Is it live or is it Memorex? Oh wait — yeah, it’s live.

One look at the list, and folks who know me must be wondering, “where the Stones at?” Don’t worry, you’ll get lots of that in a couple of weeks. For now, tho, here are the live tracks that jumped in my noggin when we settled on this theme — enjoy:

1. Bob Dylan, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” (from Live at the Gaslight, 1962)
   The Bootleg Series has been a boon for fans of his Bobness, and nearly every release has been loaded with live recordings of historical importance (Dylan plugs in back in 1966, the early home recordings on the No Direction Home soundtrack) or impressive power (his amazing duets with Joan Baez from 1964, the pre-release runthrough of Desire with his Rolling Thunder Revue), but my favorite of his live recordings came from Starbucks. Live at the Gaslight 1962 was released by the coffee chain’s Hear Music label, and it collects a handful of performances recorded at the historic Gaslight cafe in Greenwich Village. It presents a very different Dylan than most people know and recognize: young Bob is sharp, his singing is clear and (for him) tuneful, and the setting (and resulting recording) is intimate. There’s no crowd noise, a feature of the location and time (most folk recordings from that era I’ve heard feature — or, more accurately, don’t feature — a rapt, silent audience), just Bob & his guitar. This version of “Don’t Think Twice…” blows away any other version I’ve heard, and it really makes me wish I could have experienced him back then.
2. The Band, “The Weight” (from The Last Waltz, 1976)
   The godfathers of American roots rock were this bunch of mostly-Canadians, who started life as The Hawks, backing up the legendary Ronnie Hawkins, and eventually became The Band, who were propelled to fame by backing Bob Dylan when he first plugged in in 1966. Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, Levon Helm, and Rick Danko became legends in their own right thanks to classic albums like Music From Big Pink and their self-titled sophomore set, and memorable singles like “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “Up On Cripple Creek,” “The Shape I’m In,” and this song, which is arguably their calling card. When the group decided to break up in 1976, they decided to go out in style by staging a mammoth live show at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom (the night was filmed by Martin Scorsese), and invited all their famous musical friends to join them. The show featured a veritable who’s who of my Mom’s record collection — Ronnie Hawkins, Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Neil Young, Muddy Waters, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan — and the group ran through all of their hits and some of their guests’. The resulting live album and concert film had a lengthy tracklisting, but it only presented about 3/5 of the whole show. A boxed set released in 2002 presented the whole show, including this performance of “The Weight” which didn’t make the cut for the original double-album. No guests, just The Band doing their thing, relishing every minute of it — amazing stuff.
3. David Bowie & Nine Inch Nails, “Scary Monsters” (from Live. Inside, October 1995)
   Like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of musical awesomeness, Bowie & Reznor joined forces for an arena tour in 1995, with Bowie supporting his Eno collaboration Outside and Reznor still behind The Downward Spiral. NIN opened each show, and there was crossover each night as Bowie’s band came onstage, with both outfits merging to play some Bowie & NIN songs together. “Scary Monsters” always seemed like one of the more fierce numbers in Bowie’s canon, but the addition of Reznor’s raw vocals and NIN’s industrial sheen, the song practically roars.
4. Sam Cooke, “Chain Gang” (from One Night Stand: Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963)
   I’d never heard a live Cooke recording until about a year ago when I discovered One Night Stand, and it was a revelation. The power of his voice was never in question, but his studio recordings always struck me as immaculately controlled. That’s why hearing him live is so impressive — he’s got amazing stage presence, and the show practically oozes raw energy, enthusiasm, and excitement. This rendition of “Chain Gang” completely transforms the song from pleasant golden oldie into something unexpectedly sweaty and vibrant.
5. Aimee Mann, “The Scientist” (from the Lost In Space deluxe edition)
   Lord knows I’m no fan of the Coldplay, but thank goodness for Aimee Mann, whose gorgeous voice and canny arrangement transform Chris Martin’s somewhat cloying song into something really special in this live setting. A gigantic improvement on the original.
6. Pearl Jam, “Yellow Ledbetter” (from Seattle, Washington - November 6, 2000)
   I think Pearl Jam are one of the best live bands still working today. I’ve only seen them once, but I can confidently they know how to work a crowd, and can blow the doors off a big venue like nobody’s business. I also really appreciate their attitude towards live recordings — they’ve released excellent, official “bootlegs” of nearly every live show they’ve done since 2000 at bargain prices (they retailed around $12 a pop). This rendition of perennial show-closer “Yellow Ledbetter” is a special one: it was recorded in their home town at the last stop of their 2000 US tour, and guitarist Mike McCready deftly weaves in some licks from Hendrix’s classic “Little Wing” near the end. And now that I think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever heard the studio version of “Ledbetter,” but that’s okay — it certainly couldn’t top this.

Download: Bob Dylan, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” (from Live at the Gaslight, 1962 — mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Band, “The Weight” (from The Last Waltz, 1976 — mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: David Bowie & Nine Inch Nails, “Scary Monsters” (from Live. Inside, October 1995 — mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Sam Cooke, “Chain Gang” (from One Night Stand: Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 — mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Aimee Mann, “The Scientist” (from the Lost In Space deluxe edition — mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Pearl Jam, “Yellow Ledbetter” (from Seattle, Washington - November 6, 2000 — mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)