, and you might actually enjoy the performance...

     

MUCHAS GRACIAS to The Big A for taping and to Lone Taper for sharing

11. Take Me Home and Make Me Like It 
12. O My Soul

13. Bangkok
14. Contact High (1st public perf.)
15. My Rival 
16. Night Time
17. Back of a Car

18. All the Time
19. A Little Fishy
20. September Gurls
21. Holocaust 

22. The Summer Sun (Chris Stamey cover)

23. The Letter
24. Wouldn’t It Be Nice?

25. Do You Wanna Dance?

Alex and "The Cosssacks," including Chris Stamey

TT: 1:16:24
  
FLAC
  

MP3@320

Musicians

Alex Chilton - vocals, guitar

Chris Stamey - bass

Lloyd Fonoroff - drums
Fran Kowalski - keys (Sept. show)

    2 other early LX shows are HERE.
Info about the LX-dB's connection is HERE.