FILLMORE - The Last Days

Musically, this album is excellent. Some performances may be marginally better than others, but many are brilliant, and all were chosen by the artists themselves. The recording quality is amazingly good, especially when compared to many other live recordings of the period. What's also cool is that the album presents a number of very talented artists who were somewhat obscure at the time and almost unknown today-- but who deserve not to be forgotten. Alongside of those are great performances by bands and artists who went on to become legends. The incredible version of "Baby's Callin' Me Home" by Boz Scaggs is alone worth the cost of the set. The Dead's cover of "Johnny B. Goode" that appears here is the best I've yet heard-- far superior, to my ears, to the already great version that appears on "Skull & Roses". In addition are great performances by Quicksilver, The Sons, Santana, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Cold Blood, Tower of Power-- the list goes on. The "Final Night Jam" that closes out the set (with Taj Mahal, Boz Scaggs, Elvin Bishop and a host of others not even credited) is way cool. It all ends with "Greensleeves", often played at the end of the night, amid the sounds of the audience leaving the auditorium for the last time. Very poignant, indeed. Some may pan this album for various reasons, including the very inclusion of some of those more obscure artists. But I think they are missing the point. This is a documentation of a moment in time and history. And I for one would not want to be without it. - R.D. Hodgson

Disc: 1

1. Hello - John Walker

2. Hello Friends - Lamb

3. So Fine - Elvin Bishop Group

4. Party Till The Cows Come Home - Elvin Bishop Group

5. Pana - Malo

6. Poppa Can Play - The Sons Of Champlin

7. White Bird - It's A Beautiful Day

8. Fresh Air - Quicksilver Messenger Service

9. Mojo - Quicksilver Messenger Service

10. Introduction - Bill Graham

11. Back On The Streets Again - Tower Of Power

12. Baby's Callin' Me Home - Boz Scaggs

13. I Just Want To Make Love To You - Cold Blood

14. Passion Flower - Stoneground

15. Henry - New Riders Of The Purple Sage

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Disc: 2

1. Casey Jones - Grateful Dead

2. Johnny B. Goode - Grateful Dead

3. Introduction - Bill Graham

4. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burnin' - Hot Tuna

5. Incident At Neshabur - Santana

6. In A Silent Way - Santana

7. Jam Session: We Gonna Rock - Taj Mahal/Elvin Bishop/Boz Scaggs

8. Jam Session: Long And Tall - Taj Mahal/Elvin Bishop/Boz Scaggs

9. Goodbye - Bill Graham

10. Words With Bill Graham - Bill Graham

LINKS:

Disc 1

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Disc 2

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