The Velvet Forum

rnranimal wrote:Very sad news, Easytree has just been shut down (as reported on their yahoo group forum). It was a great place to get lossless rare music, actually the only place that I know of. I was really holding out hope of seeing the full disc on there, but it can't happen now.

PS- Speaking of the cleaned up Matrix tapes, I actually got to hear samples of quite a few of the songs and can say they are AMAZING. They aren't just cleaned up, but are stereo mixes from the original 4-track soundboard tapes and are truly top notch in sound quality. Even much better than the Live 1969 tracks as those were from 1st or 2nd gen mixdowns. Man, how I wish these would be released, but last I heard the guy sitting on the tapes was not being cooperative and the whole thing was called off. Damn shame. On the subject of the boot series and elusive tapes, what happened to that other Max's '70 show (the Freeman tape, I believe it was called)?

RnRanimal is right. The Matrix tapes are truly unbelievable! They are not and do not need to be cleaned up. They are the best sounding live VU you will ever hear for a couple of reasons: they are orginal four track recordings and they've been carefully preserved for all these years.
As far as the performances go, there are beautiful versions of "There She Goes", "Venus in Furs", a drop-dead gorgeous funky 'Waiting for the Man" and much more. The tapes contain several performances of 22 unique titles recorded over various dates in the fall/winter of 1969.
Joseph Freeman's Max's tape is also very interesting. It was recorded a few weeks before the exisitng Max's set and is in stereo and an overall better recording. The set is similar to the familiar one. Fifteen tracks total including a blues jam, "It's Just Too Much", "Ocean", and "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'"
Wish I could tell you all that there is progress in resolving the nonsense that stands in the way of this and so much more, but I can't.

BTW RnRAnimal, if you don't mind PMing me, I'd like a word.

Hi Sal. I sent a PM a few days ago and one in reply to your post, hope they are reaching you.

anyone able to send me this file in an email? i haven't had luck with easytree...thanks! bob

the shutdown of easytree is realy bad... where are we gonna get velvet bootlegs now? is there a similar site somwhere?

by the way, why where they shut down? were not all of those boots legal stuff that never got officialy released?

Anonymous wrote:the shutdown of easytree is realy bad... where are we gonna get velvet bootlegs now? is there a similar site somwhere?

by the way, why where they shut down? were not all of those boots legal stuff that never got officialy released?

The crucial one was a Nirvana live DVD. Universal Music wanted to sue them. Strangely enough only for the track "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

Anonymous wrote:were not all of those boots legal stuff that never got officialy released?

This question is a joke, right?

Anyone who trades bootlegs should be pretty aware of all the issues concerning Intellectual Property Rights. Technically, NONE of the shows on EZ-Tree were legal. Unless a band gives express rights to tape their music and distrubute it, it is ILLEGAL.

PERIOD.

More than likely, not a single minute of music that had been uploaded to EZ-Tree was legal.

sal mercuri wrote:

rnranimal wrote:Very sad news, Easytree has just been shut down (as reported on their yahoo group forum). It was a great place to get lossless rare music, actually the only place that I know of. I was really holding out hope of seeing the full disc on there, but it can't happen now.

PS- Speaking of the cleaned up Matrix tapes, I actually got to hear samples of quite a few of the songs and can say they are AMAZING. They aren't just cleaned up, but are stereo mixes from the original 4-track soundboard tapes and are truly top notch in sound quality. Even much better than the Live 1969 tracks as those were from 1st or 2nd gen mixdowns. Man, how I wish these would be released, but last I heard the guy sitting on the tapes was not being cooperative and the whole thing was called off. Damn shame. On the subject of the boot series and elusive tapes, what happened to that other Max's '70 show (the Freeman tape, I believe it was called)?

RnRanimal is right. The Matrix tapes are truly unbelievable! They are not and do not need to be cleaned up. They are the best sounding live VU you will ever hear for a couple of reasons: they are orginal four track recordings and they've been carefully preserved for all these years.
As far as the performances go, there are beautiful versions of "There She Goes", "Venus in Furs", a drop-dead gorgeous funky 'Waiting for the Man" and much more. The tapes contain several performances of 22 unique titles recorded over various dates in the fall/winter of 1969.
Joseph Freeman's Max's tape is also very interesting. It was recorded a few weeks before the exisitng Max's set and is in stereo and an overall better recording. The set is similar to the familiar one. Fifteen tracks total including a blues jam, "It's Just Too Much", "Ocean", and "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'"
Wish I could tell you all that there is progress in resolving the nonsense that stands in the way of this and so much more, but I can't.

Sal, thanks for the news. Even if it is disappointing to us, it's better than complete silence.

By the way, any news on THAT acetate? In an interview in this month's MOJO, Lou suggests that he's heard it recently. Do I detect that moves are being made within the VUP to get it & release it?

I wish! Exciting as the Matrix tapes sound (or don't sound, since I haven't heard them!) the alternate takes on the acetate are an invaluable part of rock and roll history, and should be made available. Let's hope...

Sal, thanks for the news. Even if it is disappointing to us, it's better than complete silence.

By the way, any news on THAT acetate? In an interview in this month's MOJO, Lou suggests that he's heard it recently. Do I detect that moves are being made within the VUP to get it & release it?[/quote]

I think Lou has heard of it but not heard it because he comments on it being acoustic which it definitely is not.