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mog
May-22-2009, 14:16 GMT
Canada

Hi folks !

Any reactions to the new DVD (PS & Friends) ?

I have not watched it entirely, but I like it ! There is a 24-page booklet, adapted from the evening program. Full bio of every participant. I would have liked if they had cleaned the Glass performance from the credits on the screen, but no big deal.

Does anyone has the book from Phil Ramone "Making Records" ? I do...there are a short chapter on recording Simon and some tidbits on the S&G Central Park Concert 1981. Yikes...I knew there were some big disagreements at the time, but it sure did feel like Love...

mog
May-22-2009, 14:17 GMT
Canada

should read "sure did *not* feel like Love".

LOL !

Ian
May-22-2009, 15:20 GMT
USA - United Staates America

Hi Mog,I think I mentioned on this forum about a year or so ago about the problems of that September evening in 1981. For example,the guy in charge of the PA System was deaf in one ear!!! Art,also hated his performance so much that he re-recorded almost all of his vocals for the album release,and this in turn gave Roy Halee immense troubles when it came to preparing the video of the concert,due to getting Art´s mouth to match closely his redone vocals. Synching issues basically. Is this the stuff Ramone mentions? I know that Phil Ramone has said that Barbara Streisand and Paul Simon are very demanding in the studio. He said of Paul ´He is suspicious of anything that seems to happen too easily´ After all is said and done,I will buy that book. Ramone is a master producer.

mog
May-22-2009, 17:11 GMT
Canada

Thanks Ian...

Actually, the things you mention are not the ones in the book, but still very interesting.

The most interesting gossip is the fact that Simon and Artie both greet people in separate corner of the room where the post-concert event was held in downtown NY. After giving a legendary concert, they were separate in the very few minutes following it...

During the week preceeding the concert, some people involved in the organization were thinking that it would be cancelled due to the corrosive atmosphere...etc.

Will upload when I have 1 minute.

Gerard
May-23-2009, 06:49 GMT
New Zealand

Correct me if I´m wrong, but my understanding is that the 1981 concert was originally to be a Paul Simon event, then Artie invited to participate, which then turned into the deal it was.

No wonder in 1991 he didn´t go down that path again.

I must say there is no comparison, 1991 concert a much better concert. Yet it doesn´t have AND GARFUNKEL so the live CD of it didn´t sell or rate anywhere near the CD of the 1981 show.

Ian
May-23-2009, 18:16 GMT
USA - United Staates America

Hi Gerard,that is correct. Paul alone,was asked to do that years concert on the great lawn,and as now,this immediately brought about speculation about Artie maybe singing a couple of songs,and before to long,it was a fully realised S&G concert. I personally am very fond of the CP81 song arrangements. ´50 Ways´ and ´Still Crazy´ from that show are just two of my favourite versions of those songs. I have always loved live albums,ever since I was a teenager. CP81 and Neil Young´s ´Live Rust´ double albums were huge influences on me musically. I remember being 14 years Old and playing ´air guitar´ to ´Cortez the Killer´. Mind you both of these live albums have been butchered by incredibly insensitive editing,to fit the double albums onto one CD. Ridiculous!

mog
May-23-2009, 18:20 GMT
Canada

You´re right Gerard ! It was supposed to be a PS concert originally.

Well, reading this, it made me just more cynical about these 2 guys with the hands of one on the back of the other, making the "Old Friends" pose. What a joke !

Ramone tells about other great albums...like Blood on the Tracks from the Dylan. I hope he says a few things about Rock of Ages from The Band...I keep reading.

Ian
May-23-2009, 19:21 GMT
USA - United Staates America

I too would be interested to read what Ramone has to say about ´Blood on the Tracks´. I Love that album,but it´s difficult to hear what Ramone´s input might have been. It´s not an album that screams ´produced´ at me anyway. Zim,like PS is great at putting bands and song arrangements together,so I can only imagine Ramone´s role must have been in an engineering capacity,mic placement,equipment choices etc.

mog
May-23-2009, 23:06 GMT
Canada

Interesting Ian that you like 50 Ways from CP 81 a lot...

I remember I quite dislike it...maybe I should revisit it ?

I do prefer the 2000 live incarnations of 50.

I am still puzzled at why S&G continued their CP experience with a world-tour after what seems to have been a pain in the butt experience. No doubt, these guys care a lot about money and glory !

Scaaty
May-24-2009, 00:07 GMT
Ireland

I´m glad they did, it was after hearing them in the RDS that I changed from an Artie "Bright Eyes" fan to a Paul "late great Johnny Ace" fan!

