GREAT EARLY ACOUSTIC/ELECTRIC LIVE SETS
Stuart Jefferson | San Diego,Ca | 03/02/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Two discs-75,61 minutes each approximately. The sound is is very good,as it's from radio broadcasts in 1971 and 1975 (disc 1),and again in 1971 (disc 2),especially for the times,and is very clean. The booklet tells the HOT TUNA story and how this set came into being,even if several b&w photos are printed in reverse. The first disc comprises all the tracks from "Classic Acoustic Hot Tuna",and five tracks from "Splashdown". The second disc is from the set known as "Classic Electric Hot Tuna",with the addition of "Babe I Want You To Know",which wasn't on the earlier release.
This compilation is one of the best overviews of classic HOT TUNA. Not only do we hear an early set with drums (Sammy Piazza) and violin (Papa John Creach),but also several tracks ( disc 1,tracks 10-14) with Jorma Kaukonen (guitar,vocals) and Jack Casady (bass) as a duo. The music here focuses mostly on the group's first two albums ("Hot Tuna",and "First Pull Up Then Down"),with a slight twist with the addition of both drums and violin. There's some between song talk (not overly long) with the musicians deciding what to play,which gives this set real atmosphere.
The first disc of acoustic songs is one of only a handful of shows the group did early on with drums and violin. For fans of the first album (like me),the inclusion of drums and violin don't detract from the acoustic feel of that first album. Piazza's drums form a subtle backdrop for the other musicians,while Creach's violin playing is,for the most part,held in check-he's heard here in a true supporting role. Kaukonen's guitar playing on this disc is as good as on the first album,with Casady's bass a wonderful accompaniment as always. The duo tracks,starting with "Mann's Fate",are true highlights of this entire set. The interplay between the guitar and bass is one of those instances where two individuals can truly combine into something unique-forming the music into a seamless whole. Another highlight,Kaukonen's first recorded instrumental composition for guitar "Embryonic Journey",is heard here sticking fairly close to the original,with just enough difference to make it,as always,interesting. The final track,"Keep On Truckin'" (where the group got it's name),is another winner-the guitar/vocals,combined with the bass is quintessential HOT TUNA.
The second disc is,like the first,truly classic HOT TUNA,only electric. Beginning with the finger-picking intro to "That'll Never Happen No More",after a great introduction by Bill Graham,the group plays a number of well known tracks. This set has a crisper guitar sound,which listeners familiar with Kaukonen's guitar playing on the first few JEFFERSON AIRPLANE albums will know. The distortion he used on later HOT TUNA albums is absent,and along with Creach's rhythmic fiddling,give these tracks a clean yet full sound. And of course Casady's rumbling bass is always in the mix to great effect. Highlights range from "Candyman",to "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning",to "Uncle Sam Blues",to "John's Other",with Creach out front (the last two tunes have that HOT TUNA sound I remember from the ballrooms so many years ago,when the band played "for your dancing or listening pleasure",as Bill Graham would say),to "I Know You Rider",and others.
For those familiar with the album "Double Dose" (now re-released with all the original tracks plus bonus interview tracks),this is at least as good-and in some ways possibly even better. The cleaner guitar sound,no matter if it's acoustic or electric,with fast single note picking and thick sustain on the electric tunes,the subtle drumming on the acoustic pieces,the violin in a primarily rhythmic role,and when Creach does solo,he stays out of the higher registers (that "screeching" sound some listeners don't like) for the most part. And of course,Casady's earth-moving bass-all combine for a set of acoustic country blues and blazing guitar/bass electric blues that every HOT TUNA fan should own.
"
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1