Rolling Stones...

[The Nal]

Depends if the Dead are your thing or not.

Youre right about the album becoming over appreciated to a degree though. Part of the hipster diet these days. Just as Nick Drake became.

[Wooderson]

Lyrically I'd put "American Beauty" up against a lot of so called classic albums. Think it trounces "Forever Changes" yet that is the record that - as you say - is in the hipster feedbag these days.

As regards Nicky Drake, that arguement is dead in the water. Drake was a titan. Still underappreciated in my book. There was nothing "acid-addled" about him in the way that you have to "squint" through the fog to get to Lee's meaning or ambition.

[tevaburger]

2004 was a funny one. 2003 was so perfect in many ways that 2004 was always going to struggle.

2004 was a good year overall though, and definitely better than average I'd say (in terms of weather and lineup).

i've lucked out with weather, and 2004 was worst for me

2004 was ace.

you said the weather was fine, but I'm thinking you may have missed 2003 (beautiful) and then experienced 05, 07? and i know you were at '97, so I'm guessing 2004 was like Hawaii for you given what uve experienced.

i brought the missus with me in 04 and while I was in London already she flew in on the friday AM and I had to meet her but, flight late, luggage lost, and it delayed us getting to Glasto. missed a train and consequently missed Wilco...just not a good start. my feelings for that year were more on my own experience not necessarily on the lineup, sets, etc...

when you look back at the Friday Pyramid lineup that year, it's hard to think of a better day on any stage (other than that one famous day on the NME stage in '94)

Bright Eyes

Wilco

Nelly Furtado (bleh)

Elbow

Groove Armada

PJ Harvey

Kings of Leon (pre arena rock days)

Oasis

not all of them delivered on the day (Oasis) but on paper you were going into that day thinking 'wow'..that's 3 of my favorite all-time artists right there in bold and then a band that i had been fully into mid-to-late 90's because of their 1st 2 records headlining, and still had hope that they'd pull it off on the night with a great comeback set...

logistically it just wasn't my favorite Glastonbury...i thought saturday lagged in bits (saw My Morning Jacket, Ben Harper, didnt really enjoy much else that day. got separated/lost from the missus at times, etc...spent too much time looking for her instead of just enjoying it!

Christy Moore on the sunday sort of summed up the mood i felt at times (I think a few on here have posted about how miserable that set looked in the drizzling rain and all...can't remember who it was who had a great quote that their son said to them...was it TBlair?)

It was 20 deep outside the tent for the Killers.

it certainly was by the time i made it over there. next year they were the first ones initially asked to step in for Kylie when she dropped out, but didn't deem themselves worthy...yet

[Wooderson]

logistically it just wasn't my favorite Glastonbury...i thought saturday lagged in bits (saw My Morning Jacket, Ben Harper, didnt really enjoy much else that day. got separated/lost from the missus at times, etc...spent too much time looking for her instead of just enjoying it!

2004 was great. Had you hung out with myself and The Nal you wouldve been run off your feet seeing bands. We got into the mid-20s that year. Crazy carry on altogether.

[Wooderson]

Think myself and Neil were caught in the rainstorm during Amy Winehouse on the Sunday. Think we sheltered under the same hammock stall over on JazzWorld. Didnt know it at the time obv.

Amy that afternoon was just luminous btw.

[The Nal]

Amy that afternoon was just luminous btw.

Yeah. Really thought we had 40 years of glorious music ahead of us then.

Just found this. The rain was chucking it down!

[russycarps]

next time you lot are in london be sure to go to camden and check out amy winehouse "shrine". There's always loads of ale left there in tribute to her. A bit sick really

[CaledonianGonzo]

The last time I saw Winehouse was.....on stage with the Rolling Stones.

And a right hash she made of it, too. It's on YouTube somewhere, but it ain't pretty.

[russycarps]

Is that where you get your supplies Russy?

how dare you accuse me of drinking fosters!

[The Nal]

next time you lot are in london be sure to go to camden and check out amy winehouse "shrine". There's always loads of ale left there in tribute to her. A bit sick really

Jesus. Honouring her by making a shrine from the things that killed her. Makes perfect sense.

[russycarps]

Jesus. Honouring her by making a shrine from the things that killed her. Makes perfect sense.

this was also left

[Wooderson]

Thats horrendous.

