The '1998-era' Options

[SecretInsomnia]

Looking to Live's history, each era before and after and album and also their touring history, I still find 1998 the most interesting. I don't know what that is exactly, but first of all they were creative, experimantal, rocking and also very productively (there are many songs from this era). Listen to Don't Wait, Deeper and Vine Street in one row. Wait, was that all from one era, so different but quality songs? And they didn't even use it...? Also I think it was the last time they wrote songs together (?), although the tracklisting of what became TDTH wasn't what they all agreed on.

Maybe this is, closely after TC, the style of Live that I liked the most, although it's a shame that many of the songs aren't available in good quality or ended up quite differently then the versions created in 1998.

The setlists, although I don't think they toured much, are quite rare and cool too. For example: Sun, Don't Wait, New City, They Stood Up for Love, Still Aroused, Wash the Blood Away, Change, Lakini's Juice in one row and that's it! (March 8, 1998). See more at: http://www.setlist.fm/setlists/live-13d6b90d.html?page=74 . And don't forget the recorded songs from the demo(?) Pelgrimage to the Southern Stars (quite a different album from TDTH) and all the rare songs that we don't even know exactly know about.

Too bad the only video I find on youtube is Meltdown (first video I ever saw together with Chris Thorn!):



I think I have a few other songs from this show as well somewhere on my computer. But that's really it. There is still talk of a recording of New City around this time tough)

Last remarkable thing is the change in Ed as a frontman:
I was watching this two video's yesterday and thought: how did this happen?
Lakini's Juice, SNL, 1997: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M53lerFTcXA
Lakini's Juice, Woodstock 1999: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-W1-KXm-dM
I like both Eds, but they're quite different. In two years from the crazy, weird, sometimes dark and totally giving his all Secret Samadhi-Ed, to the more friendly, dancing, smiling Ed, making more connection to the audience. Still very good tough, but somewhere in 1998 something changed, didn't it? Or did the bright tone of TDTH changed his performance?

What do you think of the era between SS and TDTH? And does anyone have more footage of them playing?

This post has been edited by SecretInsomnia: Jan 11 2017, 8:01 am

[Merica]

I think I have a few other songs from this show as well somewhere on my computer. But that's really it. There is still talk of a recording of New City around this time tough

The talk of a recording existing is correct, as others have confirmed before. Some may remember a while ago on WD/FB I was pushing pretty hard to get some kind of definitive answer on whether or not we could get the footage released. Jimmy Lang said to me:

"New City" - I do have the video recording of it from the Chameleon show. You'll have to ask one of the guys in the band if it's okay for me to post it. For something like that permission from the guys is the best, everything I shoot is their property.

- Jimmy Lang on Facebook, circa March 2016

... so I messaged the Live FB account, CT's account, both multiple times. And all the messages were read, but no response was ever offered. I know my continuous pushing annoyed some people, but I reasoned that all I wanted was some kind of word on it either way. If someone had popped up to say "hi, sorry but we're not keen on that and have no plans to release it" or whatever, that would have been fine. I was looking for closure one way or another. But alas, no response.

So in summary: the recording is there, and if we got clearance and managed to wrangle Jimmy back then it could be released. Anyone else is free to pick this up and run with it.

As for the era itself, yeah, top drawer. The TDTH rockers created around this time are amongst their best work. Don't Wait in particular is amazing. The 1998 era is possibly the band at their absolute creative peak and I'd welcome any more material that people have locked away.

Particular New fucking City.

This post has been edited by Merica: Jan 11 2017, 8:08 am

[Bremang]

Merica, convince Jimmy to play the video on his comp, record it on his phone, and send it to you via snap chat or one of those apps where media disappears. You can see a few seconds of a the song and report back here.

[Merica]

Merica, convince Jimmy to play the video on his comp, record it on his phone, and send it to you via snap chat or one of those apps where media disappears. You can see a few seconds of a the song and report back here.

Ha. I'll get right on that.

But srsly, if I recall correctly it took fucking ages to get that response from Jimmy before I even started chasing the band.

I agree. Maybe we put more emphasis on them because they are b-sides. I like them, but I totally understand why deeper and Still aroused are not on the album. Vine Street could have made it. Don't wait is good, but I find it misses an edge to be considered a real rocker. Still a good song. Susquehanna and mall rat on the other end, should have been included somewhere. At least we got decent versions of all these songs.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

Not sure why the studio version of Change never surfaced like the other b-sides from TDTH?

I know, right? I seem to recall in Chad's letter response he mentioned he was pushing hard for some of the rocker songs to make TDTH, and I think he even namedropped Change and New City specifically at that point. But neither appears on either of the demo albums for TDTH. So like... wassup with that?

[alexou]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

Yeah I know when I wrote this I found it a bit weird, but I still think it misses something. It is a good rock song, but not one I would replace everything in TDTH to put in. Maybe I son't like the bridge or it misses some guitar work.

As for Jimmy, don't know the guy at all, just met him once in AC. My guess is that he simply chose to close WD because he couldn't support the reunion. I don't see him releasing New City anyway, but you can keep trying.

[Merica]

Yeah I know when I wrote this I found it a bit weird, but I still think it misses something. It is a good rock song, but not one I would replace everything in TDTH to put in. Maybe I son't like the bridge or it misses some guitar work.

I dunno man. I really love it. Maybe one day we'll get a properly polished version.

I will save you all some time. Jimmy is not going to release anything.

You mean not without proper clearance from CCP, right? i.e. He won't go rogue.

[andymbj]

I dunno man. I really love it. Maybe one day we'll get a properly polished version.

I really hope we do. I love Ed's vocals at the end. Completely badass.