It’s been a few years since I’ve listened regularly to the music of Will Oldham. I haven’t purchased an album of his since ’05, but until last year or the one prior I would return to Ease On Down The Road and I See A Darkness if the occasion felt right. I have — with more frequency — enjoyed the studio recordings released as Palace/Palace Bros./Palace Music. I think they’ve matured well. That said, these Black Sessions represent one of the first live experiences I had involving Oldham, so they hold a special place in my heart.
I downloaded the tunes for the first time when I was at the University Of Vermont. The man is completely unhinged during the performance. It is evident from the end of the first song, “Black,” where Oldham says, “Thank you very much. It was very nice of you all to come…with no clothes on. [snicker]…because it’s nice to perform to an audience of totally naked people, and to smell all your body parts. [sigh]. Yeah, would you direct that fan over here? Thank you. Thank you very much.” Hearing such weird and hilarious statements made as bookends to his cough syrup-drenched, slow songs pretty much solidified my opinion of him as the coolest guy I’d heard yet in my transformation from radio listenin’ high school-aged arena rock fan to college-aged college rock fag. I discovered Will Oldham, Slint and Godspeed You Black Emperor within a month of each other. Winters are long and very boring in Vermont.
There was an “unofficial CD” made of this show by Sangatte Records in 2007, but their tracklist differs from the version I downloaded back in the day. Mine is the same as the person who does the Mother Punker blog, so I’m going to go ahead and share mine believing that it is the correct show/setlist.
Will Oldham
Black Sessions: Recorded Live @ Studio 105; Paris, FR (Jan. 26, 1999)
MegaUpload DL Link
Tracklist:
01. Black
02. I See A Darkness
03. Take However Long You Want
04. You Will Miss Me When I Burn
05. Stablemate
06. Werner’s Last Blues To Blokbuster
07. Death To Everyone
08. A Minor Place
09. O Let It Be
10. One With The Birds
11. Work Hard Play Hard
