#refectory

Russian vintage postcard

The entire Menu Monday series

Black Narcissus

Personally, I am not a fan of the concept of live albums. Sure, it’s as close to experiencing a real concert as it gets, but with a live performance comes imperfections, lower quality recordings, and songs that just don’t seem to translate well into a live format. There is something to be noted though about The Who’s recorded set on Valentine’s Day 1970 at the University of Leed’s Refectory in West Yorkshire, England. A legendary performance from a legendary band, there’s a different energy that spawned from their onstage delivery that brought more life to the studio versions of each song played. Eventually released as Live at Leeds, this captured moment in history is considered to be one of the greatest live albums of all time. What makes this one different from the others though? Let’s start with The Who themselves. In the prime of their line-up: lively frontman Roger Daltrey, guitar and windmill enthusiast Pete Townshend, bass virtuoso John Entwistle, and the eccentric drumming legend Keith Moon, the band found themselves in the limelight following the release of their latest studio release Tommy. Following a tour circuit for Tommy which included a handful of recordings, the group was not as pleased with the live sound produced from the album’s more sentimental and operatic feel. In turn, The Who booked two gigs with the specific intent of using the recordings for a live album: one at the University of Leeds, and another at the University of Hull. Ultimately, the recordings from Leeds struck a chord among the band and would forever associate the two entities together. Although Leeds’ University Refectory had seen acts such as Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, only The Who have a live album from the venue. What an album, indeed. Live at Leeds is jam packed with extended versions of The Who’s hardest rocking tracks at the time, closing with a medley of songs featuring My Generation and a grand finale that features the band at their best: Magic Bus. Wait a minute...a show by The Who that doesn’t conclude with the epic Won’t Get Fooled Again? Although it seems like the logical choice, the song’s album Who’s Next would not be released until more than a year after Live at Leeds. In its place, Magic Bus shatters expectations, laden with jaw-dropping guitar solos, clamoring drum fills, and harmonica accompaniment by Roger Daltrey that transforms this simple song into a true encore performance. Live at Leeds has changed my perception on live albums, embracing the mistakes and differences as part of the authentic musical experiences which bring new life to songs we may have overlooked in the repertoire.

Here is a vintage Welsh 8ft 10” solid oak farmhouse kitchen refectory table, circa 1980, with exceptional build quality, in excellent original condition.

In crusader times Acre was known as St. John d'Acre after the Knights Hospitaller of St John who had their headquarters here. The knights, like the Templars, were military monks, the crack forces of the Crusaders. Historically, Acre was a strategic coastal link between western Europe and the Levant. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the world.

- Silly boy, it was not really a question. Let's go to my office. I have a whippy cane there, longing to bite some fresh flesh.