One of the best unplugged albums out there. The selection of the songs already says a lot, and Cobain clearly states the band's intentions in kicking off "About a girl" saying "This is off our first album. Most people don't own it."

A closer look: 14 tracks. 4 from "Nevermind" but only "Come as you are" was a "hit". Then there's "Polly", "On a plain" and "Something in the way".

Yesterday I talked about the sensational CCR tour across Europe in 1970. Two years later, another earth-shaking tour caught Europe by surprise. While Creedence was already known before the tour and a commercial success, the Grateful Dead were not. There were rumors and whispers about a band that was "different". Europe had seen Dylan, Chuck Berry, The Doors, The Byrds, CCR, but The Dead did not have "hits" nor did they ever cared about it. But they drew multitudes to their shows and that's exactly what happened.

Closing the decade of the 60's, CCR do an European tour for the first time. The outcome was epic, in line with earlier, similar experiences with Dylan, Hendrix, The Byrds, and the Grateful Dead soon to follow in 1972. A awakening for European audiences. The Royal Albert Hall performances on April 14 and 15, 1970, are of historic proportions. No special effects, just instruments, amplifiers and John Fogerty playing and singing non-stop, literally in front of the audience.

Radiohead's Ed O'Brien called him "popular music's most prolific writer of great songs".

From the other Down Under, Neil Finn.

A live version of "Don't dream it's over", with orchestra, from Auckland in 2015.

Neil was the main force behind Crowded House. From their farewell tour in 1996.

The Boss in his early thirties. Tempe, AZ, 1980.

"The river"

The Boss in his early seventies.

"Letter to you", 2020, from the eponymous album.

CSN
The kings of vocal harmonies

"Suite Judy blue eyes"

"Wooden ships"

Christy Moore is one of those musicians that would be a lot more famous and rich had he been born in the UK or the USA. Not that he cares much about fame and money, not to mention his love and pride for Ireland. "Ordinary man", live at The Point in Dublin, 2006. With Declan Sinnott, his touring companion of the last 30+ years

Throwback to the 80's. An interesting band that appeared in full force at the beginning of the 80's and disappeared into oblivion at the end of the decade.

An historic concert. The Pogues in 2012, at L'Olympia, Paris. Shane kicks it off with "Streams of whiskey". A strong start, but it gets better afterwards.

"The boys from the County Hell"

As both a composer and a musician, Zappa was one-of-a-kind. One of the most creative and versatile composers and one of the best guitar players to ever walk the Earth.

"Muffin man", 1977

Lineup on "Muffin man":

Adrian Belew gtr/vocals
Terry Bozzio drums
Patrick O'Hearn bass
Peter Wolf keyboards
Tommy Mars keyboards
Ed Mann percussion

One of the best bands of the last 30 years. Period.

One of the best bands to ever come out of Scotland. Or out of anywhere in the world, for that matter.

Stuart Adamson - gone too soon.

An outstanding live version of "Ships" at The Barrowlands, Glasgow, 1993.

Great bands last long, they don't go for the quick hits. If along an illustrious long career, they manage to innovate, break new ground and maintain a higher quality standard, then are in a superior category.

Roxy Music, 1972, "Virginia plain"

Both Brian Eno and Bryan Ferry shaped the first 2 years of the band. After Eno's departure in 1973, it was Ferry's show with the help of the core McKay / Manzanera. Still with Eno clearly influencing the sound, "Ladytron", 1972.

The Pretty Things were active from 1963 through 2020. They started as a raw R&B band, got into psychedelic music in the late 60's and then settled into a more refined R&B style. Their earlier style had similarities to what The Stones, The Who and the Yardbirds did back then. "Midnight to six man", 1966. More than 10 years later, Joe Strummer & The Clash used the line in "White man in Hammersmith Palais".

The Tom Robinson Band came out at a bad time to gain popularity - amidst the punk movement but without being a punk band. Their music, however is as relevant today as it was back in 1977.

A great, great, underrated band.

The Jayhawks, "Tailspin", KEXP radio station studios, Seattle, 2015

Gary Louris (vocals/guitar)
Marc Perlman (bass)
Karen Grotberg (keyboards/voc)
Tim O'Reagan (drums/vocals)
 Kraig Johnson (guitar)

From the same session, "Save it for a rainy day".

The Damned, one of the first punk bands. Reunion show in 1988, 12 years after the tsunami. Still in fine shape at the time. It was good while it lasted.

"New rose*, from the same show, captured live in the CD and DVD "Final damnation". Which ended up not being final 😁

The other Heartbreakers

Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers

"Chinese rocks"

"Born to lose"

Jeff Beck "Goodbye pork pie hat" / "Brush with the blues"

Beck plays the Beatles, a masterful rendition of "A day in the life"

Few musicians have had such a strong influence on others as Chuck Berry. The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, The Kinks, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck ... and those were all on the other side of the Atlantic. In the US, Dylan called him "the Shakespeare of rock-'n'-roll" - no small words coming from The Bard. Such different acts as Springsteen, Billy Joel, Lou Reed, Linda Ronstadt, Steely Dan, The Eagles, Green Day all were influenced by him. Punks revered his stripped-down approach.

I've lost touch with Elton John's studio work for more than two decades. It would be very unfair, though, to not give him credit for his fabulous work before the decline.

"Madman across the water" is imho his best album and one of the best ever recorded by any musician. "Levon"