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Song of Two Hundred Fifty-Seven Days Ago: Pound for a Brown (from Hammersmith Odeon)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyDrXhyf-xc" data-time="

OK, before I talk about this version, let's discuss the "Pound" versions on Halloween 77 for some context. For the first three shows, the tune starts with the theme as it always appears in every version ever. Then there's a short, new composed section (this section actually sounds beautiful). Then we get the solo section. First Tommy Mars takes a (scat-enhanced) keyboard solo, then Peter Wolf takes a keyboard solo. Then the tune segues into the next song. For the last three shows, Patrick O'Hearn actually gets the chance to play a bass solo in the solo section before the number proceeds as normal with the Tommy and Peter solos. Finally, on the final show of the album (10/31), after the Patrick/Tommy/Peter solos, special guest Roy Estrada joins the band for the rest of the performance. I'm not sure if I should still count this as a part of "Pound"; on the album it's listed as a separate track, called "The Demise of the Imported Rubber Goods Mask." Anyway, this part features Roy doing a "Gas Mask" routine, doing faux operatic singing for the most part while the band improvises the accompaniment. For clarity's sake, in the late '60s the title "Gas Mask" referred to any part of the show that had Roy singing/screaming/laughing maniacally/making weird noises while the rest of the Mothers improvised the music behind him.

Now, while this version sounds pretty similar to the ones from Halloween 77, there are some major differencees. In this version the main theme is played as normally and then we get into the solo section - unfortunately, the beatiful short new section of composed music before the solo section I mentioned above has been dropped for this tour. In the solo section we first get an Ed Mann vibraphone solo. I've done some research and it turns out that an Ed solo only started appearing very late in the tour (this performance is from the final date of the tour) - it was not part of the normal procedure. Usually, the tune would only consist of the main theme and solos by the two keyboardists (no Patrick bass solo). (This is the best Ed solo - be it on vibraphone or any other instrument - I've ever heard, BTW. Lengthy but continually interesting, with excellent support from the rhythm section.) After Ed is done we get a great Peter keyboard solo. Then something weird happens - the band does some free improvisation (this sounds way more like a '60s Mothers improvisation than something this '78 band would play) and Patrick does a (partially inaudible in this mix) improvised routine, starting with the exclamation: "Hail Caesar!" (CC: "Emperor of Ohio" from YCDTOSA Vol. 6 contains the phrase "Hail Caesar! Emperor of Ohio!", but this does not turn into a full blown routine.) After this, we finally get a (rather subdued) Tommy solo, sporadically interspersed with Patrick continuing his routine. Then the track ends.

At 20+ minutes, this is probably the longest version of "Pound" I have ever heard (I'm sure Frank played longer ones over the years, though). It's also one of the best ones I've ever heard. The first half (roughly), with the Ed and Peter solos, is by far the best one. I'm not as fond of the free improvisation section and the Tommy solo, but these things are definitely worth hearing as well.
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