David Lindley & El Rayo – X/CA,USA 1989

A master excavation project for legendary master Mike Millard, which became a major project symbolizing 2020. Even in December, the momentum of excavation has not slowed down, but has accelerated, and it does not seem like the source will run out. The latest work from such a project, the David Lindley edition, is now available. What is recorded in this work is “August 13, 1989 Los Angeles performance”. This is the best audience recording. Speaking of Lindley in 1989, it is memorable because the performance in Japan was realized, but at the same time, it was also the time when the band “EL RAYO-X” disbanded. In order to understand the situation, let’s look back at the schedule at that time.・March 4th – April 15th: North America #1 ・April 24th – May 3rd: Japan (8 performances) ・May 21st – June 25th: North America #2 ・July 29th – September 9th: North America #3 ←★Coco★・November 15th – December 31st: North America #4《EL RAYO-X disbanded》 This is David Lindley in 1989. There are many ambiguous points in the data from that time, and it is difficult to confirm details such as the number of performances. However, I think you can understand the overall flow. The final work with “EL RAYO-X”, “VERY GREASY”, was released in 1988, and the following year, 1989, they only toured. After the performance in Japan in early spring, they toured the United States, and “EL RAYO-X” disbanded after the New Year’s Eve show. The Los Angeles performance of this work is the second half of such a US tour. It was an act of “North America #3” which served as the opening for Jackson Browne. This work recorded at such a show is a valuable audience recording. In the first place, Lindley’s recording itself is valuable, but it is also rare as a mirrored collection. Actually, Millard is someone who doesn’t often record opening acts. It is said that he has over 300 works, but only a little less than 20 of them are opening recordings. Among the few undercard recordings, Lindley was actually recorded twice. This is an episode that clearly shows how much Millard liked Lindley. Aside from that, while this work is extremely superb, it is also a “sad!” live album that was not perfect. What’s disappointing is the opening scene. The first minute and a half of “Mercury Blues” is messed up and there’s almost no music. The way it’s disordered is a bit dynamic, and makes you think it started with avant-garde krautrock or noise music. The sound returns to normal after a minute and a half, so it’s not krautrock (obviously), but it’s a mistake uncharacteristic of Millard, who is also a symbol of recording history. Even Kobo says it was a mistake… However, once that turbulence passes, things suddenly turn around! This time, it quickly changes to a super, super… (snip)… superb sound that is exceptional even in the Mirrored Collection. Completely official grade from top to bottom. It’s not just that there is no sense of distance, there is no sense of space in the sound, and there is no audience-like feeling. Official live album… No, it’s a super close sound that sounds like an overdub of handclaps to a studio work. In 2020, we have introduced countless Millard works, but this one is probably No. 1 in terms of “unlike the audience”. The show drawn with that sound is a show that concentrates its characteristics in the short duration of the undercard (about 38 minutes). Actually, there are only 5 songs, so it is not enough to analyze the set, but among them, only “Mercury Blues” and “Talk To The Lawyer” overlap with “EL RAYO LIVE”. It will entertain you with a variety of numbers such as Lightnin’ Hopkins’ “Ain’t It Crazy” and “Let The Good Times Roll.” Even so, I regret the first minute and a half of “Mercury Blues.” If it wasn’t for that disturbance, the Mirrored Collection could have been an outstanding, ultra-high-quality album… On the other hand, it is a rare document of mistakes that are unbecoming of a master, and it is a shocking live album with a quality that I can’t help but introduce even if I put its shortcomings aside. For better or worse, it’s a super impactful piece that can’t be found anywhere else. The best audience recording of “August 13, 1989 Los Angeles Performance”. This is a signature item by the legendary Mike Millard, and is completely official from top to bottom. It’s not just that there is no sense of distance, there is no sense of space in the sound, and there is no audience-like feeling. Official live album… No, it’s a super close sound that sounds like an overdub of handclaps to a studio work. However, in the first minute and a half of “Mercury Blues” there was some disturbance that was not typical of Millard. It is also a rare document of mistakes that are unbecoming of a master, and it is a shocking live album with a quality that I can’t help but introduce even if I put aside the shortcomings. Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles, CA, USA 13th August 1989 ULTIMATE SOUND 1. Intro 2. Mercury Blues 3. Talk To The Lawyer 4. Ain’t It Crazy (Lightnin’ Hopkins cover) 5. Let The Good Times Roll 6. Hands Like A Man David Lindley – Vocals, Guitars Ray Woodbury – Guitars Ian MacLagan – Keyboards Jorge Calderon – Bass Rock Dedrick – Drums