Rank & File - Live in Dayton, OH (11/8/80)
I have some vaguely interesting things I could say about Rank & File and how cool I thought they were way back when. But I won't. I should, instead, talk about this recording.
Bootlegs are magical things. You never know what the sound quality will be like when you play one for the first time. You usually don't know what songs will be played, though db.etree.org makes that easier now. Maybe the band was really on that night or maybe they were so drunk they couldn't remember which instruments to play. Maybe the crowd was in love with them, maybe it was full of assholes. You just don't know.
This is one of the really odd ones, the "Wow, what's going on here?" kind of sound artifact. I'll just tell you a couple of things. One, the sound quality is pretty darn good, for a twenty-seven year-old recording. Two, the original tape started at the end of the first set and then contains what is probably the whole second set. So you hear the same song/s twice since it looks like the sets were identical. Third, these guys were just fuckin' great! I've had so much fun listening to this for the last few days. Hope you do too.
Go get it, now. And buy shit!
4 comments:
what a great band. I was lucky enough to see them back in DC. Sundown is a super, super album. Wonderful post; thanks
Wish I'd seen them - you lucky anonymous you!
WOW!!! This is an amazing document of one of my favorite bands. I live in Dayton, but I unfortunately didn't see them when they played this show. The place that Rank & File probably played on this post was called "Sam's" which was a small downtown club. In 1984, Rank & File returned to Dayton to play another show at a larger nightclub & this time I was there! These guys kicked ass & the crowd was loving it! My favorite moment came when a bunch of fans were dancing to "Unlucky In Love". In walks these 3 executives (suits & ties) who were obviously out-of-town looking for a spot to party. The looks on their faces as they made their way through the crowd was something I'll never forget. They looked scared & confused! I really want to thank you for this post cause I'm loving it!
Excellent! Glad you like it and I'm happy to have made you happy. I'll make a note of the possible venue, too.
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