[MEGABOWL]

Atmos/crowd at Blur was miles better than the Stones btw folks.

Pretty much all gigs pale in comparison to that, atmos-wise. Radiohead in 2003 is the only one that springs to mind as any comparison

[MEGABOWL]

Yep. Bruce and *gasp* Bittan made a dog's brekkie of Prove It '78 in Belfast. 30 seconds into his opening "solo" Bruce turned his back to the crowd and starting looking around anxiously at Max and Roy... "help me out here fellas.... ive done fucked this one right up".

Also, the covers of "Sweet Soul Music" and particularly "Shake" in Kilkenny were a right old mess. Bruce camping it up hand on the hip style to cover the crapness.

Contrarily, he pulls "Man At The Top" outta nowhere the next night and it sounds like its the 1,000th time the song has been played. Glorious.

This is how you recover from a cockup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZlNk-UCAOo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Edited August 8, 2013 by MEGABOWL

[LetsGoToMars]

Has anyone got a link to a download of the full set? Can only find what the BBC showed on TV in the usual places

[CaledonianGonzo]

Has anyone got a link to a download of the full set? Can only find what the BBC showed on TV in the usual places

The full performance is here including all the songs the beeb did not show

https://mega.co.nz/#!FM5CXYxa!IHwxQBRNoWg_w3L2ZTfq9WpTOQUAqww9SJirx30lR8k

Taken from

http://www.iorr.org/talk/read.php?2,1888316

[LetsGoToMars]

Thanks!

[Wooderson]

Pretty much all gigs pale in comparison to that, atmos-wise. Radiohead in 2003 is the only one that springs to mind as any comparison

There's still daylight between Macca and Blur '09 then *everything* else for me.

[MEGABOWL]

There's still daylight between Macca and Blur '09 then *everything* else for me.

I missed 2004 unforch so can't comment but Blur had so many subtexts. A crowd who were young enough to remember them being huge but were seeing them for the first time, the band being genuinely surprised how many people turned out for them and knew all the songs, and for people like my mate who's a massive long-time Blur fan seeing Albarn and Coxon together repairing their relationship. Then there was *that* crowd singalong after 'Tender', Albarn bursting into tears etc. One of them times where it feels like the air in the Pyramid field is charged somehow. Intoxicating.

I'd put it ahead of the Stones. The Stones had the charge from being *The* *Stones* at Glastonbury. It was the biggest game in town. Then the growing realisation that they were going to nail it. It was a complete triumph but not quite my favourite.

As a very late convert to Springsteen I'd also say that, as a gig, two of the three times I've seen Bruce (Manchester last year and Glasgow this) were better gigs, if not atmospheres, than the Stones. Only just, but Rolling Stone mag has it spot on for me with him as best live performer

Edited August 9, 2013 by MEGABOWL

[CaledonianGonzo]

Ultimately, though, there's still subjectivity at play. I've seen Blur loads - in tiny venues and big. One of the first ever gigs I saw was the Rollercoaster tour at the SECC with JAMC, MBV and Dinosaur Jnr. I wasn't at Glastonbury that year, but saw them the week afterwards at T.

Now, I don't doubt the atmosphere was fantastic, but ultimately I don't really care about their music.

On the whole it's alright, I've got most of their albums even if I don't tend to revisit them that often. I'd probably be on the dog and bone trying to get tickets were they to announce another tour. But compared to stuff that really galvanises my soul, that moves my heart and my feet, it's never got a hope of thrilling me to the very foundations of my being. It just can't. Even if they flew me in to the gig in their helicopter and afterwards Damon Albarn handed me the keys to his mansion, it'd still just be pretty good versions of tracks like This Is A Low and For Tomorrow, which I like but don't really mean that much to me.

On the other hand, hearing Macca sing Penny Lane or seeing Mick & Keith practically duetting on Wild Horses or Springsteen doing The River will always transcend even Blur's best ever gig.

[Wooderson]

I missed 2004 unforch so can't comment but Blur had so many subtexts. A crowd who were young enough to remember them being huge but were seeing them for the first time, the band being genuinely surprised how many people turned out for them and knew all the songs, and for people like my mate who's a massive long-time Blur fan seeing Albarn and Coxon together repairing their relationship. Then there was *that* crowd singalong after 'Tender', Albarn bursting into tears etc. One of them times where it feels like the air in the Pyramid field is charged somehow. Intoxicating.

