Today’s Smilin’ Singles tends to be a little softer, perhaps even sadder, but all the songs are incredible, so you need to listen anyways. If these are a little sad for you, check out all of this week’s Smilin Singles posts.
This is the song that really caused me to stop and give Wilco another listen, before I realized how much I really enjoyed them. I mean that violin is just insanely beautiful. Check out EAR FARM for a similar revelation, although his was “Spider (Kidsmoke).”
Wilco – “Jesus, Etc.” from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
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The next one I’ve been fortunate enough to catch live a few times. It took me awhile to realize, but this is one of Phish’s most popular tunes to non-Phans. Anyways, this is a live rendition by Trey Anastasio. The studio version has one of the greatest build-ups of any of my favorite songs, even going against “Stairway To Heaven.” This rendition of the songs softer side was recorded at Vegoose on October 29th, 2005, in Las Vegas, NV. At the end of the track he has a personal message to the crowd as well as a big plug for The Arcade Fire.
Trey Anastasio – “Waste (Acoustic Solo)” live at Vegoose on October 29th, 2005.
Alright, so I’m not exactly a big fan of Coldplay any longer, mostly because of their lackluster album, price-gouging, and equally lackluster recent live performance (St. Louis, 09/17/2005), however, I still love their older material, and this one has a particular draw for me. Couldn’t say why for sure, probably has some of Chris Martin’s better vocals in my opinion. This is the live version from Coldplay’s live 2003 release. Oddly enough it’s also the second Smilin’ Singles track titled “Amsterdam.”
Coldplay – “Amsterdam” from Live 2003
I held out a long time in becoming a Dave Matthews Band fan, mostly because of the fratholes and sorority girls that seem to worship him, but recently I’ve had a change of heart and have found a place for “Dave” in my listening time. Surely not as much as Trey or Jerry, but hey, you can’t ask that of anyone. Fitting in with today’s sad and pretty theme, I picked out a track that does basically the same thing for me as the last three tracks. And, once again, the track was recorded at Vegoose on October 29th, 2005. Actually it took place not more than 3-4 hours after Trey played “Waste.” Both are great tracks. Oh, and did I mention that this track features Tim Reynold’s and Trey Anastasio? Because it does.
Dave Matthews & Friends – “Stay Or Leave” live at Vegoose on October 29th, 2005.