Engine is the most impressive piece of music I've ever heard as a live recording. It pains me to realize that I was living in NC when the Carrboro recording was made and hadn't yet discovered NMH.
Odd that it was written to elevate mood; largely due to time and circumstances it's always going to have a sobering, levelling, disabling effect on me, but it's not bitter or aching, just... Awe-inspiring, I guess.
The first version I found I'm not sure I can identify; it's a live recording in which a happy new year is bade to the audience, followed by a couple of shouts for "Scotty". This is in my opinion still the best performance of the track, the poor mic quality, picking up constant but low chatter from the venue is perfect, it couldn't have been engineered, and Mr Mangum is in absolute top form.
Engine is the most impressive piece of music I've ever heard as a live recording. It pains me to realize that I was living in NC when the Carrboro recording was made and hadn't yet discovered NMH.
Odd that it was written to elevate mood; largely due to time and circumstances it's always going to have a sobering, levelling, disabling effect on me, but it's not bitter or aching, just... Awe-inspiring, I guess.
The first version I found I'm not sure I can identify; it's a live recording in which a happy new year is bade to the audience, followed by a couple of shouts for "Scotty". This is in my opinion still the best performance of the track, the poor mic quality, picking up constant but low chatter from the venue is perfect, it couldn't have been engineered, and Mr Mangum is in absolute top form.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W4NYU7Sqjo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W4NYU7Sqjo