It would be an underestimation to state that Michael Chapman was one of the most prolific singer-songwriters to have ever emerge from England, and yet the number of his onstage recordings doesn’t correlate with the number of studio albums the veteran released over the course of five decades. The Yorkshire artist simply didn’t value his concert performances too much, despite his ability to mesmerize audiences with tuneful stories and stunning guitar delivery. Chapman’s first live album, titled “Pleasures Of The Street” issued in 1975, captured him play with a full band – so Michael’s forthcoming archive recording couldn’t be more different from it.
Set to arrive in stores on April 5th, “Party Pieces” is a document of the great late musician’s solo acoustic show at “The Post Aula” in Bremen on May 12th, 1975 when Chapman ran through his back catalogue with the emphasis given to blues material and included in his set two cuts – “Not So Much A Garden (More Like A Maze)” and “New York Ladies” – which would never appear on his reports from the stage, until now. Caught in his prime, here’s Michael in his element, still surprising the listeners.
Party Pieces
(Live In Bremen 1975)
1. Party Pieces
2. Wellington The Skellington
3. New York Ladies
4. Waiting For A Train
5. Deal Gone Down
6. Firewater Dreams
7. Wrecked Again
8. Streets Of London
9. Polar Bear Fandango
10. Not So Much A Garden (More Like A Maze)
11. Tribute To Bo Diddley
