Ummm, did you mean "nuances" rather than "nuisances"? In my own case with King Crimson, I can offer a pretty simple answer, and one which probably applies in greater and lesser degrees to every artist in the list you quoted: Every single show included a great deal of improvisation - with Coltrane and Dolphy and Hendrix, the solos from night to night; with Phish and the Dead (and Crimson), long instrumental stretches between the set pieces, not to mention the covers as you did; with Zappa and Dylan largely the ever-changing set list but also rearrangements spontaneously conceived on the fly. In 1973-74, Crimson might improvise 40-60% of any given show - completely new music that would never be duplicated precisely - and even the feel, soloing and arrangements of the set pieces from their albums could change dramatically (even lyrics were subject to change, particularly in early versions of "In the Court of the Crimson King" in '69 and "Starless" in '74). That's why I'll never pass up a chance to grab a show I don't have from those years in particular. We're not talking about Janet Jackson's pre-programmed shows or even Genesis doing a note-perfect replication of "In the Cage." A hundred versions of "Easy Money" will vary as much as the moods and disciplines of four men on any given show might conceivably vary; a hundred versions of Coltrane and Dolphy playing "India" will be as different as a hundred days from a given year. Steve Smith ssmith36@sprynet.com NP - Sonny Sharrock, "Monkey-Pockie-Boo," 'Monkey-Pockie-Boo' (BYG Actuel/Sunspots) -----Original Message----- From: zorn-list-admin@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:zorn-list-admin@mailman.xmission.com]On Behalf Of Zachary Steiner Sent: Friday, June 28, 2002 7:02 PM
So I can't really tell whether this same phenomenon works for them, making 250 seemingly the same bootlegs 'worth' getting (as with Monk, Dylan, Grateful Dead, Hendrix, Coltrane, Dolphy, Zappa or Phish).
I never did understand this phenomenon. I can see the relevance for a scholar to compare the nuisances of any of these said musicians, but for most listeners (including many musicians and more than "casual" listeners in the bunch) the bootlegs are pretty much the same. Hearing different covers is one thing, but 100s of versions of the same tune!?! It could be something that I will never understand.