Format: CD, 16 tracks, ?? min
Label: Fire Power FP0052 (pictures)
Label: Cal.Jam2 Prodution (sic) CJ2-6.
Disc:
1. Rats in the Cellar (5:02)
2. I Wanna Know Why (3:09)
3. Big Ten Inch Record (4:13)
4. Seasons of Wither (5:00)
5. Sweet Emotion (5:11)
6. Lord of the Thighs (8:04)
7. Dream On (4:50)
8. Chip Away At The Stone (4:27)
9. Lick and a Promise (3:35)
10. Get the Lead Out (3:07)
11. Get It Up (4:25)
12. Draw the Line (4:40)
13. No More No More (3:55)
14. Same Old Song & Dance (5:49)
15. Milk Cow Blues (6:00)
16. Train Kept A Rollin (5:23)
Recorded at:
Ontario Motor Speedway, Southern California, March 18, 1978
Comments:
Spectacular show from the massive California Jam 2 in '78 which Aerosmith headlined.
The show opened with Jean Michel Jarre (electronic space rock). First on stage was Bob Welch (with a crack back-up band lifted from Pat Travers Band at the time (Pat Thrall and Tommy Aldridge, if I remember right), then Dave Mason, Santana, Heart, Nugent (had what they called a heat stroke, but having watched a boot video about a year after the concert, if that wasn't an overdose on speed or coke, I'm not breathing now), Foreigner (first American tour, played a lot of stuff off there yet-to-be-released Double Vision album, which would go on to be the best selling album of that year), Aerosmith and then came Rubicon and Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush.
A double record
set was released in '78 that included live performances from all the bands.
Of the Aerosmith set, "Same Old Song & Dance", "Draw the Line" and "Chip
Away at the Stone" were released on that album. I believe that "Chip Away at
the Stone" was even released as a single. Unfortunately, this album was
never officially released on cd.
However, a six disc bootleg of the entire
show has been floating around for a few years, as well as several single
disc collections from each band. Being that the entire show was recorded for
broadcast, the sound quality, while not perfect, is certainly better than
most bootlegs. Aerosmith's set in particular has a raw sound quality that
makes them sound heavier than most of the band's that performed. The set
list is pretty standard for '78, although during "Milk Cow Blues" Joe Perry
takes over lead vocals for the first verse. It's also interesting to note
that Joe begins the song by playing a few bars of Ted Nugent's 'Cat Scratch
Fever.' I had read a rumor one time that Joe was actually playing Ted's
Fender guitar during this song. In any case, a classic show and a testament
to one of the biggest shows in rock n roll history.
California Jam 2 is also the title of a silver CD catalogue number Cal.Jam2 Prodution (sic) CJ2-6. Same tracks as you listed but I've not heard the Fire Power one so don't know if the sound differs. Somehow I doubt it! - Alister Blockley, UK