The many layers of Dave Mustaine

Dave MustaineI'm playing catch-up here but wanted to share a memorable "Soundcheck" podcast from early August featuring Megadeath leader Dave Mustaine. 

Metal musicians are often dismissed as clueless headbangers more interested in drugs, tattoos and leather than serious wide-ranging discussions on WNYC, the best-known public radio station in the States.  

But in this funny and eloquent interview, Mustaine discusses dementia as inspiration for song; the physical downsides of, um, headbanging; and performing with a South American youth orchestra whose instruments are made from items salvaged from their home -- a landfill. 

Mustaine is a rock legend, yes, but as this interview shows, a normal guy with whom you'd love to share a beer or two. 

\m/

'78 Project' takes musicians back in time

If you thought vinyl LPs were going retro, that's nothing. Adventurous musicians are going back into the dark ages of recording through "The 78 Project," which uses an old Presto machine to record 78 rpm songs direct to vinyl, with the finished product ready for listen minutes later. 

"Soundcheck" captured this in a recent episode and it's a fascinating trip down memory lane, and gives you an idea of the processes music historians like Alan Lomax took in the first half of the 20th century to record old blues, country and calypso in remote locations in North America. 

The videos below capture the magic the musicians experience, but the audio stream of the "Soundcheck" show is illuminating in that you can compare analog vs. digital audio. 

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The live 'album' may be dead but live recordings are not

"Soundcheck" has a fun episode lamenting the death of the live album, presenting various theories as what led to them becoming a rare breed. 

One reason not mentioned is the proliferance of live concert podcasts tossed online, either by musicians themselves or through deep concert archives from outlets like "Soundcheck" or NPR's "All Songs Considered." Why pay for something when good-quality versions approved by the artists are readily available? 

"Soundcheck" also invited listeners to share their favorite live albums, which got me to thinking. Here's my top 5, which could change at a moment's notice:

• "The Mavericks: Live at Royal Albert Hall." I too saw the Mavericks perform from just offstage at the Royal Albert Hall and it's probably the most amazing concert I've attended. My wife and I had just landed in London, by chance happened to walk past the famous hall and noticed The Mavericks were playing that night, and were able to snag just-released tickets -- to a sold-out show -- about 30 feet off the stage. This recording, while from another show, captures a lot of the same magic I remember.
• "Roxy Music: Live at The Apollo." I've seen Roxy live twice about 20 years apart, including an L.A. show that was part of the same tour at the Apollo show. As much visual as aural. 
• "Elvis Costello: Live at the El Mocambo." A young Elvis plunges through a wild set that's nonstop energy. One of those live shows that captures an artist on the way up. 
• "Cheap Trick: Silver." A "Soundcheck" caller name-checked this one too, and I prefer it to the renowned "Cheap Trick: Live at Budokan."  "Silver" has more variety, trots out the band's children for some touching performances and is a wonderful celebration of a terrific band's 25-year catalog.
• "The New Pornographers in Concert," a free stream from NPR's "All Songs Considered" of a 2010 concert from the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. If you've never heard the Pornographers, give the show a listen. Great show from a band that deserves much more public acclaim.