Those of you who read my posts on Hot Tuna's "Steady As She Goes" know that I am rather disappointed with that record. Too clean, too anonymous and no really good tunes (even the not so good Tuna albums, except "Pair A Dice", had at least one good song). I was disappointed because they promised us "hard driving rock and roll" and they just didn't deliver.
So I searched, to heal my wounds, for videos of their Hot Tuna Blues tour. And yes, the fire and the psychedelics are still to be found.
Google "Hot Tuna Blues Live Tilles Center CW Post Campus New York 2-5-2011". The sound quality is lousy, but it must have been an awsome show. You can hear And see that: the musicians are grinning and smiling while playing and when they are not playing you see their enjoyment and surprise of what the others are doing. Jack Casady used to be a pillar of salt on stage. Now, no longer under the influence, he is dancing (well, sort of) around the stage, telling GE Smith the chords of "Serpent Of Dreams" (so good!). You can see him jumping even. In Skoota Warner Jack and Jorma have finally found a drummer who equals, possibly surpasses the still much maligned and underappreciated Spencer Dryden. And Berry's electric mandoline brings back vague memories of what I think must have been an English band. Whatever, I like his playing.
Is it too much to ask for a proper Live Album of this tour? One that acknowledges their psychedelic roots?
