A World of Funny Changes
More from the fan-curated Sunsquashed Archives — a treasure trove of Yo La Tengo live tapes. This time, we’re taking a look at the fertile Fakebook period, circa 1990-91. Fakebook is now well over two decades old at this point and hasn’t aged a bit — the perfect blend of Georgia and Ira’s vocal harmonies, Dave Schramm’s shimmering electric leads, the gentle-but-not-quite-easy-going vibe … it’s an album that I simply never get tired of. In the months following its release, Yo La Tengo played a bunch of radio sessions and live shows, playing Fakebook’s finest, not to mention plenty of covers that never made it to the studio. YLT has always been extremely tasteful when choosing songs by other artists to include in their repertoire, creating a welcoming world of their own, where the Dixie Cups and NRBQ can co-exist peacefully alongside Amerindie faves like Barbara Manning and Volcano Suns, alongside Yo La’s own re-imagined originals. It’s a world well worth visiting again and again.
FAKEBOOK LIVE
1. Gee, The Moon Is Shining Bright (Dixie Cups), 1990/05/03 WUTL, New Orleans, LA
2. Can’t Forget, 1990/08/16 Negativ, Frankfurt, DE
3. No Water, 1991/01/29 Mountain Stage, Charleston, WV
4. Andalucia (John Cale), 1990/02/04 WFMU
5. Here Comes My Baby (Cat Stevens), 1990/08/16 Negativ, Frankfurt, DE
6. A Song For You (Gram Parsons), 1990/01/04b Knitting Factory
7. The Summer, 1990/02/04 WFMU
8. Balancing Act (Volcano Suns), 1990/08/30 Rhino Records, Westwood, CA
9. Alyda, 1990/08/30 Rhino Records, Westwood, CA
10. Speeding Motorcycle (Daniel Johnston), 1990/09/28 In Your Ear Records, Providence, RI
11. Cast A Shadow (Calvin Johnson), 1990/08/16 Negativ, Frankfurt, DE
12. Hanky Panky Nohow (John Cale), 1990/06/22 What the Folk?, WRFG, Atlanta, GA
13. A House Is Not A Motel (Love), 1990/06/24 Idiot’s Delight, WXRK, NYC
14. What Can I Say? (NRBQ), 1990/08/16 Negativ, Frankfurt, DE
15. Tried So Hard (Gene Clark), 1990/06/24 Idiot’s Delight, WXRK, NYC
16. I Found A Reason (Velvet Underground), 1990/05/31 Bottom Line, NYC
17. Crush (Tall Dwarfs), 1990/03/02 Speakeasy
18. Lewis, 1991/01/29 Mountain Stage, Charleston, WV
19. This Is Where I Belong (Kinks), 1990/11/03 Lonestar Roadhouse
20. Did I Tell You?, 1990/08/16 Negativ, Frankfurt, DE
21. Scissors (Barbara Manning), 1991/08/16 WFMUThanks again to all the tapers! In case you missed it, we’re posting these rare Yo La Tengo recordings in the lead-up to Jesse Jarnow’s Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo and the Rise of Indie Rock, published next month by Gotham Books. The first two installments are here and here. Jesse is on Twitter and Facebook, offering many more YLT treats. And of course, the band itself is at www.yolatengo.com.
