My friend posted an appreciation of drummer Andy Newmark on Facebook, discussing his work, which includes Sly & The Family Stone's "Fresh" and Ron Wood's "I've Got My Own Album To Do." I started to chime in, writing up a paragraph or two about how amazing his playing is on the "Deep End Live" album by Pete Townshend, when I realized it was Simon Phillips and not Andy Newmark. So much for that. But, of course, I now had to listen to "Deep End Live."
I don't know why this album isn't widely revered as one of the greatest live documents on record. Maybe it came out when no one really cared about Townshend's solo work. Or, maybe it is considered a great live record by everyone and I just don't know it. Whatever the answer is, "Deep End Live," recorded in Brixton in 1985, employs a band that includes the aforementioned monster of the skins, Simon Phillips, Billy Nicholls of Immediate cult album fame on backing vocals, "Rabbit" Bundrick on keys and David Gilmour on lead guitar. It's a great set list of Who tracks, Pete solo tracks and choice covers, and everyone involved is at he top of their game.
Check out "I Put A Spell On You" up top. I absolutely love what Townshend puts into the vocals, as if he himself has been put under a spell. Simon Phillips is rock solid, as always. And Gilmour's solo is spine-tingling. It even has touches of "Comfortably Numb" here and there.
Somewhere among the thousands of discs here, I have a two CD set of the complete concert, which was ripped from a laserdisc many moons ago. It has an additional 8 or 10 tracks.
Here are the links for the whole show.
Disc One
Disc Two
20 comments:
I had this years ago and had forgotten about it over time. I loved it and would definitely be interested in hearing the whole concert. I actually really enjoy Pete's solo work (except for Psychoderelict, which I never got into) on a completely different level than the Who. Not better or worse than the Who, just completely different. Thanks for the offer.
Yeah, I've always enjoyed the hell out of this show. Seems like I had the VHS video tape of this show back in the day. Pete has released a number of live shows over the years that have remained under the radar which are worth checking out.
Randy
Never knew that this record existed. Liked what I saw. joe
Nice "Spell".
Thanks for sending me back to my 12 Track version to listen to I PUT A SPELL ON YOU. It truly is a spine-tingling version!
I'd love to have the extended version you ripped from your laserdisc!
- Stinky
Pete's solo work is very underrated...great call on these two covers
I've only got a 10 track cd of the show so the full monty would be welcomed, much like a well loved aunt would be, with open arms. Cheers!
Very interested!
I've uploaded the whole show. See edited post.
I'm also unfamiliar with this one. My Who-loving, guitar-learning teenager comes home this weekend after a month at camp. This will be great "welcome back" add to his iPod. Many thanks.
Sal
Thank you for sharing. I think Petes White City album is one of the best of the 80s.
What a treat! Many thanks for upping the whole kit and caboodle. Fan-dabi-dozi as they used to say on a kids TV show here. Cheers!
I've always loved Save It For Later. I actually heard this version before I heard the English Beat's original. The sax solo is one of my favorite pieces of music. It's just sublime.
Thank you very much for sharing the full show. Looking forward to checking it out.
Thanks for this - very excited to hear the whole thing. I also liked the Townsend solo albums, including a number of the songs on Psychoderelict - Now and Then is such a sweet song.
Thanks Sal
Never knew this album existed
Thanks for the heads up
Regards
The full show later released as Live At The Brixton Academy 85. I think there was a series of live shows La Jolla Play House 2001, Sadler's Wells 2000 & The Fillmore 1996.
Just excellent. Many thanks.
Sal:
I've always love Townshend's work outside the Who. I have the vinyl of this (10 tracks). Townshend's version of it is equal to Wakeling's. Great find. Thanks. Michael D.
This show is one of the greatest concerts in the history of rock and roll. Truly. I loved the Deep End album and eventually xfered the vhs to CD. Later Pete released it on double CD on the eelpie website as part of his essential (yet ignored) signature series. The big band horn version of Wont get fooled Again is... Fuck I can't even explain how good it is.
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