Napster questions

["Anthony J. Rzepela" <rzepelaa>]

Two recent finds on Napster are worth comment.

One is a supposed live duet between REM and Kate
Pierson of the B52's, doing "Dancing Barefoot" live.
I think it's actually Patti. Didn't Patti finally
appear onstage with REM in Michigan on the
1995 "Monster" tour after much cajoling in
previous years?

You'd think that Kate and Patti would be easier to
discern vocally than oil and water, but this is
a pretty bad tape, with a lot of hiss, and it's
been shaved closely enough that there's no time
for Michael to tell us who is singing. Also, until
halfway through the song, Patti is very much in her
high-pitched 70's voice. She finally comes through
with the now-familiar, gutteral, "Oh God, I'm
back again" bit by the end of the song, but it's
easy to see how someone could call this Kate
after listening for a minute or two only.



Second, Patti's induction of the Velvet Underground
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in early 1996
was captured on a four-disc VU bootleg in 1998
called "Caught Between the Twisted Stars". The
track, entitled "Distant Mirror", has most of her
induction speech, but unfortunately, none of her
performance of "Pale Blue Eyes".

It does include the song the VU wrote and performed
for the occasion: "Last Night I said Goodbye to My
Friend".