The Ultimate Bootleg Experience
I recently discovered an outstanding resource at T.U.B.E.: The Ultimate Bootleg Experience. Featuring both live and studio recordings (outtakes, rarities, etc.), T.U.B.E. is veritable goldmine. Some of the more interesting things I found there include:
- Joe Strummer – Solos, Soundtracks, & Rarities
- Van Morrison – Gypsy Soul (Studio Demos)
- Peter Tosh – Equal Rights Demos 1977
- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – 1969-08-26 – Los Angeles
(the earliest completely recorded CSNY concert) - Talking Heads – CBS Demos (1975)
- U2 – Pulled The Covers (1979-2006)
The one minor downside of T.U.B.E. is the slightly complicated downloading process.
First you download a text file, which contains the links you need to get the music. Most of the files are available on the file sharing service, RapidShare, where you can download for free, but with limits. Those limits include waiting a few minutes to start the download, and you can only retrieve a certain number of megabytes per hour. I find that I max out the free access after about a disc’s worth of songs, and then I have to wait an hour or so to download more (which can be a little annoying if you’re trying to get a multiple disc bootleg). Traditionally bootlegs have always been something to share among music fans, so I suppose a little patience is a small price to pay for a free download. RapidShare does offer a premium account which can be purchased for unlimited downloads.
The files themselves are compacted in RAR format, so you must have a program that can un-compact RAR files in order get the actual MP3 files. I’m currently using the free program, IZArc, to do the job.
But once you go through all that, it usually is worth it. The files are well documented, and often include cover art. The bootlegs I’ve downloaded have been of very good quality. Every time I check out T.U.B.E., I’m just amazed at the variety and sheer number of bootlegs posted on the site.
