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No Gods No Masters (Double DVD)
15 Apr 2014, PM Press
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Leon's first DVD release contained almost four hours of live performance alongside Robb Johnson. The bulk of the package contains two concerts staged on 30 and 31 July, 2011, at La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley, California. The first night's show, Turning Silence Into Song, sits on disc 1 and has the two artists running through selections from their respective catalogues. (It is effectively edited to provide a balance between the two singers, who more or less alternate.) Although the set is described as a "career-spanning greatest hits", Leon's material is mostly post-2000, and so concentrates on his more recent songs ("Where Are The Barricades?", "The Ghost Of Georges Brassens", "Like Love", "Benefits" etc).
Disc 2 contains the second performance, from the Sunday night, and presents the show The Liberty Tree in full. Since the 2010 CD of the show was recorded in the studio, this live performance more faithfully captures the essence of the piece, and deviates hardly at all from the earlier recording. And, appended to the end of disc 1 is a short set recorded the following day at local activist, TD Daniell's house, by way of a DVD extra. (Sadly the sound quality is not great on this bonus section.)
Although recorded in 2011, the DVD was not released until early 2014, by which time Leon was approaching his 80th birthday. On stage, he described the concert as his "third farewell tour", but at the point of release he was still making regular live appearances. Although his performance here is not always polished (he fluffs one or two lines), the DVD is an excellent commemoration of Leon's stage craft, and between-song dialogue. Besides performing his own songs almost entirely solo, he frequently plays second guitar behind Robb Johnson on the latter's material, and adds harmony to "Red and Green". (The "Red and Green" / "World Turned Upside Down" coupling which closes The Liberty Tree is also performed as an encore for the first set, and therefore appears twice. Robb Johnson joked that the first performance was a practice for the following night!)
Despite the large amount of spoken material in the show The Liberty Tree, our song list below only details the song titles.
Disc 2 contains the second performance, from the Sunday night, and presents the show The Liberty Tree in full. Since the 2010 CD of the show was recorded in the studio, this live performance more faithfully captures the essence of the piece, and deviates hardly at all from the earlier recording. And, appended to the end of disc 1 is a short set recorded the following day at local activist, TD Daniell's house, by way of a DVD extra. (Sadly the sound quality is not great on this bonus section.)
Although recorded in 2011, the DVD was not released until early 2014, by which time Leon was approaching his 80th birthday. On stage, he described the concert as his "third farewell tour", but at the point of release he was still making regular live appearances. Although his performance here is not always polished (he fluffs one or two lines), the DVD is an excellent commemoration of Leon's stage craft, and between-song dialogue. Besides performing his own songs almost entirely solo, he frequently plays second guitar behind Robb Johnson on the latter's material, and adds harmony to "Red and Green". (The "Red and Green" / "World Turned Upside Down" coupling which closes The Liberty Tree is also performed as an encore for the first set, and therefore appears twice. Robb Johnson joked that the first performance was a practice for the following night!)
Despite the large amount of spoken material in the show The Liberty Tree, our song list below only details the song titles.
Song list
Disc 1, Set 1
1. Be Reasonable (Robb Johnson)
2. Conversation On A Mobile Second version
3. Where Are The Barricades? Third version
4. Deep Down Underground (Robb Johnson)
5. Harry’s Gone Fishing Second version
6. Charlie (Robb Johnson)
7. I Close My Eyes (Robb Johnson)
8. The Ghost Of Georges Brassens Second version
9. Penny Pot Lane (Robb Johnson)
10. Bringing The News From Nowhere Second version
Disc 1, Set 2
11. Small Revolutions (Robb Johnson)
12. Everybody Loves (Robb Johnson)
13. Like Love Second version
14. The Big Wheel (Robb Johnson)
15. The Poet, The Wife And The Monkey Second version
16. Karl Marx City Blues (Robb Johnson)
17. When I Look Up (Robb Johnson)
18. Song Of The Olive Tree Third version
19. My Father’s Jewish World Second version
20. Red & Green (Robb Johnson)
21. The World Turned Upside Down Fourth version
Disc 1, Set 3 (Berkeley House Concert)
22. We Sell Everything Second version
23. Justice Bus (Robb Johnson)
24. Benefits Second version
Disc 2, Set 1
25. Watering The Roots of the Liberty Tree [track not listed on the DVD] Second version
This is a brief snippet. The song recurs in sections throughout.
26. Rosa's Lovely Daughters (Robb Johnson)
27. Don't Get Married, Girls Third version
28. The Wall That Stands Between Third version
29. 3 Minutes' Silence (Robb Johnson)
30. Remembrance Day Fourth version
31. We All Said Stop the War (Robb Johnson)
Disc 2, Set 2
32. On Her Silver Jubilee Third version
33. Picking Up the Pieces (Robb Johnson)
34. Oliver Twist (Robb Johnson)
35. Palaces of Gold Sixth version
36. Changing the Guard (Robb Johnson)
37. Stand Up for Judas Third version
38. Red & Green (Robb Johnson)
39. The World Turned Upside Down Fifth version
1. Be Reasonable (Robb Johnson)
2. Conversation On A Mobile Second version
3. Where Are The Barricades? Third version
4. Deep Down Underground (Robb Johnson)
5. Harry’s Gone Fishing Second version
6. Charlie (Robb Johnson)
7. I Close My Eyes (Robb Johnson)
8. The Ghost Of Georges Brassens Second version
9. Penny Pot Lane (Robb Johnson)
10. Bringing The News From Nowhere Second version
Disc 1, Set 2
11. Small Revolutions (Robb Johnson)
12. Everybody Loves (Robb Johnson)
13. Like Love Second version
14. The Big Wheel (Robb Johnson)
15. The Poet, The Wife And The Monkey Second version
16. Karl Marx City Blues (Robb Johnson)
17. When I Look Up (Robb Johnson)
18. Song Of The Olive Tree Third version
19. My Father’s Jewish World Second version
20. Red & Green (Robb Johnson)
21. The World Turned Upside Down Fourth version
Disc 1, Set 3 (Berkeley House Concert)
22. We Sell Everything Second version
23. Justice Bus (Robb Johnson)
24. Benefits Second version
Disc 2, Set 1
25. Watering The Roots of the Liberty Tree [track not listed on the DVD] Second version
This is a brief snippet. The song recurs in sections throughout.
26. Rosa's Lovely Daughters (Robb Johnson)
27. Don't Get Married, Girls Third version
28. The Wall That Stands Between Third version
29. 3 Minutes' Silence (Robb Johnson)
30. Remembrance Day Fourth version
31. We All Said Stop the War (Robb Johnson)
Disc 2, Set 2
32. On Her Silver Jubilee Third version
33. Picking Up the Pieces (Robb Johnson)
34. Oliver Twist (Robb Johnson)
35. Palaces of Gold Sixth version
36. Changing the Guard (Robb Johnson)
37. Stand Up for Judas Third version
38. Red & Green (Robb Johnson)
39. The World Turned Upside Down Fifth version