I'd put it ahead of the Stones. The Stones had the charge from being *The* *Stones* at Glastonbury. It was the biggest game in town. Then the growing realisation that they were going to nail it. It was a complete triumph but not quite my favourite.

As a very late convert to Springsteen I'd also say that, as a gig, two of the three times I've seen Bruce (Manchester last year and Glasgow this) were better gigs, if not atmospheres, than the Stones. Only just, but Rolling Stone mag has it spot on for me with him as best live performer

Blur had the courage to openly state their feelings/preferences on Glastonbury. To go on the record. Highly unusual for any band to be so specific about any particular gig. I guess it would be a challenge to deny that - as you so rightly say - intoxicating atmosphere, even when it might alienate vast swathes of your fanbase who thought "their gig" was the best.

Didnt think the Stones had it in them to be as moving or as moved as Blur were... not unlike McCartney if I'm honest. That said, bar Damon weeping on stage in '09 and seeing Dick Ashcroft put the microphone to his heart during Bittersweet Symphony, some of Keef's actions on stage this summer were one of the only other times I felt caught by a performer who "got" the experience. So what do I really know... He looked *particularly* touched by the experience. Mick's megawatt smile at Lisa just after her solo aswell, poor aul Charlie's grin when the camera popped up on him... there was clearly a sense of occasion on stage. I got it anyway. I felt it. And I never expected to. Even typing this feels strange.

Music when done right - like all the best human persuits and passions is an intensely emotional experience. When a performer and crowd are having similar reactions youre in for a wild ride.

Anyway, its unfair to compare these titanic one-off performances... But at Glasto context is everything. For that reason the catharsis and healing the crowd fed off from Blur was always going to be a more satisfying exchange than the relief and delight served up by the Stones. This is where the fundamental difference lies.

[Wooderson]

Ultimately, though, there's still subjectivity at play. I've seen Blur loads - in tiny venues and big. One of the first ever gigs I saw was the Rollercoaster tour at the SECC with JAMC, MBV and Dinosaur Jnr. I wasn't at Glastonbury that year, but saw them the week afterwards at T.

Now, I don't doubt the atmosphere was fantastic, but ultimately I don't really care about their music.

On the whole it's alright, I've got most of their albums even if I don't tend to revisit them that often. I'd probably be on the dog and bone trying to get tickets were they to announce another tour. But compared to stuff that really galvanises my soul, that moves my heart and my feet, it's never got a hope of thrilling me to the very foundations of my being. It just can't. Even if they flew me in to the gig in their helicopter and afterwards Damon Albarn handed me the keys to his mansion, it'd still just be pretty good versions of tracks like This Is A Low and For Tomorrow, which I like but don't really mean that much to me.

On the other hand, hearing Macca sing Penny Lane or seeing Mick & Keith practically duetting on Wild Horses or Springsteen doing The River will always transcend even Blur's best ever gig.

All music is subjective. But a group of ten or so of us attended Blur in 2009 and to a person felt a unique indescribable characteristic to the show. "Beautiful" as Damon says in the film.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Never ever forget, Wooderson, that at every moment in the recording of that show, when the camera zooms in to capture the awe in Damon Albarn's expression or the tears in his eyes, Alex James is just standing a mere 10 feet away from him thinking about how best to market his cheese.

Edited August 9, 2013 by CaledonianGonzo

[Wooderson]

Never ever forget, Wooderson, that at every moment in the recording of that show, when the camera zooms in to capture the awe in Damon Albarn's expression or the tears in his eyes, Alex James is just standing a mere 10 feet away from him thinking about how best to market his cheese.

As the years go by my appreciation for this cat's bass playing increases. Dude can *wallow*!

The cheese thing doesnt really register. I'm Irish and that whole thang hasnt reached us yet. Him hanging around with Clarkson and Cameron sadly has. *sigh*

[CaledonianGonzo]

Actually, as time passes I'm starting to think that the best song Albarn's ever written is maybe actually 'On Melancholy Hill', which I'm guessing went down a like a tonne of bricks along with the rest of the Gorillaz set in 2010.