The Second Coming of LAST

It's the last day of 2023, and here's a new volume in Stinky's series LAST.  The concept is final recordings and performances of artists who retired or quit their bands; the finales of festivals and concert venues; and (in some cases) the last music we have from artists who are no longer with us.  

Robbie Robertson passed away this year, and we lost several other great artists (most recently Sinéad O'Connor, Shane McGowan, Tommy Smothers and Killing Joke guitarist Geordie Walker). The final recordings of MX-80 Sound guitarist Bruce Anderson (who died one year ago) are now available for purchase.

The leadoff track on today's volume of LAST is also a first -- the first officially released Beatles song since 1995. We also have The Replacements' last stand in Chicago (1991), when the band handed their instruments to the roadies.  Two decades later, Paul Westerberg contributed two songs to Glen Campbell's final album.  

Elvis Presley "left the building" for the last time on June 26, 1977, after completing an Indianapolis concert with "Unchained Melody" (the final track on LAST.  Elvis died two months later.  

Most of today's performances are from "older" performers of country, blues, soul, and rock.  The Replacements are the youngsters here, but even the Mats would be considered "dad rock" these days.  Ain't it funny how time slips away?  

Goodbye to 2023!  Stinky, Koen and I will have much more to share with y'all next year.

Blog's Not Dead (It Just Smells Funny)

Stinky writes: LAST is a series of collections of LAST songs.  These may be the last song a performer or a band performed live, or in the studio. or on television.  Or the last live performance by a group before a member died.  This set focuses on live recordings.

It starts off with John Lennon’s last live TV performance of Imagine, and the final song of The Beatles’ last live rooftop performance, Get Back.  Paul McCartney experienced another LAST when Wings played Band On The Run as the finale of their final concert. (Jonder adds: Paul's not dead -- despite rumors to the contrary -- but Linda McCartney passed away in 1998.)

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ final song was appropriately American Girl—one of their most-loved songs.  Tom’s bandmate in The Traveling Wilburys, Roy Orbison, also bid his fans adieu with one of his most timeless songs, Oh, Pretty Woman.

Things get punkier for The Ramones’ final performance from their farewell concert (with uber Ramones fan Eddie Vedder on hand), Any Way You Want It. The Stooges' No Fun was the Sex Pistols' final number with Sid Vicious before imploding in San Francisco with Johnny Rotten’s famous quip: “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?”  The Dead Boys reunited several times before lead singer Stiv Bators died, and went out with Catholic Boy.

Folk rock is represented by Harry Chapin, who calls his brother Tom Chapin on stage for Circles, his final live song before his fatal car crash.  Similarly, Stevie Ray Vaughan had opened for Eric Clapton, and joined in on Sweet Home Chicago before meeting his end in a helicopter crash.  

The last song Johnny Cash sang in concert was Understand Your Man. Townes Van Zandt’s final live performance concluded with Colorado Girl, and his namesake Justin Townes Earle wrapped things up with If You Ain't Glad I'm Leaving.  

Prince died shortly after he closed out his last show with Diamonds & Pearls/Purple Rain, and Jimi Hendrix finished out his performing career in style with his classic Voodoo Child (Slight Return).  Just as Hendrix famously revamped The Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock, Frank Zappa gives America The Beautiful an overhaul as the final song of his final U.S. show, thus ending the first volume of Last.