Friday 13 April 2018

The Live Adventures Of – MIKE BLOOMFIELD & AL KOOPER***

The 59th Bridge Street Song/I Wonder Who/Her Holy Modal Highness/The Weight/Mary Ann/Together ‘Til The End Of Time/That’s Alright/Green Onions/Sonny Boy Williamson/No More Lonely Nights/Dear Mr Fantasy/Don’t Throw Your Love On Me So Strong/Finale-Refugee

Live Adventures was the second Bloomfield/Kooper blues rock collaboration recorded over three nights in 1968 at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. (US:18)

"Its bluesy, it's jazzy at times, and its just great jamming. Just something about this music is so inspiring. Every song is good. The first disc is definitely stronger than the second, even though there is some really great jamming here."

"The relationship between Kooper and Bloomfield is intuitive and symbiotic- the two of them know how to share a song, playing with and off of one another with finesse and warmth. It's wonderful to hear them tossing ideas back and forth. Of course, it doesn't hurt that they are two of the best players in the business, capable of melding blues and jazz into an expertly crafted rock 'n' roll framework. They also know how to jam, settling into loose grooves and letting off with the best they got."

"In typical 1960s concert fashion, way too much of the album is turned over to seemingly endless jamming. Nobody but the truly fanatical will want to hear extended versions of Her Holy Modal Highness, No More Lonely Nights or Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong. There are some interesting moments including Bloomfield's debut as a singer, and on tracks such as the covers of Ray Charles' Mary Ann and That's All Right. Is it essential? No way. Is it worth buying? Sure."

"Mike Bloomfield really never played better. His guitar work on this album tops anything he did with Butterfield and Electric Flag. And he plays a lot, and even sings a bit. Al Kooper's singing is soulfully strained, really reaching for the note. I've always enjoyed his on-the-edge vocal styling. All the songs here get a fresh attitude and interpretation. This album captures the essence of the electric white blues explosion of the late 60s, and you can really feel the creative energy of these young men discovering the meaning of the blues, live and without a net."

“If you're looking for Steely Dan production values, you'll hate it. But if you love raw, spontaneous, live, 60s rock-blues, treat yourself to a rare moment in time."

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