Gerard
May-24-2009, 03:01 GMT
New Zealand

Hi Ian, you and I must have similar tastes. I liked Dylan alot ( and my best 4 albums of 1975 will always be BLOOD ON THE TRACKS, DESIRE, STILL CRAZY, and Joni Mitchell´s HISSING OF SUMMER LAWNS), but the songwriters I wished seeing live most were Paul Simon & Neil Young. I used to play Live Rust alot, especially for songs like Cortez The Killer. I have more live DVD´s of Neil Young than Paul Simon (I guess because he has made more). Heart of Gold DVD last year is excellent, but also from a few years back LIVE AT RED ROCKS and SILVER & GOLD are well worth having.

I do like the 1981 Concert In The Park, and it was a big deal for me back then. But Paul just went on to bigger and better things and by the time 1991 rolled around he had this amazing band and amazing show the drew on all his back catalogue but especially included Rhythm Of The Saints. And I got to see this live 2 nights running in Sydney - probably the best Paul Simon concerts I have been to.

I think the 2003 Simon & Garfunkel concerts were superior to the 1981 concerts (which I wasn´t expecting to say) because the arrangements of Old S & G songs were better, and the band was better - and they did My Little Town & Only Living Boy.

Ian
May-24-2009, 08:03 GMT
USA - United Staates America

Hi Gerard,so much to comment on,I just know I´ll forget something. ´Desire´ - I Love that album too. I always think of it as Bob´s ´Gypsy´ album,for want of a different word. You remember how he started to wear those bandanas around that time? That and the ubiquitous violin,and in particular ´One More Cup of Coffee´ paints such powerful pictures in my mind. I´ve seen Dylan 3 times and as yet,he´s never played anything from that album live:-( Yes,´Heart of Gold´ is a wonderful,warm concert film. Over the credits he plays a spooky ´Old Laughing Lady´ that just chills me. The ´Born At The Right Time´ ´91 show I saw was just phenomenal! From the first clatter of drums on the ´The Obvious Child´ it was just a perfect concert,and I still love the ´91 version of ´SOS´. I´ve got visitors,gotta go...

Gerard
May-24-2009, 11:53 GMT
New Zealand

The start of the Born At The Right Time concerts with Obvious Child followed up with Boy In The Bubble was just so amazing. The Coast is my favourite soso I have to mention that also. However the two real gems for me those nights were Train In The Distance & Hearts & Bones.

Bob Dylan & Paul Simon in California June 1999 was my first big trip. Mid 1990´s Paul did a BBC interview/documentary where he said he didn´t care for live performance anymore and thought his concert touring days were over. So when the Dylan & Simon tour was announced I was determined to go. The concerts were great and it was very interesting to experience the contrast in there separate shows. Both were very good in my opinion.

I hadn´t bought Time Out Of Mind,but after these concerts just had to go get it - Not DArk Yet and Highlands were stand out Dylan performances. And for the Simon part of the show I got to hear way more Rhythm Of The Saints material than 1991 (my favourite album). Can´t Run But would be my least favourite track but got a renewed appreciation following the 1999 live performances of it.

Ian
May-24-2009, 13:51 GMT
USA - United Staates America

I can´t believe I didn´t mention ´Train In The Distance´ and ´Hearts And Bones´ from that gig. I specifically remember nudging my friend as if to say ´can you believe it? He´s playing Train in the Distance´!! At Central Park when he played ´Hearts and Bones´ he was joined by the band halfway through the song. In Brisbane,he did it totally solo,and later on also did an absolutely spellbinding ´Scarborough Fair´ with just his eloquent acoustic guitar for accompaniment. Goosebumps! What a wonderful night. Oh,I agree about Dylan too. I had bought ´Time Out Of Mind´ in the weeks preceding the show,and enjoyed it,but live,those songs were just fantastic. I remember thinking how good ´Lovesick´ sounded. It was perhaps a little too loud for comfort,but hell,as Dylan expert Paul Williams would have said,Bob was really ´leaning into´ the groove that night.

mog
May-24-2009, 19:36 GMT
Canada

I Love the Desire album too !! Cool..

Yeah, as you know, I am a big fan of the Paul/Bob tour (although I did not like the Bob part at the time).

I liked the studio version of Can´t Run But, but live I was just blown away by the way it was made for the stage. Great groove, fantastic percussion effects, bluesy guitars, etc. It was another track...

I agree too about the 2003/2004 being the one with better arrangements and music, but CP 1981 wins in my heart for the atmosphere and the legendary event it created. The Old Friends DVD shows us more a quiet crowd and some people in business attire...CP 1981 was an event for the people.

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